Unit: Family & Consumer Sciences
Program: Human Development & Family Studies (BS)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Fri Oct 09, 2015 - 9:41:17 am

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

1. Goal 1: Acquire a knowledge base in human development. Objective 1. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of stages, processes, and ranges of typical human development

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field)

2. Goal 2: Acquire a knowledge base in family science and resource management. Objective 1. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of family diversity in the global community.

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field)

3. Goal 2: Acquire a knowledge base in family science and resource management. Objective 2. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of family resource management processes.

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field)

4. Goal 3: Acquire a knowledge base of the community context in which family functioning and development take place. Objective 1. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of the effects of context (social, economic, political, historical, and cultural environment) on family functioning and development.

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field)

5. Goal 4: Acquire professional skills: Objective 1. Demonstrate criterion level skills in written communication.

(2c. Communicate and report)

6. Goal 4: Acquire professional skills: Objective 2. Demonstrate criterion level skills in oral communication.

(2c. Communicate and report)

7. Goal 4: Acquire professional skills: Objective 3. Demonstrate a basic level of computer literacy.

(2c. Communicate and report)

8. Goal 4: Acquire professional skills: Objective 4. Demonstrate basic competence in “helping” skills.

9. Goal 4: Acquire professional skills: Objective 5. Demonstrate basic research skills.

(2b. Conduct research)

10. Goal 5: Apply knowledge and professional skills to address issues encountered in professional settings: Objective 1. Demonstrate critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities.

(2a. Think critically and creatively)

11. Goal 5: Apply knowledge and professional skills to address issues encountered in professional settings: Objective 2. Demonstrate commitment to professional values and ethical behavior.

(3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture)

12. Goal 5: Apply knowledge and professional skills to address issues encountered in professional settings: Objective 3. Demonstrate a satisfactory level of preparation for the world of work and responsibility for continued professional growth.

(3a. Continuous learning and personal growth)

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

Department Website URL: http://www.catalog.hawaii.edu/schoolscolleges/ctahr/consumer.htm
Student Handbook. URL, if available online:
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:
UHM Catalog. Page Number: http://www.catalog.hawaii.edu/schoolscolleges/ctahr/consumer.htm#famr
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online:
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.

During the academic year 2014-2015 our program engaged in revising the assessment plan. We have decided to continue collecting evidence of the effectiveness of the program in supporting our students in achieving the SLOs using a design of direct and indirect evidence, as described below, for two more years (2014-2015 and 2015-2016). In addition, we have decided to work in close consultation with the Program Assessment Office during year 2015-2016 to develop a new assessment plan to be implemented starting in year 2016-2017.

 

(a)    Direct evidence: We continued using a tool that we developed and piloted in the previous year to collect student data on students’ content knowledge and skills. This tool is a test composed of 50 multiple-choice content questions that is administered to our incoming students in the first couple of weeks of the semester, and to our exiting students in the last couple of weeks of the semester. The tool is being used for pre- and post-test, longitudinally following the same group of student, as well as for cohort comparisons.

 

(b)   Indirect evidence: We continued using a senior exit survey of students' attitudes and perceptions about their experience in the FamR program that was developed by the Department.

 

We interpreted the evidence, and are engaged in an ongoing discussion about the usefulness of the current instrument and ideas for a new one. We are also having an ongoing discussion about the best ways to distribute the current instrument to students (e.g., how much time does it take away from class, students’ incentives to do well in the test, etc.). 

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: Exam created by the program and administered to students who are new in the program (pre-test) and to students who are graduating from the program (post-test)
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.

(a)    Direct evidence:

To measure initial levels of content knowledge and skills associated with the SLOs, we administered the test to our incoming students during their first two weeks of school during a FamR230 (Human Development) class, which is the first required class our majors take. We administered it in the fall semester (N = 307 students), and in the spring semester (N = 153 students).

To measure advanced levels of content knowledge and skills associated with the SLOs, we administered the test to our exiting students during their last two weeks of school during a FamR495 (Capstone Portfolio) class, which is the last required class our majors take. We administered it in the fall semester (N = 53 students), and in the spring semester (N = 41 students).

