Download BA Summary 09/10 - 11/12

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS
Outcomes Assessment Implementation Summary
School of Management
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Economics
I. Assessment Information Collected
2009-2010
1. Communication
2010-2011
1. Communication
2011-2012
1. Communication
(1a) Communication Written:
Writing samples are collected from
BA 462 (Corporate Strategy) and all
“W” designated courses.
(1a) Communication Written:
Writing samples are collected from
all “W” designated courses in BBA.
(1a) Communication Written:
Writing samples are collected from all
“W” designated courses in BBA.
(1b) Communication Oral: Oral
presentations are recorded in BA 462
(Corporate Strategy) and all other “O”
designated courses.
(1b) Communication Oral: Oral
presentations are recorded in BA
462 (Corporate Strategy) and all
“O” designated courses.
(1b) Communication Oral: Oral
presentations are recorded in all “O”
designated courses in BBA.
2. Technical Knowledge
2. Technical Knowledge
2. Technical Knowledge
2a) Macroeconomics: Data was
collected from Econ 324 (Intermediate
Microeconomics) and Econ 350
(Money and Banking).
2a). Technical Knowledge
Macroeconomics: Data was
collected from Econ 324
(Intermediate Microeconomics) and
Econ 350 (Money and Banking).
2a). Technical Knowledge
Macroeconomics: Data was collected
from Econ 324 (Intermediate
Microeconomics) and Econ 350
(Money and Banking).
(2b). Technical Knowledge
Microeconomics: Data was
collected from Econ 321
(Intermediate Microeconomics) and
351 (Public Finance).
(2b). Technical Knowledge
Microeconomics: Data was collected
from Econ 321 (Intermediate
Microeconomics) and 351 (Public
Finance).
(2c) Technical Knowledge: U.S.
Economy. Data was collected from
Econ 202 (Macroeconomics).
(2c) Technical Knowledge: U.S.
Economy. Data was collected from
Econ 202 (Macroeconomics).
(2b) Microeconomics: Data was
collected from Econ 321 (Intermediate
Microeconomics) and 351 (Public
Finance).
Note: Data is collected every
semester, assessment every other year
by faculty committee. This year there
are no assessments.
Note: Data is collected every
semester, assessment every other
year by faculty committee. This
year Communication and
Technical Knowledge were
assessed.
Note: Data is collected every semester,
assessment every other year by faculty
committee. This year there are no
assessments.
II. Conclusions drawn from collected information, how are faculty collectively involved in
drawing conclusions 2009-2010
Faculty met in Spring 2010 for a daylong Assurance of Learning retreat
that focused on Assessment. It was
determined that students were not
communicating at minimal acceptable
levels (although better orally than
written), that critical and ethical
thinking also fell just short of
minimal standards, that technical
knowledge, on a whole, greatly
exceeded minimal standards but that
some specific marketing skills still
needed to be addressed.
2010-2011
All data collected. Only
Communication and Technical
Knowledge were assessed.
2011-2012
All data collected. Nothing scheduled
specifically for assessment.
2. Technical Knowledge
Faculty met in Spring 2011 for a
day-long Assurance of Learning
retreat that focused on Assessment.
Category
1. Communication
(1a) Communication Written: The
minimum standard was met by an
average of 70% of the students
(student averages shown below).
The weakest link rubric item
(although still in the acceptable
range) was “critical thinking”.
1= Inadequate, 2= Satisfactory,
3= Excellent
Categories
Appropriate Content
Critical Thinking Evident
Appropriate for Intended
Audience
Coherence
Clarity
Conciseness
(2c) Technical Knowledge: U.S.
Economy.
Score
2.2
2.0
2.3
2.3
2.1
2.2
(1b) Communication Oral: 78% of
students met minimum standard.
The only rubric item where the
student average was less than
acceptable was “sense of audience”.
