Enhancing and evaluating student learning by using national certification examinations
M.C. Savin* and D.C. Wolf, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Importance of Certification
“The (Environmental Professional Intern) EPI Credential quickly signifies to potential
employers, existing employers, and others who are looking for qualified recent
graduates, that an individual EPI has demonstrated a comprehensive ability to apply
their technical education” (IPEP, 2007).
Table 2. Components of General Environmental Science exam administered by the Institute of Professional Environmental Practice and
results of 10 ESWS students.
Sub-part
Sub-part title
#
sections
% of
test
The Test: General Environmental Science Exam
Offered through the Institute of Professional Environmental Practice (IPEP),
Pittsburgh, PA. Additional information can be found at www.ipep.org.
IPEP was formed in 1993 as the certifying organization of the Qualified
Environmental Professional and EPI programs.
IPEP estimates:
~1500 people have taken the exam.
Score to pass is ~70%.
The 3-hr, closed book exam consists of 100-120 multiple choice questions, testing
basic knowledge in 20 topic areas with calculations required to solve some problems.
Order
#
25
69
1
6
7
10
Ecology (88%)
Earth Science/Geology (68%)
Chemistry (68%)
Toxicology/Risk Assessment (63%)
13
Physics (57%)
B
Mathematics
3
17
48
4
Environmental Economics (70%)
20
16
Data Management (22%)
Mathematics & Statistics (52%)
11
14
19
18
Basic Principles Environ. Systems
(58%)
Cross-Media Impacts of Pollution
(56%)
Health & Safety (42%)
Public Information/Community &
Regulatory Relations/Ethics (48%)
C
Environmental
Science,
Management &
Policy
D
Waste/Pollution
Management,
Treatment &
Disposal
E
Students who
did not pass
7
3
Graduate, Senior,
Junior
Senior, Junior
Total undergraduate
credits completed (hours)
76 – 241
83 - 122
Cumulative grade point
average on 4.0 scale
2.6 – 4.0
Number
Class standing
100
90
Average Scores (%)
Students who
passed
Monitoring
1Numbers
1 of 2 undergraduate majors in the department.
Major created in 1994-1995. 3 components in 1 major is a challenge for assessment.
ESWS has 185 graduates total. Currently 81 ESWS students. Ten students took
General Environmental Science exam in 2009 (Table 1).
Student statistics
Bottom 10 Sections
(average scores < 58%)
5
5
5
23
26
56
63
3
2
5
Objective
The Students
Environmental, Soil, and Water Science (ESWS) Major
Order
#
Basic Sciences
9
Determine student learning in environmental science as part of Environmental, Soil,
and Water Science B.S. degree in CSES at UA.
Top 10 Sections1
(average scores > 63%)
A
Assessment Tools for Undergraduates
The Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences (CSES) at the University
of Arkansas (UA) initiated use of certification exams in 2008 as an assessment tool.
CSES Assessment tools:
1.
Written and oral exit interviews with graduates
2.
5-yr post-graduate surveys of alumni
3.
In 2008, initiated the use of certification exams
In the spring of 2008, Fundamentals of Soil Science exam was taken.
In the spring of 2009, General Environmental Science exam was taken.
Section
average
(%)
2
9
62
8
Environmental Quality
Standards (74%)
Hazardous Materials/Waste
Management & Transport (78%)
Fate & Transport of Environ.
Contaminants (70%)
Air Pollution Control (65%)
15
Surface & Groundwater
Monitoring (66%)
12
17
Waste Minimization, Recycling,
Reuse (53%)
Principles of Water, Soil & Solid
Waste Treatment & Residuals
Disposal (50%)
Air Emissions Monitoring &
Inventories (58%)
preceding section titles correspond to placement in Fig. 1.
Top 10 sections
Students averaged >60% in 10 sections.
ESWS students did relatively well on most of the basic science sections
(Table 2, sub-part A; Fig. 1).
All students did very well in Ecology (Fig. 1).
ESWS students also did relatively well in areas of fate and transport,
hazardous waste management, environmental quality standards and water
monitoring (Table 2, sub-parts D & E; Fig. 1).
Students averaged <60% in 10 sections.
