The University of Hawai’i at Mānoa’s (UHM) General Education Office (GEO) and General Education Committee (GEC) are committed to the assessment of student achievement of the General Education (Gen Ed) learning outcomes. The second assessment project in the Gen Ed seven-year assessment plan is of the Focus Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Issues area. The HAP assessment project is overseen by the GEC’s Assessment Working Group and HAP Faculty Learning Community.
2020 – 2022: Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Issues (HAP) Assessment Project
Summary
HAP Assessment Project Timeline
HAP Faculty Learning Community
The HAP Faculty Learning Community (FG FLC) was formed of several faculty members from a variety of disciplines who have experience teaching HAP designated courses. During HAP FLC meetings, faculty members were encouraged to share their disciplinary expertise and instructional experience to guide the development of an assessment of HAP. It was hoped that a majority of the HAP Faculty Learning Community members would learn how their courses could be part of the HAP assessment project and would agree to participate via a sample of students’ work. The HAP FLC provoked discussion across disciplinary lines about how the different assignments, uses of Indigenous voices, and other relevant activities in HAP classes were contributing to increasing respect for Indigenous cultures.
The HAP Systemwide Committee and UHM HAP Board agreed that an assessment of HAP Student Learning Objective #4 would provide helpful and beneficial information on student learning.
HLO4: Demonstrate respect and empathy as defined by the Indigenous peoples of Hawai‘i and the Pacific and/or Asia in interpersonal and intergroup relationships.
In Fall 2020, the GEC’s Assessment Working Group facilitated discussions with the HAP Faculty Learning Community.
- Christine Beaule, Director, General Education Office, and Associate Professor, Latin American and Iberian Studies
- Keahiahi Long, Librarian, Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, and Chair, Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Issues Board
- Kalikoaloha Martin, Instructor, Kawaihuelani Center of Hawaiian Language, and Member, General Education Committee
- Kalawaiʻa Moore, Associate Professor and Director, Hawaiian Studies at Windward Community College, and Chair, Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Issues Systemwide Committee
- Chiara Logli, Institutional Assessment Specialist at Honolulu Community College
- Monica Stitt-Bergh, Specialist, Assessment and Curriculum Support Center
- Christine Beaule, Director, General Education Office, and Associate Professor, Latin American and Iberian Studies
- Cari Gochenouer, Assessment Coordinator, General Education Office
- Kalikoaloha Martin, Instructor, Kawaihuelani Center of Hawaiian Language, and Member, General Education Committee
Faculty professional development is offered to prepare faculty for assessment.
Instructors teach courses. Artifacts are collected for the GEO.
Artifacts are assessed. Assessment Coordinator aggregates findings and prepares report for GEC>
Results are discussed with the HAP Board. The GEC makes recommendations to improve the curriculum through faculty governance. An action plan is created. Instructors incorporate changes to support the GEO.
Ongoing teaching and faculty professional development is offered.
2010 – 2016: Hawaiian Place of Learning: College Students’ Perceptions Over Time
Monica Stitt-Bergh and Jenna Caparosa, Assessment and Curriculum Support Center, conducted the “Hawaiian Place of Learning’: College Students’ Perceptions Over Time” from 2010-2016. The student cohort was composed of 251 first-year students who entered UHM in fall 2010. The following is a Summary of Findings.
Key findings relating to HAP:
- Largest percentage of students reported learning “a lot” and “a moderate amount” during the first three semesters
- Learning occurred in and out of the officially designated HAP course
- Students learned about Native Hawaiian Culture/issues in: Language courses, Hawaiian Studies…
- HAP Courses are also found in Ethnic Studies, English, CPIS, Education etc.
- The more students enrolled in a HAP course, the more who perceived learning. However, even when enrollment in the HAP course declined, students were still reporting learning. This suggests that courses across the curriculum were including Native Hawaiian culture/issues in their course content.