Unit: Interdisciplinary Studies
Program: Interdisciplinary Studies (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Mon Oct 06, 2014 - 9:15:13 am

1) Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs) and Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

1. To acquire knowledge and understanding in students' chosen interdisciplinary field of study

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field)

2. To develop skills in exploring interdisciplinary relationships

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field)

3. To develop critical thinking skills through comparing, contrasting, and synthesizing a variety of perspectives

(1a. General education, 2c. Communicate and report)

4. To communicate clearly both orally and in writing

(1a. General education, 2a. Think critically and creatively)

5. To develop problem-solving and life-long learning skills

(1a. General education, 2a. Think critically and creatively, 3a. Continuous learning and personal growth)

2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.

Department Website URL:
Student Handbook. URL, if available online:
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:
UHM Catalog. Page Number: http://www.catalog.hawaii.edu/courses/departments/is.htm
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online:
Other:
Other:

3) Select one option:

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2014:

4) For your program, the percentage of courses that have course SLOs explicitly stated on the syllabus, a website, or other publicly available document is as follows. Please update as needed.

0%
1-50%
51-80%
81-99%
100%

5) Did your program engage in any program assessment activities between June 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014? (e.g., establishing/revising outcomes, aligning the curriculum to outcomes, collecting evidence, interpreting evidence, using results, revising the assessment plan, creating surveys or tests, etc.)

Yes
No (skip to question 14)

6) For the period between June 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the SLOs that were targeted, if applicable.

IS Program Objectives and Assessment Goals

Assessment Goals

The main goal of the Interdisciplinary Program is to foster critical interdisciplinary thinking on the part of students who construct, under advisement, a 36 credit upper-division program of study, which draws on not less than three Departments in the University. The Program Learning Outcomes are:

  1. To demonstrate knowledge in the chosen area of their interdisciplinary major.
  2. To demonstrate the capacity to think across disciplines. (We encourage students to be problem-focused, rather than discipline-oriented, and to recognize that information pertinent to problem-solution is not discipline-bound.)
  3. To communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. (The writing of a narrative, which justifies the array of courses in the program, is the first step in developing this capacity.)
  4. To demonstrate critical thinking, encouraged, perhaps uniquely, not only by the effort to construct individualized BA programs, but by pressing students to expand the context and forms of inquiry.
  5. To demonstrate “learning to learn” skills or 'problem-solving" skills, which begins with the construction of the specifics of the major, requires initiative in determining what needs to be investigated and how it is to be investigated.

Student Learning Outcomes for Individually Designed IS Curriculum & IS Courses

The student-learning outcomes for courses offered by the IS faculty and for the designed interdisciplinary IS curriculum, comprised of coursework from different disciplines, are as follows:

  1. To acquire knowledge and understanding in students’ chosen interdisciplinary field  (Progress Monitored in IS Major; Assessment Evidence Collected: IS Current Student Survey/Grad Exit Survey)
  2. To develop skills in exploring interdisciplinary relationships and follow problems across disciplinary boundaries (Assessment Evidence Collected from IS Proposal, Current Student Survey, Grad Exit Survey, and  Written Work in IS Courses)
  3. To develop critical thinking skills by developing skills of comparing, contrasting, and synthesizing a variety of perspectives (Assessment Evidence Collected— IS Program Survey/Grad Exit Survey/ Written Work in IS courses)           
  4. To communicate clearly in writing (Assessment Evidence Collected from IS Proposal, Current Student Survey, Grad Exit Survey, and Written Work in IS Courses)
  5. To demonstrate life-long learning and problem-solving skills (Assessment Evidence Collected from IS Proposal, Current Student Survey, Grad Exit Survey , and Written Work in IS Courses)

7) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #6.

A. Surveys

Evidence gathered through 2013 Current  Student Survey (Fall 2013) and 2014 Graduation Seniors Exit Survey using Survey Monkey to find out

1. perceptions of the current enrolled IS students (Fall 2013) using a questionnaire consisting fo 14 Likert-scale questions and 6 short answer questions

2. perceptions of graduating 2014 IS seniors using a questionanaire consisting of 14 Likert scale questions and 6-short answer questions.

B. IS Student Proposals

3. Evidence gathered-Ongoing

Students' IS Proposal written after extensive consultation and discussions with the IS adviser containing a narrative statement and a customized curriculum for the IS major.

8) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.

1. Current IS Student Survey (Fall 2013) was sent electronically to 177 current students using Survey Monkey. 51 Current students completed the survey.

2. Graduating Seniors Exit Survey using Survey Monkey was completed by 59 students between Sept 2013-June 2014.

3. IS Proposal Review and Monitoring

Each prospective IS major submits an IS proposal beore h/she can officially declare IS as a major. IS has around 200, including both classified and prospective IS majors. Student progress is monitored throughout their IS degree

9) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? (Check all that apply.)

