Program: Spanish (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Tue Nov 13, 2012 - 4:52:09 pm
1) Below are your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.
SLO 1a. Analyze, evaluate and critique the literature of Spain and Latin America.
SLO 1b. Write research papers using appropriate MLA citation guidelines.
SLO 2a. Analyze, evaluate and critique cultural issues of Spain and Latin America.
SLO 2b. Describe and explain Latin American and Iberian roles within sociohistorical movements (e.g., conquest, modernity, nation building).
SLO 2c. Evaluate notions of indigenism, multiculturalism and immigration.
SLO 3. Use writing and research in Spanish to meet students goals.
SLO 4. Use oral skills in Spanish to meet studentsgoals.
SLO 5. Distinguish between major dialect features of the Spanish of Spain and Latin America.
SLO 6. Read and comprehend texts in Spanish from a variety of genres and contexts.
SLO 7. Read, write and use oral skills for specific professional purposes.
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: NA Other: Other: 3) Select one option:
- 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) Did your program engage in any program assessment activities between June 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012? (e.g., establishing/revising outcomes, aligning the curriculum to outcomes, collecting evidence, interpreting evidence, using results, revising the assessment plan, creating surveys or tests, etc.)
Yes No (skip to question 14)6) For the period June 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the SLOs that were targeted, if applicable.
What are students’ plans after graduation?
What are students’ long term personal and career goals?
Are our graduating students satisfied with the program (courses, institutional resources, etc)?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program?
Have the SLO’s been fulfilled?
Do we need to improve our SLOs according to new curriculum and courses?
7) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #6.
Exit survey for graduating students
Students’ course and faculty evaluations
End of semester projects and exams
Placement exam for language students
Oral Proficiency Exams administered by the LLL Office
8) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
120- SPAN 101 and 102 langauge students took the placement test
6- OPI (Oral Proficency Exam)
7- Exit survey
All students- Students’ course and faculty evaluations
All students- End of semester projects and exams
9) 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: 10) 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: 11) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #6:
Summarize the actual results.
The placement exam showed that several students had not registered for the correct level and therefore needed to be accommodated in a different course.
The OPI results placed 4 language students at an advanced-low level and placed 2 others who were heritage students at the advanced-mid and advanced-high level according to the ACTFL scale.
Exit surveys showed that the number of double majors is increasing in our program and that we get students from a diversity of majors (Political Science, Communications, and Marine Biology). Many of this group traveled with the study abroad program to Spain while completing their degree; none of them were heritage speakers. They all had plans to continue with their language studies and pursue graduate degrees over the long run. Several students showed an interest in pursuing a degree in Health. The students were very satisfied with the program, especially with the courses and pointed to the faculty as the highest strength of the program. They rated themselves as being "qualified" to "very qualified" according to the program SLOs and suggested more emphasis on oral skills (rather than reading and writing). All students would definitely recommend the program.
12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.
Since several students indicated interest in pursuing careers in the Health Care Profession, and were thinking about using their Spanish skills in that field, a new professional course (Medical Spanish) was developed, has been approved, and will be offered next year.
Given that several students have enrolled in courses that were not appropriate for their level, the department will continue administering the placement exam at multiple days before and during the enrollment period and at the beginning of each semester.
Faculty were made aware that students request more work on their speaking skills and faculty have been encouraged to include more speaking activities in all of their courses.
We have modified our SLOs and articulated our curriculum to reflect several new courses that have been incorporated into the program.
13) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries?
This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, program aspects and so on.
We came to the conclusion that allowing all students to register in Spanish without taking the placement exam (which has been imposed by the UHM administration) creates a great deal of chaos in the basic language program, especially in the first year courses. We have to deploy additional resources and personnel to administer multiple, extra placement exams at the beginning of the semester for all students who are new to the UHM Spanish program, and who generaly register for 101 (including some advanced heritage speakers).