Division of Biology & Chemistry
Fall 2011 SLOAT Assessment Analysis for Microbiology (BIO 211) Course
prepared by Eunice Kamunge
Introduction
The assessment of student learning is conducted by the faculty at Essex County College
to determine what our students have learned in courses offered at the College. Student learning
outcomes assessment studies enable the faculty to suggest and make recommendations for
improvement of the course with respect to both teaching and learning matters. At ECC, the
assessment of student learning is currently being conducted at the course level, the program
level, and the general education core curriculum level.
Methodology
Beginning in Spring 2011 semester, students enrolled in all sections of Microbiology
(BIO 211) were given a class syllabus, which included information taken from the BIO 211
course outline that was developed according to a new format. This new course outline format
clearly defined the course goals and related measurable course performance objectives (MPOs).
One of the BIO 211 course goals is to demonstrate knowledge of fundamental concepts and
themes in microbiology. One related MPO, MPO 1.5, requires students to demonstrate basic
understanding of historical roots and key contributors in the field of Microbiology from 400 BC
to present. Assessment of the above-mentioned course goal relative to MPO 1.5 was conducted
in seven sections of the course.
In Fall 2011, this assessment study was expanded to include “Pioneers in Microbiology.”
However, due to difficulties related to the on-going renovation of some biology and chemistry
course classrooms and labs, the assessment of student learning outcomes in the Microbiology
course was conducted in only four sections: two day sections (BIO 211 – 001 and BIO 211 –
003) taught by a full-time professor and two evening sections (BIO 211 – 0AC and BIO 211 –
OBC) taught by adjunct professors. These adjunct professors both have had much experience in
teaching Microbiology.
On Exam #1, students were given 10 questions, which directly assessed their knowledge
of historical roots of Microbiology. These ten questions were of multiple-choice-format, and
each had between three and five answer choices. The questions that measured students’
understanding of the concept regarding development of the Germ Theory of Disease focused on
the “Koch’s Postulates.” On Exam #2, concepts related to the characteristics of “prokaryotic
cell” and tools used to study the structure of the cell – specifically using the microscope – were
assessed. Although the wording of each of these questions was left to the discretion of each
individual instructor participating in this study, all questions were blueprinted to the same course
learning objectives. Please see Appendix A of this report for Koch’s Postulate question details
and Appendix B of this report for Pioneers in Microbiology question details.
BIO 211 – 1
Results
The course coordinator tabulated the student responses from each section/class. Table-1
and Table-2 below indicate student results on Exam #1 obtained in Spring 2011 and Fall 2011,
respectively. Graph-1 below compares the student results on Exam #1 between the Spring 2011
and Fall 2011 semesters. Furthermore, Table-3 below contains the student outcomes on Exam
#2, which was given during the Fall 2011 semester.
Table-1: Spring 2011 Microbiology Course – Exam #1 – Student Outcomes
Course – Section
BIO 211 – 001
BIO 211 – 002
BIO 211 – 003
BIO 211 – 0AC
BIO 211 – 0BC
BIO 211 – CW1
BIO 211 – CW2
OVERALL
total # of
students
20
26
25
25
23
22
22
163
# of correct
responses
16
20
22
20
17
14
16
125
# of incorrect
responses
4
6
3
5
6
8
6
38
% correct
80%
77%
88%
80%
74%
64%
73%
77%
Table-2: Fall 2011 Microbiology Course – Exam #1 – Student Outcomes
Course – Section
BIO 211 – 001
BIO 211 – 003
BIO 211 – 0AC
BIO 211 – 0BC
OVERALL
total # of
students
23
22
23
22
90
# of correct
responses
20
19
20
21
80
BIO 211 – 2
# of incorrect
responses
3
3
3
1
10
% correct
87%
86%
87%
95%
89%
Graph-1: A Comparison of Student Results on Exam #1 Between Spring 2011 and Fall 2011
Spring '11
Fall'11
Interestingly, the students’ performance in Fall 2011 semester appear slightly better in the
compared sections. However, this statement may not hold true for all sections as many factors
could attribute to this outcome. The student performance on Exam #2 for the Fall 2011 semester
(Table-3 below) will be used as a benchmark for evaluating and comparing this performance
with results obtained for the Spring 2012 semester.
Table-3: Fall 2011 Microbiology Course – Exam #2 – Student Outcomes
Course – Section
BIO 211– 001
BIO 211– 003
BIO 211– 0AC
BIO 211– 0BC
OVERALL
total # of
students
22
22
23
22
89
# of correct
responses
19
20
21
20
80
# of incorrect
responses
3
2
2
1
9
% correct
86%
95%
91%
95%
90%
Conclusion
The assessment results for MPO #1.5 across four sections of BIO 211 during Fall 2011
and Spring 2011 semester indicated that the majority of the students demonstrated basic
knowledge of concepts related to the history of Microbiology with above average accuracy. The
course coordinator will continue to conduct assessment of student learning outcomes in the
Microbiology course in order to monitor whether the students enrolled in the Microbiology
course at Essex County College are meeting the goals set for the course and to describe, with
evidence, their achievement of various course learning objectives.
