Unit: Languages & Literatures of Europe and the Americas
Program: Spanish (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Mon Oct 12, 2009 - 8:50:56 pm

1) List your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs).

SLO 1a. Analyze, evaluate and critique the literature of Spain and Latin America (will be assessed via 300 and 400 level literature research papers)

SLO 1b. Write research papers using appropriate MLA citation guidelines. (will be assessed via 300 and 400 level literature research papers)

SLO 2a. Analyze, evaluate and critique cultural issues of Spain and Latin America. (will be assessed via 351 and 352 exams and research papers)

SLO 2b. Describe and explain Latin American and Iberian roles within sociohistorical movements (e.g., conquest, modernity, nation building). (via 351/352 exams and research papers)

SLO 2c. Evaluate Hispanic culture’s relevance to notions of indigenism, multiculturalism and immigration. (via 351/352 final exams)

SLO 3. Use writing and research in Spanish to meet your goals. (via exit survey; via final writing project in 400 level course)

SLO 4. Use oral skills in Spanish to meet your goals. (via exit survey; via final oral presentations in 304 or 403)

SLO 5. Distinguish between major dialect features of the Spanish of Spain and Latin America (via research project in 451 or 452)

SLO 6. Read and comprehend texts in Spanish from a variety of genres and contexts(via exams and research projects)

2) Where are your program's SLOs published?

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) Upload your program's current curriculum map(s) as a PDF.

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2009:

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

We are just beginning to assess our SLOs.

6) State the Assessment Question(s) and/or Goal(s) of Assessment Activity

Q1: The program wants to know if students are well prepared to continue on to graduate school.

Q2: To what degree, do students graduating from the Spanish BA program think they can perform the SLOs? (This will be examined in the indirect assessment—survey—involving the SLOs which being conducted via electronic exit surveys through the College of LLL.)

We do have data from a Spanish 202 student exit survey (2008) in which:

  • 20.5% claim to be interested in completing a degree in Spanish.
  • 89.9% claim they can understand spoken Spanish
  • 91.7% believe they can understand written Spanish
  • 77.7% state that they can make presentations in Spanish
  • 94.4% believe they are familiar with cultures where Spanish is spoken 

Q3: What are the strengths of the program and how can we help the students to better achieve the SLOs? (Also via the indirect assessment involving all SLOs is being conducted via electronic exit surveys through the College of LLL.)

Q4: At what level, do senior students majoring in the Spanish BA program speak Spanish? (Currently there is no one on faculty trained to complete the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Exams. A grant was submitted to the UHM administration to help three faculty members complete this very expensive training, but it was not funded. We do have available a Simulated Oral Proficiency Exam (SOPI) but two of the faculty who were training to administer it have left the university for more lucrative high school teaching positions.)

7) State the Type(s) of Evidence Gathered

Evidence 1:  (No survey report is yet available because less than 5 students have responded to the survey--Collected as part of the College of LLL Online Student Exit Survey)

8) State How the Evidence was Interpreted, Evaluated, or Analyzed

9) State How Many Pieces of Evidence Were Collected

Exit survey data (Spring 2009):  Of the various students who graduated with the Spanish BA in May, 2009, only 3 completed the survey.  Students completing Spanish 202 completed a separate survey at the end of the semester.

10) Summarize the Actual Results

11) Briefly Describe the Distribution and Discussion of Results

12) Describe Conclusions and Discoveries

13) Use of Results/Program Modifications: State How the Program Used the Results --or-- Explain Planned Use of Results

One specific issue:  It’s one of the institutional goals to promote undergraduate research. Our Visiting Professor formed our first undergraduate research symposium in Spring 2009 which we hope to continue this year. Undergraduate students from both Spanish and Latin American & Iberian Studies classes participated.

14) Reflect on the Assessment Process

15) Other Important Information

16) FOR DISTANCE PROGRAMS ONLY: Explain how your program/department has adapted its assessment of student learning in the on-campus program to assess student learning in the distance education program.

17) FOR DISTANCE PROGRAMS ONLY: Summarize the actual student learning assessment results that compare the achievement of students in the on-campus program to students in the distance education program.