Unit: Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language
Program: Hawaiian (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Fri Oct 16, 2009 - 12:16:07 pm

1) List your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs).

  • Understand abstract content of paragraph length descriptions/narrative on familiar topics (Listening)
  • Initiate, sustain, & close a conversation using various communication strategies (Speaking)
  • Read texts written in the target language critically (Reading)
  • Write narratives/descriptions or personal experiences, interests, and plans in several paragraphs (Writing
  • Demonstrate understanding of how culture is embedded in the use of target language (Culture)

2) Where are your program's SLOs published?

Department Website URL: (scheduled to be released in a few months)
Student Handbook. URL, if available online:
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:
UHM Catalog. Page Number:
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: NA
Other:
Other:

3) Upload your program's current curriculum map(s) as a PDF.

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2009:

4) What percentage of courses have the course SLOs explicitly stated on the course syllabus, department website, or other publicly available document? (Check one)

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

5) State the SLO(s) that was Assessed, Targeted, or Studied

Initiate, sustain, & close a conversation using various communication strategies (Speaking)

Write narratives/descriptions or personal experiences, interests, and plans in several paragraphs (Writing)

Demonstrate understanding of how culture is embedded in the use of target language (Culture)

6) State the Assessment Question(s) and/or Goal(s) of Assessment Activity

The program wanted to find out whether or not our undergraduate students were able to:

Initiate, sustain, & close a conversation using various communication strategies (Speaking)

Write narratives/descriptions or personal experiences, interests, and plans in several paragraphs (Writing)

Demonstrate understanding of how culture is embedded in the use of target language (Culture)

7) State the Type(s) of Evidence Gathered

In order to assess whether or not our undergraduate students were able to meet the previously stated SLOs, Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian language held a Hawaiian language competition.  Participates were rated by a panel of judges.  Judges were given grading sheets related to the category in which the student was participating. The competition included the following categories: video, memorized speech, demonstration speech, story telling, PowerPoint presentation, skit, song/chant composition, and book writing.

8) State How the Evidence was Interpreted, Evaluated, or Analyzed

A number of Hawaiian language experts were invited to serve as judges for this competition. Judges were given different grading sheets for each category of the competition.  Scores were then totaled for each participant.

9) State How Many Pieces of Evidence Were Collected

92 pieces of evidence were collected.

10) Summarize the Actual Results

The results ranked the participants for purposes of the language competition.  Students were compared to other students enrolled in the same level of Hawaiian language.  While the rubric employed differed for each category of the competition, all categories of the competition focused on the students’ language acquisition skills.

11) Briefly Describe the Distribution and Discussion of Results

Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian language is currently discussing how the results will be used and how the methodology may be improved for next year’s competition.  The results of this event have not yet been distributed.

12) Describe Conclusions and Discoveries

One of the goals of this year’s event was to implement a tool for assessing students’ achievement, however, it is now clear that the assessment tool created did not achieve the desired outcome.  Through trial and error, we found that the judging sheets were useful for the purposes of a language competition, but failed as an assessment tool.  We are working to create a new assessment tool, for use at this same event next year, that will better reflect the whether or not our students are meeting our student learning outcomes.  It is possible, that two separate panels of judges will be invited to participate; one panel will rank the participants for purposes of the language competition, the other panel will assess the participants’ ability to meet the SLOs.

13) Use of Results/Program Modifications: State How the Program Used the Results --or-- Explain Planned Use of Results

The program will be using the results of this undergraduate assessment pilot project to create an assessment tool for next year.

14) Reflect on the Assessment Process

This was a good learning opportunity for the program.  In recognition that our program is new to assessment, a task force has been created to focus on assessment.  At the departmental level, the Academic Affairs Committee is developing assessment tools for first, second, third, and fourth level Hawaiian language classes.  At the school level, Hawaiÿinuiäkea School of Hawaiian Knowledge has created a Program Evaluation Committee to address issues related to assessment.

15) Other Important Information

16) FOR DISTANCE PROGRAMS ONLY: Explain how your program/department has adapted its assessment of student learning in the on-campus program to assess student learning in the distance education program.

17) FOR DISTANCE PROGRAMS ONLY: Summarize the actual student learning assessment results that compare the achievement of students in the on-campus program to students in the distance education program.