ESWS did poorly on data management, public information/regulatory/
ethics, and health & safety (Table 2, sub-parts B & C; Fig. 1), regardless of
whether they passed.
Data highlight areas needing strengthening among all students.
Large differences (>30% difference in average scores) occurred between
students who passed versus those who did not in hazardous waste management,
earth sciences, chemistry, basic principles of environmental systems, physics, &
math & statistics (Fig. 1).
Data highlight the importance of developing the fundamentals in basic math
and sciences.
As with results from the 2008 Fundamentals of Soil Science exam (Savin and
Wolf, 2008), GPA and total credit hours were poor predictors of success in the
certification exam (Table 1).
Students who pass the General Environmental Science exam, complete their B.S.
degree, and have 5 years of qualified work experience are eligible for Part II
exams in one of four professional practice areas: Air Quality, Water Quality,
Waste Management, or Environmental Science, Management, and Policy.
Passing Part II results in Certification as a Qualified Environmental Professional.
Comprehensive examinations are important for program assessment and
improvement (Graveel et al., 1990). Certification sets standards to legitimize
programs, for credibility, to establish minimal education levels, for public
protection and to foster positive public attitudes (eg. Hansen and Binford, 2004;
Matlock et al., 2001).
80
70
60
In our second year of administering certification exams, students continue to be
motivated and find validation through an evaluator external to their curriculum. In
the course, students participated in review and self-reflection, cooperative
teaching and learning, and synthesis of material from several courses.
50
40
30
Assessment is allowing us to gather information of strengths and weaknesses of
our ESWS curriculum.
20
Acknowledgments
Scholarships were awarded to each student to cover the cost of the study guide and exam.
We thank Dr. Robert Bacon, CSES Department Head, & the CSES faculty for supporting the
exam as a curriculum assessment tool. We thank Jody Davis and Peter Tomlinson for their
assistance, and Margaret Cowburn and IPEP director Diana Kobus for working with us to
facilitate exam administration and score generation to use the exam results as an
assessment tool.
0
The Review Course
Offered as an elective 1-credit course.
Current students or recent (within 1 year) graduates.
Upper division, undergraduate level credit (ENSC 404v).
Course meeting time: Mondays, 3:30-6:30 P.M., 1st 8 weeks of semester
2 co-instructor facilitators.
Text: Persaud, N., E. Handel, and M. Elrashidi. 1999. Exam Preparatory Guide for
the Environmental Professional. Air & Waste Management Association,
Pittsburgh, PA.
2-4 exam sections were covered each week in student led discussion
based on questions assigned from study guide previous week.
Practice exam during first & final class period.
Each student received a $100 scholarship to reimburse study guide & exam cost.
Beyond the basic sciences, the only common environmental science course that
all students completed was Environmental Science, in which most section topics
are briefly introduced.
Motivation and Value of Certification Exam
Bottom 10 sections
10
2.2 – 3.5
Exam Participation & Outcomes
References
all students
passed
failed
Fig. 1. Average section scores for the General Environmental Science exam taken in the spring 2009 by 10 ESWS students. Scores are presented for
all students (n = 10), students who passed (n = 7), and students who did not pass (n = 3).
IPEP. 2007. [Online]. Available at http://www.ipep.org/cred-epi.html . Verified 26 Oct., 2009.
Graveel, J.G., V.H. Reich, J.E. Foss, T.W. Banta, D.L. Coffey, J.J. Vorst, and D.C. Wolf. 1990.
Comprehensive examination for undergraduate plant and soil science majors. J. Agron.
Educ. 19:25-28.
Hansen, D.J., and G.D. Binford. 2004. Nutrient management certification for Delaware:
Developing a water quality curriculum. J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ. 33:143-146.
Matlock, M.D., G.S. Osborn, W.C. Hession, A.L. Kenimer, and D.E. Storm. 2001. Ecological
engineering: A rationale for standardized curriculum and professional certification in the
United States. Ecolog. Engineering 17:403-409.
Savin, M. C., and D. C. Wolf. 2008. Putting our undergraduates to the test: Using the SSSA
certification exam to assess student learning in soil science. In Annual Meetings Abstracts
[CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI.