Program: Pacific Islands Studies (MA)
Degree: Master's
Date: Thu Dec 24, 2020 - 1:23:42 pm
1) Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs)
1. Students can articulate and apply characteristics of Pacific Studies as a field of study that is interdisciplinary, grounded, creative, including indigenous epistemologies and perspectives to their own research.
(1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in one or more general subject areas related to, but not confined to, a specific area of interest., 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., 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.)
2. Students can demonstrate a wide range of historical, geographic, and cultural knowledge about Oceania.
(1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in one or more general subject areas related to, but not confined to, a specific area of interest., 4. Critically analyze, synthesize, and utilize information and data related to one’s field of study.)
3. Students can analyze political, cultural, and ethical issues confronting Oceanic societies.
(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., 4. Critically analyze, synthesize, and utilize information and data related to one’s field of study.)
4. Students can analyze a specialized aspect of the history, culture, politics, or international relations of one or more of the island societies of Oceania.
(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., 4. Critically analyze, synthesize, and utilize information and data related to one’s field of study.)
5. Students can interact with Pacific Islander communities in culturally sensitive research, collaboration, and advocacy.
(5. Proficiently communicate and disseminate information in a manner relevant to the field and intended audience., 6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives., 7. Interact professionally with others.)
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: 
Other: CPIS website, in progress.3) Please review, add, replace, or delete the existing curriculum map.
- File (11/20/2020)
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 November 1, 2018 and October 31, 2020?
Yes No (skip to question 17)7) What best describes the program-level learning assessment activities that took place for the period November 1, 2018 and October 31, 2020? (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 other pressing issue related to student learning achievement for the program (explain in question 8) Other: 8) Briefly explain the assessment activities that took place since November 2018.
Faculty committee drafted and revised rubrics for SLO2 and SLO3.
Faculty evaluated MA student assignments in PACS 601, 602, 603 and 690 to determine achievement on MA SLO3 (2018-2019) and SLO2 (2019-2020).
Faculty used results of prior assessment to initiate a new assessment practice -- using of SLO rubrics as a tool to assess MA student comprehensive exams.
Faculty used MA program SLO1,SLO3, SLO4 and SLO5 rubrics to assess 4 comprehensive exams and 4 final projects for PACS 603.
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.
Faculty randomly selected 50% of MA student writing per course, resulting in a total of nine students whose work was evaluated.
Four (4) comprehensive exams and four (4) final projects (from PACS 603) were evaluated.
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 from the evaluation, analysis, interpretation of evidence (checked in question 12). For example, report the percentage of students who achieved each SLO.
Faculty have not yet determined learning achievements expectations for programs SLOs.
SLO2 The mean score was 3.08: 100% (9) scored 2 or higher; 93% (8.4) scored 2.5 or higher, 70% (6.3) scored 3 or higher. [n=9]
SLO3. The mean score was 2.61; 90% (9) scored 2 or higher; 69% (7) scored 2.5 or higher, and 10% (1) scored a 3 or higher. [n=10]
Four compresensive exams and 4 Final projects for PACS 603 were assessed by 3 faculty using rubrics for SLO1, 3, 4, and 5.
Comprehensive exams:50% of students met achieved a 2.5. Not all students passed the comprehensive exams, which are gievan at the end of the first year of study. Four faculty assessed the comprehensive exams.
603 Project: 100% of the students (n = 4) achieved 3 or 4, the highest two scores on the rubric. They were considered to have met the program's expecations.
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 its findings/results.
Faculty determined that a single rubric, designed to cover all program SLOs (rather than using 5 SLO rubrics) would simply and focus the assessment of stdent comprehensive exams and portfolio/theses. This is a project for the upcoming year.
Further, learning standards would help us determine program effectiveness over time. Faculty will seek support to establish these.
Comprehensive exam questions were adapted to more closely reflect program SLOs in this pilot project.
Curricular changes are being discussed in response to both course content overlap and a reduction of faculty. Core courses may be reduced from 3 to 2 and the approval of the BA/M progam for Pacific Islands Studies is supporting a closer look at required courses, content, and a pathway for BA students into the MA that is aligned with SLOS and eliminating overlap.
Faculty determined that new rubrics used for SLO2 and SLO3 need revision and students samples/assignments need better effectiveness. Curriculum committee will revise collectively.
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.
The assessment activities have helped faculty recognize the commitment to reassessing the connections between course assignments and the course and program SLOs for improved alignment.
The small sample of student work may not reflect the larger successes of our students and program, especially given the workload of a smaller faculty over the past two years.