Program: Sociology (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Mon Oct 15, 2018 - 1:55:37 pm
1) Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs)
1. Students will be able to evaluate sociological theories and use them to analyze and understand aspects of the social world.
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field)
2. Students will be able to collect, analyze, and interpret data, and draw valid conclusions from their analyses.
(1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2a. Think critically and creatively, 2b. Conduct research)
3. Students will have clear and effective verbal and written communication skills.
(2c. Communicate and report)
4.
2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.
Department Website URL: http://www.sociology.hawaii.edu/undergraduate/index.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: Other: Other: 3) Please review, add, replace, or delete the existing curriculum map.
- File (10/15/2018)
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) Does the program have learning achievement results for its program SLOs? (Example of achievement results: "80% of students met expectations on SLO 1.")(check one):
No Yes, on some(1-50%) of the program SLOs Yes, on most(51-99%) of the program SLOs Yes, on all(100%) of the program SLOs6) Did your program engage in any program learning assessment activities between June 1, 2015 and October 31, 2018?
Yes No (skip to question 17)7) What best describes the program-level learning assessment activities that took place for the period June 1, 2015 to October 31, 2018? (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) No (skip to question 17) Investigate other pressing issue related to student learning achievement for the program (explain in question 7) Other: 8) Briefly explain the assessment activities that took place.
During Fall semester 2014 the Undergraduate Studies Committee completely revised the undergraduate assessment procedures. This included
- Revising our Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) to align with the Manoa Institutional Learning Objectives
- Revising our Curriculum Map
- Using Embedded Assessments and targeting our required theory and senior-level methods courses for evaluation of students' projects and written and oral presentations in those courses
- Developing a basic assignment to be used in all offerings of our theory course. The assignment was extracted from the final assignment that was used in the theory course in Fall 2014.
- Developing rubrics (in consultation with the course instructors) to be used by the instructors of our targeted courses to assess students' performances on our SLOs
- Developing tally sheets for instructors to record their evaluations
- Developing a Qualtrics Survey to gather the data from instructors in which they reported the results from their tally sheets, recorded the major problems students were having, and gave suggestions for programmatic changes to correct the problems.
These revisions were approved by the Sociology Faculty in November 2014, and data were gathered from instructors of our targeted courses for Fall 2014 and analyzed for this report.
The Qualtrics Exit Survey, which was developed during Spring 2014, was revised to align with our revised SLOs, and students who petitioned to graduate during academic year 2014-2015 were asked to complete the survey. Those data were also analyzed for this report.
9) What types of evidence did the program use as part of the assessment activities checked in question 7? (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: 10) State the number of students (or persons) who submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
78 students
11) 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: 12) 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: 13) Summarize the results of the assessment activities checked in question 7. For example, report the percentage of students who achieved each SLO.
Direct evidence
SLO 1: Students will be able to evaluate sociological theories and use them to analyze and understand aspects of the social world. N = 67
Part A (evaluate theory)
92.5% (62/67) of the students’ projects were judged to be adequate or excellent on this dimension. 7.5% (5/67) were judged to be inadequate.
Part B (apply theory)
89.55% (60/67) of the students’ projects were judged to be adequate or excellent on this dimension. 10.45% (7/67) were judged to be inadequate.
SLO 2: Students will be able to collect, analyze, and interpret data, and draw valid conclusions form their analyses. N=64
Part A (collect, analyze and interpret data)
91.6% (58/64) of the students’ projects were judged to be adequate or excellent on this dimension. 9.4% (6/64) were judged to be inadequate.
Part B (draw valid conclusions)
92.2% (59/64) of the students’ projects were judged to be adequate or excellent on this dimension. 7.8%(5/64) were judged to be inadequate.
SLO 3: Students will have clear and effective verbal and written communication skills.
Part A (written)
92.2% (59/64) of the students’ written works were judged to be adequate or excellent. 7.8% (5/64) were judged to be inadequate.
Part B (verbal)
All of the students’ projects were judged to be adequate or excellent on this dimension.
Indirect evidence
Students who petitioned to graduate in 2017-2018 were asked to complete a Qualtrics exit survey. The survey link was sent to 92 students who had petitioned to graduate. 41 students participated in the survey (45% response rate).
Students report high levels of confidence in most, if not all, of the capacities that are the goals of the SLOs of the department. Students are highly or fairly confident in conducting sociological research, understanding and incorporating sociological theory, and in communicating their findings in both written and oral formats.
Students also expressed high satisfaction with the department as a major. 95% of students (37/39) said that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their experience in the department.
Below, the survey results that correspond to specific SLO are reported.
In regards to SLO 1 (sociological theory)
- 70% of students (27/40) reported that most or all of their Sociology courses had sociological theories.
- 87.5% (35/40) said they were fairly or highly confident in their ability to evaluate theories.
- 87.5% (35/40) said they were fairly or highly confident in their ability to use the theories to analyze and understand aspects of the social world.
In regards to SLO 2 (research method)
- 90% (37/41) students reported that research methods were included in most (5-9 courses) or all of their major courses.
- 92.3% (36/39) students reported that they were fairly or highly confident in their ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data.
- 89.7% (35/39) students reported that they were fairly or highly confident in their ability to draw valid conclusions from their analyses.
- 89.7% (35/39) students reported that they were fairly or highly confident in their ability to incorporate theory into their research projects.
In regards to SLO 3 (written and verbal communication skills)
Writing
- 100% (39/39) of the students reported that most or all of their major courses included written assignments.
- 100% (39/39) of students reported that they were fairly confident or highly confident in their ability to write reflection papers.
- 97.4% (38/39) of students reported that they were fairly confident or highly confident in their ability to write response papers.
- 92.3% (36/39) of students reported that they were fairly confident or highly confident in their ability to write literature review.
- 91.9% (34/37) of students reported that they were fairly confident or highly confident in their ability to research paper.
Verbal communication
- 56.4% (22/39) of students said that most or all of their Sociology courses had oral presentations.
- 84.61% (33/39) of students reported that they were fairly confident or highly confident in their ability to articulate your thoughts orally in class.
- 84.61% (33/39) of students reported that they were fairly confident or highly confident in their ability to orally present research findings.
- 89.74% (35/39) of students reported that they were fairly confident or highly confident in their ability to make a formal presentation.
14) 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: 15) Please briefly describe how the program used the results.
Results were compiled and reported in August to early September 2015. In addition, course instructors were asked to identify the most common problems students and provide suggestion for program changes in through open-ended questions. This is qualitative data that we need time to analyze. We also have qualitative data from the student exit surveys (as indirect evidence). We also need time to analyze this. The Undergraduate Studies Committee has just begun to meet for school year and we will be examining ways to use the data.
16) 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 were impressed to learn from the student exit survey that 95% of the respondents were either satisfied or very satisfied with their experiences as a sociology major.
We learned that the new rubrics provided helpful information. While our assessments indicated that students were performing well in terms of most of our SLOs, we also learned that students' theory application and their verbal presentation skills needed improvement.
From our exit survey, we learned ways to improve students' theory application abilities. Students suggested that their ability to apply theory would be improved if classroom instruction was related to current events. Some suggested wanting more theory related assignments. A couple students suggested adding additional theory courses.
In terms of improving oral presentation skills, students suggested having more opporuntities to present in more classes, offering more classes with an "O" focus, and offering more short presetations to prepare for longer, formal presentaitons.