 

(b)   Indirect evidence: We administered the exit survey to graduating seniors to measure their perceptions of their experience in the FamR Program during their last two weeks of school during a FamR495 (Capstone Portfolio) class, which is the last required class our majors take. We administered it in the fall semester (N = 52 students), and in the spring semester (N = 36 students).

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: Program Assessment Coordinator

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.

 

Goals

Objectives

Aligned Items (Test and Senior Exit Survey)

% Yes or Adequate1, 2

OR

% Correct1, 3

Aggregated Achievement1, 4

1. Acquire a knowledge base in human development

1. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of stages, processes, and ranges of typical human

development

Survey: Item 23

100%

73.9%

Test: Items 1-16

41.7% (Pre)

47.7% (Post)

2. Acquire a knowledge base in family science and resource management.

1. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of family diversity in the global community.

Test: Items 17-24

54.9% (Pre)

68.9% (Post)

80.8%

2. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of family resource management processes.

Survey: Item 24

100%

Test: Items 25-29 and 31-33

64.2% (Pre)

73.6% (Post)

3. Acquire a knowledge base of the community context in which family functioning and development take place

1. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of the effects of context (social, economic, political, historical, and cultural environment) on family functioning and development.

Test: Item 30

58.1% (Pre)

72.4% (Post)

72.4%

4. Acquire professional skills

1. Demonstrate criterion level skills in written communication.

Survey: Item 20

95.3%

84.5%

2. Demonstrate criterion level skills in oral communication.

Survey: Item 21

89.1%

3. Demonstrate a basic level of computer literacy.

Survey: Item 34

97.6%

Survey: Item 35

76.4%

Survey: Item 36

60%

Survey: Item 37

75.4%

Survey: Item 38

92.8%

Survey: Item 39

76.5%

Survey: Item 40

83.9%

4. Demonstrate basic competence in “helping” skills.

 

 

5. Demonstrate basic research skills.

Survey: Item 25

97.6%

5. Apply knowledge and professional skills to address issues encountered in professional settings

1. Demonstrate critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities.

Survey: Item 22

99%

86.4%

Test: Items 41-44 and 50

33.9% (Pre)

62.3% (Post)

2. Demonstrate commitment to professional values and ethical behavior.

Survey: Item 27

100%

Test: Items 45-49

45.2% (Pre)

62.5% (Post)

3. Demonstrate a satisfactory level of preparation for the world of work and responsibility for continued professional growth.

Survey: Item 26

89.2%

Survey: Item 28

92%

Survey: Item 29

100%

1.       Fall and Spring semesters combined.

2.       This is the percent of respondents who chose “yes” on the survey items 20-29 and 40, and those who chose 3 (adequate) or higher on item 34-39.

3.       This is the percent of respondents who chose the correct answer in the pre- and post-test.

4.       This is the average of the item percentages under each goal for the graduating students.

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.

Our department is engaged in an ongoing discussion about the effectiveness of the tools we use to collect direct and indirect evidence and ways to refine tools for measuring students’ performance on learning objectives, including ways to assess not only depth of knowledge but also its application. Our next steps include an item analysis of the items included in the test using a multiple-choice question checklist, and then a possible introduction of case studies, problem/solution evaluation, and incomplete scenarios.

 

After we reach conclusions based on a strong assessment we will begin using the results to revisit goals and objectives to determine their appropriateness for the FamR program and clarifying them as needed.

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.

 

We are continuing to review our courses/syllabi with the goal of establishing consistency across our classes, in terms of making sure all our courses have explicit SLOs and policies such as grades (As, Bs, Cs…), attendance, excused, plagiarism, accommodations for disabilities, etc.

 

In addition, we are following the recommendations from the Assessment Office. We are re-thinking the measurement instruments to make sure they capture all SLOs in an adequate way, and we are also discussing the best way to administer the test. For example, we are discussing how much time it takes in each class, and whether it should be considered part of the grade of that class (adequate incentives for students to do well as noted by the Assessment Office). 

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