BIO 211 – 3
Appendix A – Questions Embedded on BIO 211 Exams that Assess Basic
Themes in Microbiology – Koch’s Postulates
* Koch’s postulates for linking a specific disease with a specific organism do not include which
of the following? (Question #7 from BIO 211 – CW1)
a) The specific causative agent must be found in every case of the disease.
b) The disease organism must be isolated in pure culture.
c) Inoculation of a sample of the culture into a healthy, susceptible animal must produce
the same disease.
d) Human subjects must be inoculated with the organisms to assay its virulence.
* Koch’s postulates are criteria used to establish that: (Question #8 from BIO 211 – 002 and
Question #11 from BIO 211 – OBC)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Microbes are found on dust particles.
A specific microbe is the cause of a specific disease.
Life forms can only arise from preexisting life forms.
A specific microbe should be classified in a specific kingdom.
Microbes can be used to clean up toxic oil spills.
* Koch’s Postulates are directions on how to prove that: (Question #11 from BIO 211 – 003 and
BIO 211 – OAC)
a) Certain bacteria cause a certain disease. (T or F)
b) Tuberculosis was caused by a bacterium by passage from animal to animal.
c) Both a) and b).
* For the determination of a disease in a Microbiology lab, which of the following would be
utilized? (Question 7 from BIO 211 – 002)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Koch’s Postulates
Antibiotics
Nutrient Broth
Fleming
BIO 211 – Appendix A – 1
*All of the following are Koch's Postulates except: (Question #9 from BIO 211 – CW1)
a) The microorganism must be found in abundance only in all organisms suffering from
the disease and not the healthy ones.
b) The microorganism must be isolated from a diseased organism and grown in a pure
culture.
c) The cultured microorganism should not cause disease when introduced into a healthy
organism.
d) The microorganism must be re-isolated from the inoculated, diseased host and
identified as being identical to the original specific causative agent.
* Which of the following is the first postulate as established by Robert Koch? (Question #4 from
BIO 211 – 001)
a) The microbe is isolated in pure culture.
b) A specific infectious disease is caused by a specific pathogen.
c) The microbe from the diseased host can cause a disease in a healthy but susceptible
animal.
d) The causative agent can cause inherited disease.
* Koch’s research provides a framework for studies applicable to which of the following fields
of microbiology? (Question #14 from BIO 211 – 003 and Question #16 from BIO 211 – OBC)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Bioremediation
Epidemiology
Microbiology
Genetic Engineering
All of the above
* Which of the following terminology(ies) is (are) relevant to Koch and the associated
Postulates?
Select all that apply. (Question #9 from BIO 211 – 001 and Question #11
from BIO 211 – 003)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Culture
Inoculation
Vaccine
Antibiotic
None of the above
BIO 211 – Appendix A – 2
Appendix B – Questions Embedded on Fall 2011 BIO 211 Exams that Assess
Basic Themes in Microbiology – Pioneers in Microbiology
* The advancement in Microbiology was hampered by the lack of appropriate tools to observe
microbes. Which of the following tools was developed around 1665 AD? (Question #5 from
BIO 211 – 001 and Question #8 from BIO 211 – 003)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Inoculating loop
Nutrient Agar
Nutrient Broth
Microscope
* The development of Microscope is credited to which of the following pioneers in
Microbiology? (Question #9 from BIO 211 – 0BC and Question #4 from BIO 211 – OAC)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Robert Hooke
Louis Pasteur
Robert Koch
None of the above
* While ________ was given credit for the development of microscope, ________ is credited to
development of _________ magnifying lenses? (Question #3 from BIO 211 – 003 and
Question #6 from BIO 211 – OAC)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Robert Hooke ::::: Anton van Leeuwenhoek
Louis Pasteur ::::: Robert Hooke
Robert Koch ::::: Louis Pasteur
None of the above
* Which of the following pioneers in Microbiology is (are) NOT credited with discovery of
microbes by using magnifying lenses? Select all that apply. (Question #9 from BIO 211 –
001, Question #2 from BIO 211 – OAC, Question #4 from BIO 211 – 003, and Question #6
from BIO 211 – OBC)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Robert Hooke
Louis Pasteur
Robert Koch
Tyndall
BIO 211 – Appendix B – 1
* Which of the following units are widely used to estimate the size of prokaryotic cells?
(Question #1 from BIO 211 – 001 and Question #10 from BIO 211 – 003)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
cm
M
mm
µm
all of the above
BIO 211 – Appendix B – 2