Rubric & Standard
1= Inadequate , 2= Needs Improvement,
3= Satisfactory, 4= Excellent
Sense of Audience
Organization and/or
Development
2.9
Detail to Support Ideas
3.4
Understanding of topic
Mannerism of
Presentation
Clarity of Speech
3.5
3.1
3.4
Enthusiasm for Topic
3.2
Dress for Presentation*
Creative Efforts/Use of
Technology*
2.6
3.5
3.1
Intro Economics
Foundation Macro
LR Growth and SR
Fluctuations
Stabilization Policy
%
87
85
86
86
Scores were similar to the year before.
When the individual questions were
analyzed there was a problem with (1)
students being able to use “ValueAdded” to calculate GDP which reflects
little time given to this topic and (2)
some concern (not too much) with
monetary policy – students had a better
grasp of fiscal policy.
2009-2010 cont.
2010-2011 cont.
2. Technical Knowledge
2011-2012 cont.
(2a). Macroeconomics: Econ BA
students performed well (in top
30% of class) on this macro
problem. However, faculty wanted
to wait for further data before
drawing any conclusions.
(2b). Microeconomics: Econ BA
students performed well (in top
25% of class) on this micro
problem. However, faculty wanted
to wait for further data before
drawing any conclusions.
(2c) Technical Knowledge U.S.
Economy: This was a trial run of
22 imbedded questions in Econ 202
(Principles of Macroeconomics) to
see if the use of Blackboard in a
distance delivered course would be
useful for assessment. The trial
went well. The scores for the four
categories were:
Category
Intro Economics
Foundation Macro
LR Growth and SR
Fluctuations
Stabilization Policy
%
86
84
87
81
III. Curricular changes resulting from conclusions drawn above 2009-2010
1. Communication
(1a) Communication Written: Using
the Fatal Error Policy in all writing
intensive courses. Each writing
intensive class will have a member of
the Writing Lab visit the class at the
beginning of each term. Students in
writing intensive courses will be
strongly urged to visit the UAF
Writing Center.
(1b) Communication oral: Added an
additional one-half Oral intensive
course requirement to the BBA degree.
Each oral intensive class will have a
representative of the Speaking Center
address the class at the beginning of
each term. Students in oral intensive
courses will be strongly urged to visit
the UAF Speaking Center.
2010-2011
Closing the Loop was scheduled for
Communication and Technical
Knowledge although other
objectives may be discussed as
warranted.
1. Communication
1. Communication
(1a) Communication Written: As
the Fatal Error Policy and the
visitation by the Writing Lab are
still so new we will continue to
monitor these and assess faculty
adherence to these measures.
(1b) Communication Oral: We
will begin to track student’s use of
the Speaking Center. We will
research ways to increase the
student’s ability to “sense its
audience”.
(2a), (2b) Technical Knowledge
(Macro and Micro): No action
taken.
(2c) Technical Knowledge: U.S.
Economy. This was a trial run of
assessing technical knowledge on
the U.S. Economy and the format
was deemed a success.
2011-2012
Closing the Loop was scheduled for
Problem Solving and Ethical
Behavior although other objectives
may be discussed as warranted.
(1a) Communication Written:
Because of the hiring of AOL staff we
have tasked the staff to research
modules for critical thinking that can be
used in “W” classes. The results of this
research will be presented at the Fall
2012 retreat to be used in AY13 as a
trial.
(1b) Communication Oral: Because
of the hiring of AOL staff we have
tasked the staff to research modules for
sense of audience that can be used in
“W” classes. The result of this research
will be presented at the Fall 2012
retreat to be used in AY13 as a trial.
(2c) Technical Knowledge: U.S.
Economy: There will be a new
instructor(s) teaching both an inclass
and online version of Econ 202
(Macroeconomics). Because of
assessment results the current instructor
in the course will work with the new
instructor(s) to expand the instruction
on the three ways to calculate GDP.
While students did well in calculating
GDP by methods of (i) value of
production of final goods and services,
and (ii) aggregate spending on goods
and services they did poorly when it
came to the third method of summing
up value added. This is likely because
it is the least stressed concept but still
very important not only in this course
but across the economics curricula.
The newly designed course will have a
greater emphasis on value added
including lecture time and homework.
Also discussed will be that students
seem to have an easier time grasping
fiscal policy and less easy on monetary
policy and maybe a reallocation of time
on these two subjects is warranted
across curricula.