Unit: Languages & Literatures of Europe and the Americas
Program: Spanish (MA)
Degree: Master's
Date: Wed Sep 23, 2015 - 1:40:15 pm

1) Below are your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.

SLO 1. Demonstrate advanced language skills in Spanish.

SLO 2. Apply analytical and critical skills in the interpretation of different texts (literary and other forms of visual expression).

SLO 3. Demonstrate breadth and depth of knowledge of Spanish and Latin American literary expressions.

SLO 4. Demonstrate breadth and depth of knowledge of Spanish and Latin American traditional and cultural expressions.

SLO 5. Demonstrate knowledge of Spanish linguistics, or pragmatics, or translation.

SLO 6. Read, write and use oral skills for specific professional purposes.

SLO7. (Teaching Assistants only) Demonstrate familiarity with current L2 teaching methodologies, language learning technologies and practices.

 

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

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

Department Website URL: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/llea/spanish/graduate/
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) Please review, add, replace, or delete the existing curriculum map.

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2015:

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 learning assessment activities between June 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015?

Yes
No (skip to question 16)

6) What best describes the program-level learning assessment activities that took place for the period June 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015? (Check all that apply.)

Create/modify/discuss program learning assessment procedures (e.g., SLOs, curriculum map, mechanism to collect student work, rubric, survey)
Collect/evaluate student work/performance to determine SLO achievement
Collect/analyze student self-reports of SLO achievement via surveys, interviews, or focus groups
Use assessment results to make programmatic decisions (e.g., change course content or pedagogy, design new course, hiring)
Investigate curriculum coherence. This includes investigating how well courses address the SLOs, course sequencing and adequacy, the effect of pre-requisites on learning achievement.
Investigate other pressing issue related to student learning achievement for the program (explain in question 7)
Other:

7) Briefly explain the assessment activities that took place in the last 18 months.

Language diagnostic exams

Final course research project evaluations

Capstone assessment-Comprehensive Exams or Scholarly Paper + Area Exam

Anonymous Exit Surveys

TA observations and evaluations

Faculty meetings to review SLOs and Curriculum Map

8) What types of evidence did the program use as part of the assessment activities checked in question 6? (Check all that apply.)

Direct evidence of student learning (student work products)


Artistic exhibition/performance
Assignment/exam/paper completed as part of regular coursework and used for program-level assessment
Capstone work product (e.g., written project or non-thesis paper)
Exam created by an external organization (e.g., professional association for licensure)
Exit exam created by the program
IRB approval of research
Oral performance (oral defense, oral presentation, conference presentation)
Portfolio of student work
Publication or grant proposal
Qualifying exam or comprehensive exam for program-level assessment in addition to individual student evaluation (graduate level only)
Supervisor or employer evaluation of student performance outside the classroom (internship, clinical, practicum)
Thesis or dissertation used for program-level assessment in addition to individual student evaluation
Other 1:
Other 2:

Indirect evidence of student learning


Alumni survey that contains self-reports of SLO achievement
Employer meetings/discussions/survey/interview of student SLO achievement
Interviews or focus groups that contain self-reports of SLO achievement
Student reflective writing assignment (essay, journal entry, self-assessment) on their SLO achievement.
Student surveys that contain self-reports of SLO achievement
Other 1:
Other 2:

Program evidence related to learning and assessment
(more applicable when the program focused on the use of results or assessment procedure/tools in this reporting period instead of data collection)


Assessment-related such as assessment plan, SLOs, curriculum map, etc.
Program or course materials (syllabi, assignments, requirements, etc.)
Other 1:
Other 2:

9) State the number of students (or persons) who submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.

