2019

Children in Hawaii experience the worst oral health outcomes nationally. Seven out of 10 third graders experience tooth decay, 7% need urgent dental care and 60% lack dental sealants. Limited pediatric didactic and clinical educational experiences for BS dental hygiene students affects attitudes towards treating pediatric patients. Curriculum changes should be considered in order to improve the comfort and skill level of future BS students in treating pediatric patients.

Pediatric Dental Care Curriculum Component Integrated in the Existing Dental Hygiene Program

Children in Hawaii experience the worst oral health outcomes nationally. Seven out of 10 third graders experience tooth …

Undergraduate programs in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) are typically managed solely within a single department. For some programs, the numbers of graduating students each year are low and not considered viable. There is administrative and legislative pressure to dissolve small programs at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, including the agriculturally-focused BSc programs in Tropical Plants and Soil Sciences and Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. The two departments within CTAHR that manage these programs conjoined to proactively revise their undergraduate programs. The outcome was a merged, redesigned program in agroecosystems having a common core, five areas of specialization and a focus on issues in the tropics. From the inception, developing an operable plan for program assessment was a priority. Consequently, even before selecting the program name, the program-level student learning outcomes (SLOs) were created to form the basis for program construction. A combined departmental meeting generated a curriculum map identifying how each of the core courses articulated with the SLOs, evaluated gaps and issues in the curriculum. Potential signature assignments were identified as indicators for assessment and templates for these were drafted. A number of opportunities and challenges arose throughout this process. Key to the successful creation of this program was encouraging faculty to think more broadly about the content of and rationale for what we teach and the anticipated knowledge and skills of graduating students.

An Interactive Approach to Curriculum Mapping

Undergraduate programs in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) are typically managed solely within a …

For the BS in Animal Sciences supervisor evaluations from the capstone field experience provide a valuable external check on student achievement of learning objectives. A summary of five years of evaluations of ethical behavior and oral and written communication confirms student success.

Using Field Supervisor Evaluations for Assessment

For the BS in Animal Sciences supervisor evaluations from the capstone field experience provide a valuable external check …

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) utilized historic program data to identify potential gaps in campus awareness of and participation in UROP funding opportunities. Using this information, UROP launched a targeted information campaign, which increased the overall number of applications and the number of student applicants from select underrepresented units.

Using Data to Promote Awareness of and Participation in Undergraduate Research & Creative Works

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) utilized historic program data to identify potential gaps in campus awareness of …

This study employed propensity score matching and regression analysis to determine whether or not a retention scholarship pilot program at a mid-size public research university was effective at increasing first year retention.

Scholarships as a Retention Tool

This study employed propensity score matching and regression analysis to determine whether or not a retention scholarship pilot …

The Marine Biology Graduate Program has established an ad-hoc committee to review existing protocols of the comprehensive exam and is collating the most effective elements and best practices from each of academic units across the program. This committee will make recommendations to the MBGP faculty at large for discussion, consideration, and ultimately implementation.

Revising the oral comprehensive exam in the UHM Marine Biology Graduate Program

The Marine Biology Graduate Program has established an ad-hoc committee to review existing protocols of the comprehensive exam …

Faculty have difficulty in clarifying how their assessments and instructional strategies are aligned with both course and General Education learning outcomes in the Instructor-Based designation process. The low number of clear proposals proves the need for the General Education Office to offer an alignment framework with guiding questions.

Developing an Alignment Framework to Support General Education

Faculty have difficulty in clarifying how their assessments and instructional strategies are aligned with both course and General …

A process to conduct an overhaul of the JABSOM curriculum map of the medical education program was conducted, in part, to address a recent accreditation citation. The curriculum map was revised by faculty, reviewed by the Curriculum Committee, and will be utilized at the upcoming annual Curriculum Committee retreat.

JABSOM Medical Education: A Systematic Review Process for a Medical Education Curriculum

A process to conduct an overhaul of the JABSOM curriculum map of the medical education program was conducted, …

The poster describes the steps and resulting standardized student admission procedure for the Communication Sciences and Disorders’ Master program. The process features: (1) admission interview questions crafted based on agreed-on desirable student qualities and (2) the evaluation rubric stemmed from the department core values.

