Program: History (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Sun Oct 11, 2009 - 2:11:58 pm
1) List your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs).
Undergraduate Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):
1) Students can explain historical change and continuity.
2) Students can develop a clear argument using recognized historical methods.
3) Students can write clear expository prose and present their ideas orally according to disciplinary conventions.
4) Students can interpret and use primary sources.
5) Students can identify the main historiographical issues in a specific area of concentration.
2) Where are your program's SLOs published?
Department Website URL: http://www.hawaii.edu/history/undergrad.html (Note: We are releasing a redesigned website this fall, which will prominently feature our departmental SLOs.)
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: Course listings on departmental website: http://www.hawaii.edu/history/schedule.html Other: 3) Upload your program's current curriculum map(s) as a PDF.
- File (03/16/2020)
4) What percentage of courses have the course SLOs explicitly stated on the course syllabus, department website, or other publicly available document? (Check one)
0%
1-50% 51-80% 81-99% 100%5) State the SLO(s) that was Assessed, Targeted, or Studied
The time period between June 2008 and September 2009 was dedicated to revamping our assessment plan as a whole. This is currently our long-range assessment plan:
Spring 2009: Collection & analysis of syllabi
2009-10: SLO #4 (496 in fall, 400-level in spring)
2010-11: SLO #5 (496 in fall, 396 in spring)
2011-12: SLO #3 (496 in fall, 400-level in spring)
2012-13: SLO #3, continued (300-level in fall); SLO #1 (496 in spring)
2013-14: SLO #2 (496 in fall, 300-level in spring)
We have begun to assess SLO #4 this fall, together with analyzing syllabi from spring 2009.
6) State the Assessment Question(s) and/or Goal(s) of Assessment Activity
Syllabi: The program wanted to learn if faculty included SLOs on their syllabi. The committee also wanted to determine if we could use syllabi in assessment activities.
SLO #4: The program wanted to learn if, in our capstone course (496: senior thesis), students could interpret and use primary sources. We set 75% as “competent” or “accomplished” as our goal. We also wanted to test and revise our scoring rubric for evaluating this SLO.
7) State the Type(s) of Evidence Gathered
SLO #4: We collected a sample of final theses from last spring’s 496 classes.
8) State How the Evidence was Interpreted, Evaluated, or Analyzed
The assessment committee (currently composed of four members) read all the papers and assigned scores based on our scoring rubric (now revised as the following):
| 4 – Accomplished | Crafts argument based on primary sources Recognizes historiographical significance of argument |
| 3 – Competent | Interprets primary sources Develops an argument not based on primary sources |
| 2 – Developing | Includes some primary sources, but fails to interpret them Fails to develop an argument |
| 1 – Beginning | Uses incorrect or few primary sources |
We met in October to revise the rubric, agree on scores for each paper, and to determine the results of the assessment activity.
9) State How Many Pieces of Evidence Were Collected
A total of 12 papers were collected (each about 20-40 pages in length). We requested three papers from each of the four instructors who taught 496 in the spring (the sections representing the major’s four concentrations), one each of “poor,” “medium,” and “exemplary” quality.
10) Summarize the Actual Results
This assessment activity on SLO #4 is not yet finalized. We are currently writing a report compiling our data and summing up what we learned.
In regards to our collection of syllabi, we learned that few faculty include SLOs on their syllabi. We decided that syllabi cannot be used as a basis of an assessment activity except to add relevant qualitative information on occasion.
11) Briefly Describe the Distribution and Discussion of Results
This will be determined later in this academic year.
12) Describe Conclusions and Discoveries
This will be determined later in this academic year.
13) Use of Results/Program Modifications: State How the Program Used the Results --or-- Explain Planned Use of Results
This will be determined later in this academic year.
14) Reflect on the Assessment Process
This will be determined later in this academic year.
15) Other Important Information
The newly reconstituted assessment committee spent a lot of time this past academic year renewing our assessment plan. We wrote SLOs, discussed them with the entire faculty, and then distributed them widely. We designed the long-range assessment plan. We began collecting information to assess this year. We drew up a scoring rubric for our first assessment activity. To accomplish all this, we received a lot of training from the Assessment Office as well as attended the WASC assessment retreat for a weekend in January. We also assisted the Assessment Office and the General Education Program by collecting and providing papers for the assessment of Writing Intensive classes.