Unit: Life Sciences
Program: Botany (PhD)
Degree: Doctorate
Date: Wed Oct 10, 2012 - 5:21:56 pm

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

  1. Demonstrated mastery of subject area including methodology and techniques

  2. Demonstrated proficiency in oral and written communication

  3. Demonstrated ability to plan, conduct and analyze independent/original research

  4. Develop abilities to contribute as responsible and productive professionals in botanical sciences and related fields.

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

Department Website URL: http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/graduateprogram.htm
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) Select one option:

No map submitted.

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.

We have developed a new questionnaire that is implemented in all of our undergraduate and graduate classes. At the start of each semeter, and at the end of the semester, students are asked to rate their level of proficiency for each of the course SLOs. For example, the statements read "I am in proficient in X, or I know how to Y" and the ratings are based on the scale:  strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree.

We have implemented this new questionnaire at the same time as we are initiating our new curriculum. With it, we hope to have one measure (as perceived by our students) of how well our courses are meeting our SLOs.

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.

Right now the only tool we have developed is our survey and it is based on student perceptions of their own abilities before taking each class and after.

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

None, we have just started it Fall 2012.

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.

NA

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

We plan to use these results to evaluate how well our new curriculum is helping us to meet our program SLOs.

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.

NA

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.

We have a newly formed assessment committee that is working on developing more tools for assessment this coming year.