Standardizing admission process to defy the “crystal ball” in student selection to Communication Sciences and Disorders’ Master Program

The poster describes the steps and resulting standardized student admission procedure for the Communication Sciences and Disorders’ Master …

The poster will describe the process that the dietetics program faculty and staff underwent to develop a systematic and streamlined process for assessing student learning of 22 accreditation-required outcomes. The process includes collaborative curriculum mapping, assignment refinement, rubric development, and the establishment of an electronic professional portfolio system.

Streamlining student learning outcome assessment through ePortfolios in Dietetics Program

The poster will describe the process that the dietetics program faculty and staff underwent to develop a systematic …

Less than 75% of Biological Engineering students have been assessed as meeting student learning outcome targets in the identifying, formulating, and solving engineering problems. The program faculty have collaborated to adopt a developmental approach to assessment, rubric development, curriculum mapping, and instruction, including a signature assignment at the junior level.

Scaffolding and Assessing Engineering Design: Effecting Program Change from Course Innovations

Less than 75% of Biological Engineering students have been assessed as meeting student learning outcome targets in the …

This poster describes the effort of the Ph.D. Committee in Social Welfare in investigating and improving students’ performance in the qualifying exam. Motivated by an analysis of students’ (cohorts Fall 2010 – 2014) pass rate, faculty reviewed the exam questions, analyzed the course syllabi and exam questions. The committee changed the exam timeline and revised the exam questions so that the exam better reflected the curriculum.

Improving Qualifying Exam Performance—From Assessment Data to Curriculum Alignment

This poster describes the effort of the Ph.D. Committee in Social Welfare in investigating and improving students’ performance …

This project was to increase the learning and the assessment capabilities in two core Child and Family courses.

Strengthening the Child and Family Specialization Curriculum through Developing Standard, Explicit, and Sustainable Assessments and Outcomes

This project was to increase the learning and the assessment capabilities in two core Child and Family courses. By …

Improving Oral Communication of Undergraduate Research Results

We demonstrate how faculty use efficient and effective assessment of learning to improve the written and oral communication …

This poster describes a systematic process of developing the assessment of student professionalism in Speech-Language Pathology. The process highlights: (1) developing professionalism indicators using the core values of the University and Department; (2) validating the indicators through reviewing professionalism described in peer programs and professional organizations, and (3) systematic data collection, tracking, and analysis.

Using a Systematic Process to Develop a Method for Assessment of Professionalism in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students

This poster describes a systematic process of developing the assessment of student professionalism in Speech-Language Pathology. The process …

The poster describes the content mapping process that aligned the learning priorities in the problem-based-learning pre-clerkship medical curriculum to accreditation standards and JABSOM’s graduation objectives. The resulting map serves as a resource for course directors to monitor content themes, determine curriculum gaps and redundancies, and address accreditation requirements.

Content Maps of Health Care Problems in the Pre-clerkship Curriculum: Monitoring Themes, Gaps, Redundancies and Accreditation Requirements

The poster describes the content mapping process that aligned the learning priorities in the problem-based-learning pre-clerkship medical curriculum …

In 2018, the Communication program in the School of Communications conducted a program assessment of undergraduate senior capstone ePortfolios to evaluate the evidence of quality learning within the Communication major. The poster presents our assessment results and pre- and post- evaluation activities toward curriculum improvement.

Advancing Learning in the Communication BA through ePortfolios

In 2018, the Communication program in the School of Communications conducted a program assessment of undergraduate senior capstone …

The Department of Linguistics Comprehensive Exam consists of two Qualifying Papers. In recent years the QPs have fallen out of step with trends in the field, resulting in students struggling to pass. We describe our actions to overhaul our Comprehensive Exams, including clarifying procedures, realigning SLOs, and developing better rubrics.

Overhauling the comprehensive exam in the Department of Linguistics: First steps

The Department of Linguistics Comprehensive Exam consists of two Qualifying Papers. In recent years the QPs have fallen …