Language Diagnostic Exams-incoming graduate students-Webscape Online Placement Exam, UHM Spanish Written and Oral Exams

Final course research project evaluations-all registered graduate students

Capstone Assessment-Comprehensive Exams or Scholarly Paper + Area Exam-all graduating students

Anonymous Exit Surveys-those graduates who choose to participate

TA observations and evaluations-all TAs-twice a semester, rubric prepared by Spanish Division, all faculty

Faculty meetings to review SLOs and Curriculum Map-all Spanish and LAIS faculty

10) 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:

11) 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:

12) Summarize the results of the assessment activities checked in question 6. For example, report the percent of students who achieved each SLO.

The SLOs were reviewed by faculty. SLOs and both redundancies and exclusions of program goals were found. The review of the curriculum map found that courses had been excluded and it did not reflect how SLOs were being sequenced.

Based on assessment of course research projects and capstone assessments, all graduating students achieved program SLOs # 1-6.

For SLO#1 (Students demonstrate advanced language skills), A high majority of  students met this SLO at entrance to the program- determined by the online and written exams taken at the beginning of the first semester of study.

SLOs #1-6 were assessed in every course (research projects. oral presentations, and exams, and the capstone assessments) and were met by all students.

SLO #7-met by all TAs

From previous exit surveys and informal discussions the Spanish Faculty determined that an option for the capstone assessment, besides the MA thesis or the Comprehensive Exams. was needed. .

Based on previous exit surveys and informal discussions the Spanish MA program had collaborated with the Department of SLS to create the new SLS Advanced Graduate Certificate in Spanish Applied LInguistics. The program accepted its first students in Fall 2014. In discussion with SLS it was deteremined that Spanish needed to modify and create  new courses to accommodatethe needs of  both the Spanish MA program and the SLS AGC in Spanish Applied Linguistics program.

From informal discussions with students and faculty  it was determined that students needed support in non-classroom professional development activities.

13) What best describes how the program used the results? (Check all that apply.)

Assessment procedure changes (SLOs, curriculum map, rubrics, evidence collected, sampling, communications with faculty, etc.)
Course changes (course content, pedagogy, courses offered, new course, pre-requisites, requirements)
Personnel or resource allocation changes
Program policy changes (e.g., admissions requirements, student probation policies, common course evaluation form)
Students' out-of-course experience changes (advising, co-curricular experiences, program website, program handbook, brown-bag lunches, workshops)
Celebration of student success!
Results indicated no action needed because students met expectations
Use is pending (typical reasons: insufficient number of students in population, evidence not evaluated or interpreted yet, faculty discussions continue)
Other:

14) Please briefly describe how the program used the results.

The SLOs were condensed or modified to reflect program goals. The curriculum map was updated accordingly.

For SLO#1 (Students demonstrate advanced language skills), a high majority of entering students met this SLO. For those who did not meet it on entrance, an individualized language program was set up  to help them achieve this SLO during the first year of study.

From previous exit surveys and informal discussions the Spanish Faculty created an option for the capstone assessment besides the MA thesis or the Comprehensive Exams. MA students from Fall 2013-Spring 2016 have been given the option to write a Scholarly Paper and an Area Exam.  Two students completed the SP in Spring 2015 and two more will complete an SP in Spring 2016. The faculty will  continue to assess and discuss this capstone option.

From previous exit surveys and informal discussions the Spanish MA program collaborated with the Department of SLS to create the new SLS Advanced Graduate Certificate in Spanish Applied LInguistics. The program accepted its first students in Fall 2014. In discussion with SLS we have modified or created new courses to accommodate both the Spanish MA program and the SLS AGC in Spanish Applied Linguistics program (SPAN 605 Translation Studies, SPAN 653 Dialectology)

From informal discussions with students and faculty the Spanish MA has created a Professional Development portfolio project for the MA students. We provide information about professional develpment and interdisciplinary opportunities on campus and mentor and encourage students to participate. We also helped to initiate the new LLEA Research Symposium.

15) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries? This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, and great achievements regarding program assessment in this reporting period.

Program offerings continue to suffer due to faculty vacancies not being filled.

The  option of the scholarly paper may not be a viable alternative due to lack of faculty to form committees.

16) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please explain.