Course instructor(s)
Faculty committee
Ad hoc faculty group
Department chairperson
Persons or organization outside the university
Faculty advisor
Advisors (in student support services)
Students (graduate or undergraduate)
Dean/Director
Other:

10) How did they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? (Check all that apply.)

Used a rubric or scoring guide
Scored exams/tests/quizzes
Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used)
Compiled survey results
Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, open-ended response data
External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., external organization administered and scored the nursing licensing exam)
Other:

11) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #6:
Summarize the actual results.

1. 2013 Current Student Survey Results (Sept 19-Oct 28, 2013). The survey was administered electronically using Survey Monkey.

The Rating Averages of six key questions in the returned surveys ranged between 4.20 and 4.55.

Q#2: I have developed problem-solving skills for life-long learning. (SLO 5; ILO 3a)

Q#3: I learned to value new viewpoints and open my personal perspectives. (SLO 5; ILO 3a)

Q#4: The Interdisciplinary Studies program was a valuable contribution to my overall education. (SLO 5; ILO 3a)

Q#7: As an Interdisciplinary Studies major, I was able to explore different academic perspectives. (SLO 1; ILO 2a &b)

Q#8: My interdisciplinary Studies adviser assisted me in the process of developing a meaningful academic curriculum and experience. (SLO 1; ILO 2a &b)

Q#9: I gained a better understanding of myself through this program. (SLO 5; ILO 3a)


2. Adviser-Specific Graduating Seniors Exit Survey was completed by 59 students between Sept 2013-June 2014. The survey was administered electronically using Survey Monkey .

The Rating Averages of six key questions in the returned surveys ranged between 4.15 and 4.60.

Q#1: The Interdisciplinary Program provided excellent preparation for my career. (SLO 1; ILO 2a &b)

Q#2: I have developed problem-solving skills for life-long learning. (SLO 5; ILO 3a)

Q#3: I learned to value new viewpoints and open my personal perspectives. (SLO 5; ILO 3a)

Q#4: The Interdisciplinary Studies program was a valuable contribution to my overall education. (SLO 5; ILO 3a)

Q#7: As an Interdisciplinary Studies major, I was able to explore different academic perspectives.   (SLO 1; ILO 2a &b)

Q#8: My interdisciplinary Studies adviser assisted me in the process of developing a meaningful academic curriculum and experience. (SLO 1; ILO 2a &b)

3. IS Proposal Review and Monitoring (Ongoing)

Each prospective IS major submits an IS proposal before h/she can officially declare IS as a major.  The proposal is reviewed by the Review Committee. The reviewer uses the following rubric to review the proposal:

  • Student demonstrates the capacity to think across disciplines
  • Student has created a problem-focused, rather than a discipline-oriented program
  • Students communicates clearly in the narrative the justification for the array of courses in the designed curriculum

If the IS Review Committee determines any deficiencies in the plan, a set of recommendations are made to the students to improve the plan.  They revise the narrative with the help the Adviser and resubmit the program. After the students are accepted, we monitor the student progress in the major curriculum until they graduate.

12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.

Students qualitative responses in the 2013 Current Student Survey and the 2013-2014 IS Graduating Seniors were overwhelmingly positive. We used the responses as a monitor of what aspects of the program needed attention as well as an indication of the success of the interdisicplinary Studies Program. As in our previous major assessment study, students commented on the benefits of their interdisciplinary program. It helped them get a broader knowledge of many disciplines and thus prepared them better for their desired career goals.

13) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries?
This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, program aspects and so on.

IS Faculty teaches interdisciplinary courses regularly. The courses are:

IS 322: Ethnohistory and IS 441: Linguistic Anthropology

IS 331: Science and Culture and IS 340: Human Values and the Environment

Students may choose to include the above courses in the major equivalent if they fit into the program or take at least one of them as an elective. Through these courses students are introduced to interdisciplinary research methodology, written communication, critical thinking, interdisciplinary problem-based thinking and methods of exploring linkages between disciplinary fields for creative problem-solving, which cover many aspects of both Student Learning Outcomes and Institutional Learning Outcomes.

In our courses, we encourage students to:

  • think critically and creatively, applying questioning and reasoning, generating and exploring new questions (SLO 2; ILO 2a: IS 322, IS 331 & IS 340)
  • conceptualize problems and ask research questions, analyze research data, engage in self-directed inquiry (SLO 2; ILO 2b: IS 322 & IS 414)
  • communicate clearly in writing (SLO 3 & 4; ILO 2a, 2c)
  • demonstrate continuous learning and personal growth through self-assessment and reflection, intellectual curiosity, personal and social responsibility (SLO 5; ILO 3a: IS 322, IS 331, 340)
  • to show respect for cultural differences  or stewardship of natural environment and ethical responsibility (SLO 5; ILO 3b, 3c: IS 322 & IS 340) 

 

14) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please explain.
Or, if the program did engage in assessment activities, please add any other important information here.

Nothing more to add.