Assessment of the
Core – Science
Charlyne L. Walker
Director of Educational
Research and Evaluation,
Arts and Sciences
4/16/07
Assessing the Major
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SACS requires us to assess all degree programs
bachelors through doctorate as part of
Institutional Effectiveness
FIU has been assessing our degree programs
since 1999-2000
Recent changes in SACS has moved us toward
more direct measures
Departments assess programs in a variety of
ways
Sample IE document
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Science Core Category Description
Our technologically dependent world
requires an understanding of the
processes that led us here.
 Learning the basic concepts and ideas of
scientific fields provides contact with not
just those fields but with how science is
done.
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Science Core Category Description
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In these courses students study the scientific method through
examination of the foundational theories of modern scientific
thought.
Students apply scientific principles and theories to problem solving,
evaluate scientific statements, and incorporate new information
within the context of what is already known.
Emphasizing the essential connection between theory and
experiment, the hands-on laboratory experience provides the
context for testing scientific theories.
Students will be able to describe the scientific method through
examination of the foundational theories of modern scientific
thought.
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Foundations of Science
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Students will be able to
 Apply
scientific principles and theories to
problem solving,
 Evaluate scientific statements,
 Interpret new information (e.g. scientific data,
journal articles, media reports of scientific
findings, etc.) within the context of what is
already known, and
 Apply the scientific method by conducting
experiments to test scientific hypotheses.
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Objectives and Measures
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There should be objectives for the courses in
course syllabi
As objectives are developed, we may be asking
for you to include them into course syllabi
As measures are developed, you might be
asked to include them into course syllabi to let
students know what measures are being used
This is not a “short term” solution for the 2010
SACS visit
The measures must be on going as part of
SACS requirements beyond 2010
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Types of Direct Measures
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Embedded questions
 Set
of locally developed questions intended to measure
specific student learning outcomes
 Placed within tests of all sections of the same course
 Used to track cognitive or skill development through a
program, sets of embedded questions, with each
expecting a higher level of proficiency than the previous,
may be used across sequential courses
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Papers or short answer questions using rubrics – a
rubric is used to standardize the grading of work
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Types of Direct Measures
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Locally developed exams - exams produced by
faculty within a discipline
Pre/Post Test - a locally developed test that
measure students’ incoming and post program
levels of knowledge, skills, behaviors and
attitudes to measure students’ gains
You can find more types of measures at
http://oeas.ucf.edu/alc/dir_measures.htm
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Examples of Objectives and
Measures from UCF
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PSC 1121 Physical Science - Demonstrate an understanding of the
scientific method. In particular, to demonstrate an ability to assess
which claims presented as "scientific" are indeed scientific and not
pseudoscientific.
Measures:
 7.1 PSC 1121 Physical Science - A pre-test and a post-test will
be given. A gain of 30 % will be considered satisfactory, a gain of
50 % will be considered well above satisfactory, and a gain of 65
% or more will be considered outstanding. The gain is defined as
the net change in the average score divided by the average of
the pre-test. If full tests cannot be given, few questions will be
sufficient.
 7.2 PSC 1121 Physical Science - In each exam, questions will
be embedded to enable an assessment of the extent to which
this objective is met. The questions may be multiple choice, long
answer, or quantitative problems. An overall score of 70% on
these questions will be considered acceptable.
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Examples of Objectives and
Measures from UCF
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GLY 1030 Geology and its Applications - To demonstrate an
understanding of multifaceted scientific terminology and an ability to
apply the definitions involved.
Measures:
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19.1 GLY 1030 Geology and its Applications - A set of 8 tightly-written
definitions, several involving at least 3 characteristics, will be presented
and illustrated in class, in conjunction with graded homework
assignments. A 7-question quiz (or quiz section) will follow, testing
knowledge of precisely what is included in each definition. Each quiz
question will require more than one answer; and no partial credit will be
given, in order to stress the importance of learning the entire definition
for application later in the course. Because any error or omission can
render an answer incorrect, a score of at least 4 out of 7 on these
questions by 100% of students who earn a "C" or higher in the course
will be considered acceptable. A similar, but smaller, set of questions will
be included on a pretest in Spring 2007 to establish a baseline for use in
subsequent years.
Examples of Objectives and
Measures from UCF
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GLY 1030 Geology and its Applications - To demonstrate an
understanding of multifaceted scientific terminology and an ability to
apply the definitions involved.
Measures:
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19.2 GLY 1030 Geology and its Applications - A subsequent test will include an
embedded set of 7 questions that require simultaneous application of all the
characteristics of each definition from measure 19a that is tested. For example,
determining the number of minerals in a collection described in the question-set
requires consideration of whether to count: types or pieces, natural and/or
synthetic materials, and crystalline and/or noncrystalline materials. In addition,
knowledge of the basic mineral compositions of the igneous rocks is needed.
Again, no partial credit will be given, in order to promote the learning of
knowledge as a cohesive whole, rather than as a set of disconnected fragments.
Because any error or omission can render an answer incorrect, a score of at
least 4 out of 7 on these questions by 100% of students who earn a "C" or higher
in the course will be considered acceptable. A similar, but smaller, set of
questions will be included on a pretest in Spring 2007 to establish a baseline for
use in subsequent years.
Examples
UCF General Education Science
Foundation
http://iaaweb.ucf.edu/assessment/visitor/vi
ew_2006_07.asp?program_ID=1240
 UCF Assessment Plans for 2006
http://iaaweb.ucf.edu/assessment/visitor/y
67.asp?group=visitor
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