Program: Ethnic Studies (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Mon Nov 16, 2015 - 12:01:28 pm
1) Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs) and Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
1. To demonstrate-through papers, exams, class discussions, service learning, et al.- a grasp of the core concepts in the ethnic studies field. This includes ethnic and racial group dynamics, histories and identities, as well as challenges facing indigenous peoples and minorities, inter-group conflicts, racism and discrimination.
(1b. Specialized study in an academic field)
2. To demonstrate-through class discussions, papers, exams service learning, et al.-the ability to make explicit connections between ethnicity/race and other aspects of social life (i.e.. economy, politics, cultural values and gender relations).
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2b. Conduct research)
3. To demonstrate an understanding-through class discussions, papers, exams, service learning, et. al.- of the unique history of Hawai’i’s multi-ethnic working people and the importance of social justice everywhere.
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 1c. Understand Hawaiian culture and history, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture)
4. To demonstrate through the use of reading, writing and thinking skills the ability to critically analyze both historic and contemporary patterns and issues in multi-ethnic societies.
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2a. Think critically and creatively, 2b. Conduct research, 2c. Communicate and report)
5. To demonstrate the ability to connect classroom ideas and knowledge to current events and processes in both Hawai’i’s communities and the world beyond.
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 1c. Understand Hawaiian culture and history, 2a. Think critically and creatively, 2b. Conduct research)
6. To demonstrate an understanding of civic engagement and the skills involved in change-oriented democratic citizenship.
(1a. General education, 3a. Continuous learning and personal growth, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture, 3d. Civic participation)
2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.
Department Website URL: http://www.ethnicstudies.hawaii.edu/pages/academic_program.html
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: http://socialsciences.people.hawaii.edu/esyllabi/?subject=es Other: Other: 3) Please review, add, replace, or delete the existing curriculum map.
- File (03/16/2020)
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: We attempted to clarify whether our rubric questions were relevant7) Briefly explain the assessment activities that took place in the last 18 months.
We began in early 2014 by estabishing a rubric, then spent the calendar year 2014 in surveying our senior majors as to one of the rubric questions regarding written and oral fluency. In late 2014, student papers and oral responses to the question were evaluated by the staff and discussions took place about whether the department was meeting its learning objectives. This current calendar year, we have been revising the rubric, and are now in the process of surveying our senior majors directly about their learning experiences re: a second rubric objective, examining their papers and essays and having their instructors talk to them briefly about their learning experiences. By early December, 2015 we will have compiled the data and begin departmetnal discussions about how to meet our SLOs even better.
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.
Thirty 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: 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.
There occured earlier this year intensive discussion among faculty as to whether ES is meeting its learning objectives as well as hoped and how to measure the progress being made. A pair of capstone courses which had been bruted about for a long time are now being designed for submittal. This partially comes out of this discussion. The methodology of departmental assessment for all 2015 has been altered to solicity information about student learning outcomes in a variety of ways including direct discussion between instructors and students, email contacts with students and examination of their papers. Assessment is on the agenda for the next departmental retreat. The current surveys will yield new date by December on which to make further decisions.
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.
Ethnic Studies initiated faculty discussions about the results and committed to estalishing new capstone courses. Individual instructors used the date to reflect on changes to be made in their courses. Assessment has become a prime focus for the future
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.
There was widepread faculty recognition that assessment needly to be integrated into how we evaluate our courses and the department as a whole. Faculty understood that the use of SLOs in the futre wa critical for continuing improvement in instruction.