Unit: Physics & Astronomy
Program: Physics (BA, BS)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Tue Oct 09, 2012 - 4:53:53 pm

1) Below are your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES           

 [1] Apply basic physical principles from a broad range of topics in physics to diverse scientific and technological problems

 [2] Be able to formulate scientific problems in mathematical terms and apply analytical and numerical methods towards its solution

 [3] Develop skills to design experiments and analyze data through electronic instrumentation and devices, and computer control

 [4] Establish expertise in focused areas of physical theory and experiment

 [5] Generate fluency of the scientific enterprise and awareness of possible career paths available to the undergraduate physics major

Student learning outcomes for individual courses are described in course syllabi found on the departmental web site:

http://www.phys.hawaii.edu/

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

Department Website URL: http://www.phys.hawaii.edu/
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: http://www.phys.hawaii.edu/
Other:
Other:

3) Select one option:

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2012:

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.

UNDERGRADUATE PHYSICS PROGRAM ASSESSMENT SURVEY

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The following statements are the Learning Outcomes of the Undergraduate Physics Program. Circle one of the possible answers below each statement that indicate your response to the statement.

[1] Apply basic physical principles from a broad range of topics in physics to diverse scientific and technological problems

Strongly Disagree            Disagree            Neutral                        Agree                        Strongly Agree

[2] Be able to formulate scientific problems in mathematical terms and apply analytical and numerical methods towards its solution

Strongly Disagree            Disagree            Neutral                        Agree                        Strongly Agree

 [3] Develop skills to design experiments and analyze data through electronic instrumentation and devices, and computer control

Strongly Disagree            Disagree            Neutral                        Agree                        Strongly Agree

[4] Establish expertise in focused areas of physical theory and experiment

Strongly Disagree            Disagree            Neutral                        Agree                        Strongly Agree

[5] Generate fluency of the scientific enterprise and awareness of possible career paths available to the undergraduate physics major

Strongly Disagree            Disagree            Neutral                        Agree                        Strongly Agree

OPTIONAL COMMENTS

Use the space below (and on the back side of this page) for written comments you may have concerning the Undergraduate Physics Program. Your comments should not be an evaluation of particular courses or instructors, rather, an assessment of the program as embodied in the above statements of Learning Outcomes of the Undergraduate Physics Program.

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.

The survey in Question #6 was e-mailed to the 7 students who earned their BA or BS Physics degree during AY2011-12 (Summer 2011, Fall 2011, or Spring 2012).  Responses were gathered and compiled anonymously by a department secretary.  

8) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.

Unfortunately, as of Oct. 9, 2012, only 1 out of 7 BA or BS Physics AY2011-12 graduates returned his/her survey via e-mail.  

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.

Due to the very small response of only 1 survey (from an already small group of 7 BA/BS-earning graduates), no statistically valid conclusions can be drawn about the AY2011-12 undergraduate Physics program at this time.  If any more survey replies are received, they will be combined with the AY2010-11 surveys (which asked identical questions) to provide a statistically valid sample.  

12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.

Every year's survey results are forwarded to the Physics Department Chair and Physics Dept. Undergraduate Program Advisory Committee for their consideration.  In this case, due to the very small number of replies, numerical survey results will be combined with last year's surveys (which asked identical questions), and the combined results will be reported to the Chair and Undergraduate Program Cmte.  

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.

Given the positive results of the AY2010-11 BA/BS survey, no changes were made to the undergraduate program after the survey results were reviewed.  

14) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please explain.
Or, if the program did engage in assessment activities, please add any other important information here.

No additional comments.