Unit: Life Sciences
Program: Zoology (MS)
Degree: Master's
Date: Thu Nov 02, 2017 - 3:45:49 pm

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

1. Demonstrate advanced knowledge in a specialized area of the biological sciences and general knowledge of related areas, as defined by the student�s committee.

2. A track: Conduct scientific research, including critical analysis, synthesis and use of information and data, specific to one�s field of study.

3. B track: Critically analyze, synthesize and interpret information specific to one�s field of study.

4. Proficiently communicate and disseminate scientific information in oral and in written form.

5. Conduct research responsibly and ethically.

6. Engage professionally and collegially with the larger scientific community and with society.

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

Department Website URL: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/biology/education
Student Handbook. URL, if available online: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/biology/graduate/guides
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:
UHM Catalog. Page Number:
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online:
Other:
Other:

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

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2017:

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, 2015 and October 31, 2017?

Yes
No (skip to question 16)

6) What best describes the program-level learning assessment activities that took place for the period June 1, 2015 to October 31, 2017? (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 28 months.

During the current assessment period a committee of Zoology graduate faculty convened to create a curriculum map. During the process of creating the curriculum map the committee identified areas where SLOs were not sufficiently covered. To address these deficiencies the faculty add content to one of their required courses and create a standardized rubric to assess each SLO. A new protocol was put in place to review each student’s progress on all SLOs during their annual review. This way deficiencies in each student’s personal learning can be addressed by their committee prior to the defense of their thesis or dissertation, ensuring that all SLOs are met.

The final SLOs and the scoring rubric were incorporated into the graduate student handbook, which is published on our departmental website. Now student learning expectations are clearly articulated and accessible by all students and faculty.

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

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
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
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 committee of approximately six people convened to create the curriculum map and subsequent rubric.

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.

We have a new scoring rubric and procedure for evaluating each student as they defend their thesis/dissertation. There is a now a protocol to collect all scored rubrics at the completion of each student’s defense. Pooled results will be reviewed periodically.

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.

We now have assessment procedures in place and have begun collecting learning evidence via our rubric.

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 graduate faculty are happy to finally have assessment procedures in place and eager to see the results.

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