General Education Assessment Report for Spring, 2012
Department: PSYCHOLOGY
Coordinator: Esther J. Jenkins, PhD.
Outcomes
General Education Outcomes addressed in Psychology 1100 – Introduction to
Psychology
8) Understand the interaction among human beings, human cultures, and the
natural environments within which they live.
9) Understand the basis of the scientific method including the formulation and
testing of hypotheses using empirical observations and data collection.
10) Understand ways that scientific inquiry has affected human understanding of
the natural world in which they live.
16) Understand the inter-relatedness of culture, race, class, gender and human
identity and personality.
General Education Outcomes addressed in Psychology 2000 – Lifespan
Development
8) Understand the interaction among human beings, human cultures, and the
natural environments within which they live
9) Understand the basis of the scientific method including the formulation and
testing of hypotheses using empirical observations and data collection
16) Understand the inter-relatedness of culture, race, class, gender and human
identity and personality.
Method of Assessment
In both courses, the outcomes were assessed using a multiple-choice exam,
developed by faculty in the department. The current instrument was revised in Fall 2005.
A 20-item exam was used to assess outcomes in Psychology 1100, Introductory
Psychology. However, one item was excluded as the answer was not presented, leaving a
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total of 19 items. A 15-item exam was used to assess outcomes in Lifespan and
Development, Psychology 2000 but, again, one item was problematic and was excluded,
leaving 14 items.
The exams were administered during the last week of the semester.
Student test data was received from 6 of the 12 Gen ED classes. In Intro Psych,
four of eight classes (from three different instructors) provided data for a total of 86
students. In LifeSpan, one of the two instructors provided data for her two classes for a
total of 35 students (there is a total of four Lifespan classes).
The primary criterion for success is a student correctly answering 70% of the
items on the exam. For PSY 1100 70% success is met with 13 items. For PSY 2100,
70% success is met when a student successfully answers 10 items. In addition, 70% of
each class should correctly answer 70% of the questions on the exam. This latter
statistic is included because: 1) it is not skewed by extreme individual scores, as is the
case with group means and 2) arguably, the goal of the assessment is to improve the
performance of the greatest number of students rather than produce extremely high
scores in a few.
ASSESSMENT FINDINGS
Psychology 1100 – Introduction to Psychology
Again, assessment data were available for four of the six on-campus sections of
PSY 1100 and none of the on-line courses. None of the courses met the criterion of an
average score of 13, and the percentage of students getting at least 70% of the items
correct ranged from 20% to 50% with an average of 38%. It should be noted, however,
that both the mean number and percentage correct was not dramatically lower than the
standards (12.59 vs. 13, 66% vs. 70%) suggesting that students scores were ‘in the ball
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park’. Performance in all of the sections was considerably lower than in previous
semesters. After several years of meeting the standard, students scores fell in the Fall
2011 semester, and even more so this past semester (see Table 2). It is not clear why this
is occurring.
Table 1. Final Assessment Scores, Spring 2012 - Psychology 1100
Students completing end of
semester assessment =86
Professor
Section
Buchanan
Buchanan
Derden
GrantPinder
1100.01
1100.02
1100.21
1100.62
Students
Mean
completing Correct
Assessment
29
12.4
27
12.7
10
12.0
20
13.2
Average
Mean %
Correct
12.59
64
67
63
69
(N) / % Students
meeting
criterion*
10/34%
11/41%
2/20%
10/50%
66
33/38%
Criterion = 70% or 13 of 19 items
Table 2. Changes in Performance, PSY 1100, Spring 2009 – Spring Spring 2012
Spring
2009
(N=166)
%
meeting
criterion
77%
Fall
2009
(N=230)
Spring
2010
(N=161)
73%
68%
3
Fall
2010
(N=143)
Spring
2011
(N=106)
Fall
Spring
2011
2012
(N=154 (N=86)
85%
83%
58%
38%
Item Analyses
Item analyses were conducted to identify questions/areas that were particularly
problematic. Items were flagged if 1/2 of the students missed the question. Questions
5, 6, 19 and 20 were missed by at least half of the students in three of the four sections.
