Unit: Communications
Program: Journalism (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Fri Oct 11, 2013 - 10:06:38 am

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

Students can:
 

  • SLO #1: gather, analyze and organize information, and to communicate it clearly, effectively and responsibly using multiple media platforms;
  • SLO #2: demonstrate an understanding of the social, cultural and historical contexts of reporting on social institutions as well as on individuals and groups;
  • SLO #3: demonstrate an understanding of the importance of a free, vigorous and responsible press to the maintenance of an informed citizenry to exercise the rights of self-governance in a democracy;
  • SLO #4: contribute to lifelong learning through reports that enlighten and enliven audiences, whether in print, broadcast, online or other new media formats.

 
 

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

Department Website URL: http://www.communications.hawaii.edu/
Student Handbook. URL, if available online: http://www.communications.hawaii.edu/jour/index.html
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online: http://www.communications.hawaii.edu/jour/index.html
UHM Catalog. Page Number: See online: http://www.catalog.hawaii.edu/schoolscolleges/arts-sciences/departments/jour.htm
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online:
Other: Instructors choose to post their syllabi online via Laulima or the college's website.
Other:

3) Select one option:

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2013:

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, 2012 and September 30, 2013? (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, 2012 to September 30, 2013: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the SLOs that were targeted, if applicable.

Eighteen students in an advanced journalism class were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire based on programmatic SLOs. These students have completed the first year of the journalism curriculum and are beginning the second year. The questionnaire was distributed in September 2013. Students were asked to answer five questions as part of a broadly worded survey to get a sense of their perceptions of thier own learning outcomes.


  1. Through the UH Manoa Journalism Program, I am able to gather, analyze and organize information, and to communicate it clearly, effectively and responsibly using multiple media platforms (e.g., print, video and web).
  1. Through the UH Manoa Journalism Program, I am knowledgeable about public institutions (e.g., state government, law enforcement, the courts, etc.) and how to report about them.
  1. Through the UH Manoa Journalism Program, I understand the importance of a free, vigorous and responsible press in maintaining an informed citizenry.
  1. Through the UH Manoa Journalism Program, I am able to write like a journalist (e.g., using AP Style, writing in the inverted pyramid structure when appropriate, incorporating material from sources into news stories, etc.)
  1. Overall, I feel as though I have received (or am receiving) the training and preparation necessary for me to work as a professional journalist after I graduate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

All of our SLOs were targed in the questions above.

In addition, four media advisers--three from the community colleges and one from Manoa--were queried to get a sense of their perceptions of the student learning outcomes in light of revisions to the curriculum over the past year. They were asked to respond to the question:

In your professional opinion does the revised curriculum for the UH Manoa Journalism Program fulfill the programmatic 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.

With regard to the students, individual responses were collected, organized and analyzed. Students were assured of anonymity and that their grades and standing in the program would not be affected by their responses. Our hope was to get honest responses about whether students felt the SLOs were being met at the beginning of their second year.

Media advisers were familar with the curriculum revisions or were asked to do a review of those revisions and provide responses.

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

Eighteen (18) students respnded. Students from an advanced journalism class who had completed the first year were selected for the survey.

Four (4) media advisers--from Manoa, Honolulu Community College, Leeward Community College and Windward Community College--responded to our request for comments.

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.

1)   Through the UH Manoa Journalism Program, I am able to gather and organize information, and communicate it clearly, effectively and responsible using multiple media platforms (e.g., print, video and web).

16 students either “strongly agree” (n=3) or “agree” (n=13) with this statement. 1 student responded “not sure” and 1 responded, “disagree.”

2)  Through the UH Manoa Journalism Program, I am knowledgeable about public institutions (e.g., state government, law enforcement, the courts, etc) and how to report about them.

Six students “agree” (n=6); 4 students responded “not sure” and 8 responded, “disagree.”

3) Through the UH Manoa Journalism Program, I understand the importance of a free, vigorous and responsible press in maintaining an informed citizenry.

18 students either “strongly agree” (n=10) or “agree” (n=8).

4)  Through the UH Manoa Journalism Program, I am able to write like a journalist (e.gl, using AP Style, writing in the inverted pyramid structure when appropriate, incorporating material from sources into news stories, etc.)

11 students either “strongly agree” (n=3) or “agree” (n=8) with this statement. 4 students responded “not sure” and 3 responded, “disagree.”

5) Overall, I feel as though I have received (or am receiving) the training and preparation necessary for me to work as a professional journalist after I graduate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

10 students responded either “strongly agree” (n=3) or “agree” (n=7); 6 responded “not sure” and 2 said they “disagree.”

In response to the question, "In your professional opinion does the revised curriculum for the UH Manoa Journalism Program fulfill the programmatic SLOs?":

The Honolulu Communtiy College media adviser said, "The course offerings and SLOs are in alignment with the ones we have for the journalism classes here at Honolulu Community College. Our Journalism 150, Media & Society, is the same as yours and I've changed our 205 News Writing syllabus to closely match Manoa's Journalism 250, and have already had several students say it has helped their transition into the UH-Manoa Journalism Program."

The Windward Cokmmunity College media adviser said, "The range of courses offered looks pretty comprehensive to support the SLOs. Just wondering if use of social media should be mentioned somewhere in any of the courses."  She recommends review of the wording for SLO#3.

The Leeward Community College media adviser said he believed the new curriculum conformed to the SLOs. Adding, "The curriculum also addresses the heart of what journalism is in a democracy and the rights  of citizens."

Manoa's media adviser respnded that the courses he reviewed fulfill the programmatic SLOs, adding: "There is a wide variety of classes that cover many of the most important aspects of journalism."

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

Results will be shared with journalism faculty and other colleagues in the School of Communictions and taken into consideration as program curriculum undergoes further review and modifications. We maintain contact with media advisers at other campuses as a means of maintaining communication and better articulation of curriculum.

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.

For the Fall 2013, the Journalism Program inaugurated a nrevised currciulm affecting the first year courses. By offering a course such as JOUR 300 (Reporting) we hope to address the tenuous response of students about their knowledge of public institutions although this perception may be subject to the particular insterests of students in this cohort.  We continue to review different mechanisms to collect reliable qualitative responses to better conform our program to the needs of students and our belief that they should be well-rounded professionals by the end of their second year.

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.

Journalism is a small faculty in the process of rebuilding itself. We continue review the program curriculum with an eye toward maintaining the high quality of education and the feedback from students and media advisers are useful in this process. Other assessment techniques will be considered to gain greater insight and perspectives as the curriculum undergoes further review.