Program: German (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Mon Oct 22, 2018 - 4:37:53 pm
1) Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs)
1. Read and comprehend texts written in German from a variety of genres and contexts (e.g., magazine or internet articles, newspapers, literature).
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2a. Think critically and creatively, 3a. Continuous learning and personal growth)
2. Analyze and critique texts written in German from a variety of genres and contexts.
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2a. Think critically and creatively)
3. Engage in oral communication in German in various communicative contexts (e.g., everyday conversations, ordering in a restaurant, participating in class discussions, making a short presentation).
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2c. Communicate and report)
4. Engage in writing in German in various contexts and for various audiences (e.g., personal letters, emails, essays, etc.).
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2c. Communicate and report)
5. Conduct research on German language and/or culture using knowledge and skills learned in the program.
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2a. Think critically and creatively, 2b. Conduct research, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture)
6. Demonstrate a familiarity with the current events, traditional and pop culture, and social structures of the society/societies in which German is spoken.
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2a. Think critically and creatively, 2c. Communicate and report, 3a. Continuous learning and personal growth, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture)
7. To learn about the role of German-speaking peoples in the context of Hawai'i and the Pacific region.
(1a. General education, 1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 1c. Understand Hawaiian culture and history, 2a. Think critically and creatively, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture)
2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update asneeded.
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: 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) 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.
All program SLOs were assessed in the annual BA exit survey. Additional questions about the student experience were also included.
10 BA students particpated in FASST summer study abroad programs (led by the Chair of German at UH Mānoa) to Berlin in 2016 and 2018 took standardized (CEFR) exams that were evaluated by professional staff at an accredited language school. The 9 who were nearly finished with their degree requirements (prior to their last year of study) were placed at the following levels: B.1.1 (1 student), B.1.2 (2 students), B2 (4 students), C1 (2 students). One who was still a sophomore, and had only completed one German course at UH Mānoa placed at the A.2.1 level. These evaluations by an outside institution using a standardized framework show that our UH programs are effective, and that by the time they complete their BA in German at UH Mānoa, most of our majors have demonstrated proficiency at the third- or fourth year level.
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.
The following numbers of students participated in the BA exit survey conducted by the LLL deans office:
Fall 2015-Spring/Summer 2016: 9 (82% response rate)
Fall 2016-Spring/Summer 2017: 12 (100% response rate)
Fall 2017-Spring/Summer 2018: 6 (100% response rate)
10 BA students, who particpated in FASST study abroad programs in Berlin in 2016 and 2018, took standardized (CEFR) exams that were evaluated by professional staff at a language school.
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.
Based on the self-assessment of learning outcomes in exit surveys (2015-2018), which asked "To what extent can you do the following?"
Total #students/Not at all/Not very well/Adequately/Well/Very well
SLO 1: 27/0/0/5/11/11
SLO 2: 27/0/0/8/11/8
SLO 3: 26/0/2/6/6/13
SLO 4: 27/0/2/3/11/11
SLO 5: 27/0/1/7/9/10
SLO 6: 27/0/0/3/10/14
SLO 7: (not on exit survey; exit survey needs to be modified to include this item)
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.
Since 2015, we have done the following in respone to assessment results:
Personnel change: We were able to hire an additional instructor, which has helped to stabilize the German program.
Course changes: The new instructor has created a new course (LLEA 341: German Opera and Literature), which attracted a healthy number of students in its first semester (Fall 2018). In Spring 2018, we added an "ETH" focus designation to our LLEA 371 course. This course also carries an "HAP" focus, making it especially helpful to students trying to satisfy focus requirements whicle completing their BA degree requirements.
Program policy change: We now accept 3 LLEA courses toward the major (instead of 2) and LLEA 371 has been added to the list of courses that may be counted toward the certificate or major.
Celebration of student success: We have hosted a celebration of student success during most Spring semesters over the past 5 years, inviting BA students, LLEA department faculty, the LLL deans, and members of the broader German-speaking community, including the Honorary Consul of Germany.
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.
In sharing the results of the most recent exit survey, the associate dean of LLL noted that "student experiences with the program continue to be positive overall". The German faculty are committed to maintaining such positive results and continue to look for ways to improve the program. This is a topic in every German faculty meeting.
In direct response to student feedback, the German faculty has made a big effort over the past several years to increase our program's extra-curricular offerings. These offerings (Club activities, film screenings, exhibits, etc.) have increased exponentially, and we've also been networking with the community (e.g., with the German Consul, who now regularly attends German program functions).
We've also been actively supporting students to get scholarships. For example, this year alone, a recent graduate won a coveted scholarship to pursue an MA at Georgetown University's prestigious German and European Studies (MAGES) program. Another won a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship in Germany (2018-2019). The previous year (2017-2018), one of our certificate students was awarded the 2017-2018 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX), a year-long U.S. Department of State-funded scholarship for study and work in Germany. Typically, over 600 applicants apply. A German major also received the same CBYX award for the year 2015-2016.
17) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please justify.
N/A