Table 3. Questions missed by 1/2 or more of students, PSY 1100 - Spring 2012
Question
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Total
1100.01
1100.02
X
X
X
X
1100.21
1100.62
Total
X
3
3
X
X
3
3
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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Psychology 2000 – Lifespan Psychology
Assessment data are available from two Lifespan classes. Both of these classes
did very well. In these two sections, students averaged 12 of 14 items correct, for a
mean average of 89%. All of the students scored at least 70% on the test.
Table 4. Final Assessment Scores, Psychology 2000 – Spring 2011
Students completing end of
semester assessment = 35
Professor
Section
Richardson
Richardson
2000.01
2000.21
Students
Mean
Mean %
completing Correct* Correct
Assessment
19
12.3
88.0
16
12.5
90.0
Average
12.40
89.0
(N) / % Students
meeting
criterion*
19/100%
16/100%
35/
100 %
*Criterion = 70% or 10 of 14 items
Table 5. Changes in Performance, PSY 2000, Spring 2009 – Fall 2011
Spring
2009
(N=53)
% meeting
criterion
72%
Fall
2009
(N=53)
Spring
2010
(N=62)
79%
47%
5
Fall
2010
(N=79)
Spring
2011
(N=50)
Fall
2012
(N=35)
76%
94%
100%
Item Analysis
Although the students did very well on the exam, every student missed Item 9.
This question asked “Which is the most common form of family in Western society”,
with the response options of “empty-nest’, ‘extended’, ‘step family’ and “nuclear’.
Interpretations/Conclusion
Performance in PSYC 1100 is down dramatically. Only 38% of students correctly
answered 70% of the test items, and none of the sections met the criterion. More
disturbingly, this is the second semester that students failed to meet the standards. Prior to
last semester, PSYC 1100 failed to meet the criterion of 70% of students getting at least
70% on the exam only once, in Spring of 2010 when 68% of students met that criterion.
The reason for the current slide is not clear, and obviously, the performance of this
course must be looked at closely.
PSY 2000, Lifespan, continues to perform well and this is its best performance to
date. These classes are taught by a tenured professor, who has taught this course for a
number of years,
Decision Making Using Findings
For the last several semesters, the department’s Gen Ed committee has spent
considerable time working on re-assessing outcomes and revising the exam for these
courses. Although the committee made progress, the work was quite slow and we did not
complete the revisions. In the meantime, the university revised its outcomes and each
department must re-submit courses that they would like approved as a Gen Ed
requirement. This work will begin this fall. Given these circumstances, the department
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has put its Gen Ed revisions work on hold. However, the results of the assessment
suggests that the course could benefit from an experienced faculty coordinator who meets
regularly with faculty, and training around course objectives and how to address those.
Demonstrating Improved Student Learning
The assessment for PSY 2000 indicates that students are performing at an
appropriate level. The assessments for PSY 1100, suggests that we may have lost ground
in this course.
Publicizing Student Learning
The results from the assessment will be shared with faculty and will be displayed
on the department’s assessment webpage, which shows outcomes for these two classes
and the assessment of the major. The assessment webpage is linked to, and accessed
through, the department's homepage. A written report which shows assessment results
for each section will be available in the psychology department office. All undergraduate
faculty members will receive an emailed copy of the report, and its findings will be
discussed at undergraduate committee meeting in Fall, 2012.
Accomplishments and Challenges
Last semester, when student performance on the PSYCH 1100 assessment
declined, we thought it was an anomaly. The current performance suggests that is not
necessarily the case. The challenge is making sure that PSYC 1100, which is taken by
many students in the college, addresses core competencies, and that students meet the
criterion. This will involve looking at the assessment, but also the organization and
teaching of the course and the selection and training of faculty.
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