Unit: Dental Hygiene
Program: Dental Hygiene (BS)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Tue Nov 17, 2015 - 3:17:32 pm

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

1. The students of the undergraduate dental hygiene program are prepared to assume various professional roles including that of an entry-level clinician, an educator, a researcher, manager, and an advocate for individuals or communities. As such, the Student learning Outcomes for the student of the baccalaureate-level dental hygiene program include necessary foundational dental and dental hygiene knowledge, performance clinical skills, basic professional behaviors and attitudes, and community well achievement and understanding of health determinants in our global society to meet these expectations. SLO 1. Foundational Dental and Dental Hygiene Knowledge. Although each student brings a varied academic background and level of creativity, each is provided with the dental and dental hygiene science knowledge base which serves as the foundation for the discipline-specific dental hygiene program. The process of assessment, diagnoses, planning, implementation, and evaluation in collaboration with client, other professionals, and faculty is essential in a wellness directed program whether for an individual or community.

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2c. Communicate and report, 3a. Continuous learning and personal growth)

2. SLO 2. Performance Clinical Skills. Each student must provide comprehensive dental hygiene care, some of which are technical in nature, in an evidence-based practice setting seeking consultation or making referrals as necessary

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field)

3. Basic Professional Behaviors. Each student receives through the University's general education requirement a liberal education including communication, critical thinking and decision-making skills, and cross cultural awareness, and through the dental hygiene program, discipline-related code of ethics, laws and regulations. The student is provided the environment in which to practice, improve and develop basic professional behaviors.

(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2a. Think critically and creatively, 2b. Conduct research, 2c. Communicate and report, 3a. Continuous learning and personal growth, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture, 3d. Civic participation)

4. SLO 4. Community Wellness Appreciation and Understanding of Health Determinants in our Global Society. Experiences in working with individuals and communities in health and wellness activities develop attitudes and skills needed to create successful interventions and includes identification of risk factors, strategy development, assessment of resources, and understanding the necessity of comprehensive care plan development.

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 1c. Understand Hawaiian culture and history, 2c. Communicate and report, 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:
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: available through course faculty and/or at Departmental Office
Other: Self Study Report: Exhibit document, Commission on Dental Accreditation
Other: Departmental and Clinical Guidelines

3) Please review, add, replace, or delete the existing curriculum map.

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 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: The program completed a comprehensive self study in preparation for national re-accreditation by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

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

As a professional program, the department conducts continuous assessment as a component of quality improvement as required to maintain accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation.  The following data was collected, examined and evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the program relative to student achievement: national and regional licensing examination pass rates, course and program completion rates, and employment rates. 

Comprehensive assessment data was reported in the Self-Study Report to the Commission on Dental Accreditation and validated on-site from September 8 – 9, 2015 as part of the program’s evaluation and scheduled process for re-accreditation.

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.

  • All 60 students (3 cohorts of students) enrolled in the dental hygiene program were provided the opportunity to submit a self-assessment electronically. 
  • Data for attrition and the percentage of students completing dental hygiene courses was obtained from departmental records and is maintained for all students enrolled in the program.
  • External organizations (testing agencies) provided the pass rates for 18 students (class of 2015) who were scheduled to graduate and completed national, regional and state licensing examinations.
  • 20 students (class of 2014) responded to oral inquiry by the department regarding employment with a 100% response rate.

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 2014-15 course pass rates reflect significant student achievement and are reported by student cohort: 1st year- 95%; 2nd year – 100%; 3rd year – 100%.

The Department’s progress indicator goal for the national and state licensing exams is a 90% first time pass rate.  The goal was exceeded with 100% of graduating students who successfully passed the 2015 National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and the Central Regional Dental Testing Service Clinical Licensing Examination or the ADEX Dental Hygiene Licensing Examination on the first attempt.

The Department’s progress indicator goal for student retention is 85%.  The goal was met with a student retention rate of 90% for 2014-15.

The employment rate for the class of 2014 is 90%.  100% are eligible to work as a dental hygienist, however, 2 graduates (10%) were unemployed for personal reasons. 

Based on the Course and Faculty Evaluation, a composite across all dental hygiene courses reflect that 91% of students agreed or strongly agreed that that they generally understood the material presented in the course while in spring 2015, 88% of students agreed or strongly agreed.

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.

Student assignments and course evaluations are used to inform review of the overall curriculum structure and sequencing to ensure that students have the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become a competent dental hygienist.  Results from the licensing exams are used to identify gaps in the curriculum from an outside perspective.  Employment rates are analyzed to determine the outcome of graduates’ success and to monitor state and national workforce needs.

The program analyzes admission criteria with course and program completion rates and licensing exam performance to determine student potential for readiness and success in the program.  This year the data is informing the department and faculty as a direct high school entry pathway is being developed for the dental hygiene major.

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.

The CAFÉ system appears to be efficient and effective in providing rapid feedback for items of interest and concern to faculty. 

 

The program still has an interest in conducting a collaborative data-intensive admission criteria/outcome project with the school’s office of student services and the institutional records office.

 

The program completed a successful accreditation site visit by the Commission on Dental Accreditation on September 8-9, 2015 and the written report is pending.

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

N/A