Degree Program Assessment Reports : View Reports

Unit: Public Health Studies
Program: Epidemiology (PhD)
Degree: Doctorate
Date: Fri Oct 05, 2018 - 12:16:21 pm

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

1. Descriptive Epidemiology - Apply appropriate epidemiologic techniques and data sources to quantitatively assess patterns and changes in disease occurrence.

2. Biology - Discuss how emerging technology in molecular biology and genomics are applied in the study of diseases and conditions

3. Basic knowledge of the leading public health problems and the history of the discipline - Explain the central role of causation in epidemiology, including knowledge of various definitions and concepts of causation

4. Basic knowledge of the leading public health problems and the history of the discipline - Apply the principles of screening and of surveillance systems, the concepts of validity and reliability of screening tests, and identify the types of surveillance systems and approaches used in disease surveillance.

5. Basic knowledge of the leading public health problems and the history of the discipline - Explain how global, cultural, and social contexts of health problems influence the conduct, interpretation, and dissemination of epidemiologic research and intervention studies

6. Problem Conceptualization - Effectively (a) search, review, critically, evaluate, and synthesize the scientific literature, (b) indentigy meaningful gaps in knowledge, and (c) formulate original and key hypotheses or research questions that may lead to new discoveries in epidemiology

(2. Demonstrate understanding of research methodology and techniques specific to one’s field of study., 4. Critically analyze, synthesize, and utilize information and data related to one’s field of study.)

7. Study Design - Select and apply epidemiology study designs that are appropriate to address specific research questions or hypotheses

(2. Demonstrate understanding of research methodology and techniques specific to one’s field of study.)

8. Study Design - Explain how consideration of causal inference, sources of bias, and of sampling, statistical, and other methods can improve the validity of epidemiologic studies

(2. Demonstrate understanding of research methodology and techniques specific to one’s field of study.)

9. Study Design - Design research projects that address important population health or clinical questions, using appropriate epidemiologic methods under constraints confronted in practice

(2. Demonstrate understanding of research methodology and techniques specific to one’s field of study., 3. Apply research methodology and/or scholarly inquiry techniques specific to one’s field of study., 6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives.)

10. Study Design - Develop and constructively critique epidemiologic research proposals and papers

11. Data Collection and Monitoring - Apply the principles and methods of data-collection and dataï¿½processing procedures in the design and conduct of epidemiologic research, with sound knowledge of measurement validity and reliability, data quality control, data management, documentation, and security.

(3. Apply research methodology and/or scholarly inquiry techniques specific to one’s field of study., 4. Critically analyze, synthesize, and utilize information and data related to one’s field of study., 6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives.)

12. Data Management - Design, implement, and assess data collection, quality control, and data management procedures for epidemiologic studies

13. Data Analysis - Apply state-of-the-art statistical and other quantitative methods in the analysis of epidemiologic data from a variety of sources, including data from large national- and state-level datasets

14. Interpretation - Interpret epidemiologic study results, make appropriate inferences based on results, and recognize the implications of the research results

15. Communication - Communicate clearly and effectively in writing and orally ideas, epidemiology concepts, methods, results, and implications to scientists, students, policy makers, and the public, including diverse audiences at professional meetings, readers of research journals, grant reviews, and laypersons

(5. Proficiently communicate and disseminate information in a manner relevant to the field and intended audience.)

16. Communication - Teach epidemiologic concepts to students at the undergraduate and graduate levels

(5. Proficiently communicate and disseminate information in a manner relevant to the field and intended audience.)

17. Ethics - Apply ethical principles to (a) behave with integrity and high ethical standards in teaching, research, service, and practice and (b) protect the welfare and interest of study participants and others contacted by study personnel

(6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives.)

18. Substantive area - Demonstrate mastery of a substantive area of epidemiology, and in this area (a) apply relevant epidemiologic theory and methods, and (b) integrate the biological, behavioral, and social mechanisms that operate at multiple levels of causation in conducting original research related to a specific topic

(1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in one or more general subject areas related to, but not confined to, a specific area of interest.)

19. Collaboration - Participate effectively (a) in multidisciplinary research projects involving epidemiologists, other academic- and community-affiliated public health researchers, basic scientists, and clinicians, and (b) on investigative teams of both scientists and non-scientists (e.g. community members)

(7. Interact professionally with others.)

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

Department Website URL:

Student Handbook. URL, if available online: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/publichealth/sites/manoa.hawaii.edu.publichealth/files/downloads/student-handbook.pdf

Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:

UHM Catalog. Page Number:

Course Syllabi. URL, if available online:

Other:

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

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2018:

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.

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):

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 SLOs

6) 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.

Comprehensive and qualifying examinations used to assess student performance; results used to modify course content.

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.

9 (all PhD qualifying, comprehensive, and final defense examinees)

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: PhD program chair

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.

Based on the students' performance on the qualifying and comprehensive exams and evaluation of their dissertations and final defenses, 100% achieved the SLOs.

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.

We modified the content of PH788 (seminar in public health science) to assure that all PhD candidates are well versed in IRB and research conduct and dissemination issues specific to their projects.

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.

N/A

17) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please justify.

N/A