Download Application - Houston Community College

APPLICATION FOR CORE CURRICULUM STATUS
Please complete the following application, providing attachments as requested.
1.
Program
Psychology
2.
Course
PSYC 2317 – Statistical Methods in Psychology
3.
Petition Type
X
4.
New Course
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Re-submitted THECB Rejected Course (New statement of Justification Attached)
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CAO Course moved to Component Area
Component Area
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5.
Communication
American History
Governmental/Political Science
Social/Behavioral Science
Core Objectives
Required
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X
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Creative Arts
Mathematics
Life and Physical Sciences
Language, Philosophy, and Culture
Optional
Critical Thinking
X
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Communication Skills
X
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Empirical & Quantitative
X
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Teamwork
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Social Responsibility
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Personal Responsibility
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6.
Attach the course syllabus. (See Attached.)
7.
Statement of Justification (See Attached.)
8.
Attach the Assessment Plan. (See Attached.)
Submitted by
_________________________________________________
Program Coordinator
Date
SYLLABUS TEMPLATE
STATEMENT OF JUSTIFICATION
PSYC 2317 – Statistical Methods in Psychology
ACGM approval number: 42.0101.52 25
Course Description: Study of statistical methods used in psychological research, assessment, and testing. Includes the study of
measures of central tendency and variability, statistical inference, correlation and regression as these apply to psychology.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Define and identify basic concepts in inferential and descriptive statistics.
2. Explain and apply the concepts and procedures of descriptive statistics.
3. Describe and utilize principles of probability and hypothesis testing.
4. Apply and interpret common inferential statistical tests and correlational methods.
This course belongs in the Mathematics Foundational Component Area (FCA) because it focuses on quantitative literacy in logic,
patterns, and relationships. Like other courses in the Mathematics FCA, it develops students’ critical thinking, communication,
and empirical and quantitative reasoning skills.
Specifically, it requires students to:
 Apply arithmetic, algebraic, higher-order thinking and statistical methods to modeling and solving real-world problems.
 Represent and evaluate basic statistical information verbally, numerically, graphically, and symbolically.
 Expand statistical/mathematical reasoning skills and formal logic to develop convincing statistical/mathematical
arguments.
 Use appropriate technology to enhance statistical thinking and understanding, to solve statistical problems and provide
critical evaluation of the results.
 Interpret statistical/mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, and tables, and draw inferences from them.
 Recognize the limitations of mathematical and statistical models.
ASSESSMENT PLAN
Required Core Objectives:
I.
Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical & Quantitative Skills
Methodology for Assessment:
A. How will the core objective be covered in the course?
Each topic covered in the course (e.g., hypothesis testing) requires students to describe and explain factual and
conceptual information (communication), manipulate and analyze numerical data (critical thinking, empirical and
quantitative reasoning), interpret and explain graphic representations (critical thinking, communication, and
quantitative reasoning), and draw informed conclusions (all three competencies, again).
The signature pedagogy for statistics involves lecture, demonstration, and recitation. In class, students engage in
participatory lectures, recitations, and formative and summative assessments. Outside of class, students deliberately
practice solving problems, prepare for class, and assemble their course projects.
B. Provide the specific assessment methodology.
Summative assessments take the form of objective tests and a course project. There are four exams and a noncumulative final exam. Response formats on exams include multiple choice and short answer (with and without
calculations). The course project, which is completed in four segments over the semester, results in the production of
a written report with graphic elements.
Collectively, the program committee decides how to focus their resources to assess student performance on one or
more topic areas each year, systematically covering each topic area over the course of a four-year cycle. As each topic
is covered, all three core competencies are evaluated.
2016-17: Introduction and Frequency Distributions
Central Tendency, Variability, Z-scores
Exam 1, Course Project Part 1
Exam 2, Course Project Part 2
2017-18: Probability, Sampling, Hypothesis Testing
Exam 3, Course Project Part 3
2018-19: t Statistic, Two-sample, Related samples Tests
Exam 4, Course Project Part 4
2019-20: Estimation, ANOVA, Correlation, Regression
Final Exam
At the end of the four-year cycle, the Program Coordinator, with assistance from program faculty and a Core
Curriculum Council subcommittee, draws inferences about core competencies across all topic areas covered in the
course.
C.
How will the assessment count within the course?
Exams (15% each), the final (20%), and the course project (15%) are all graded assignments.
D. Explain how your plan includes a representative sample of HCC faculty and students.
All full-time faculty who teach the course in the spring semester and a representative sample of adjunct faculty
participate in each year’s assessment. Each year, data are collected from all settings (e.g., campuses, day/evening
sections), populations (dual enrollment), and instructional formats (distance, hybrid, face-to-face) in which the course
is offered.
II.
Rubric: How will the appropriate rubric(s) be incorporated in the course?
Rubrics are specific to short answer and essay responses and reflect the content of instruction. Rubrics applied at the
end of the four-year cycle represent general education core competencies that cut across disciplinary boundaries (e.g.,
Adapted LEAP VALUE Rubrics for Critical Thinking, Communication, and Empirical/Quantitative Reasoning); these are
not incorporated into the course.
III. Benchmark/Target: What will be the benchmark the program will use to determine success?
In a given year, for any selected topic area, 80% of students are expected to obtain mastery (80% correct) on all
designated items. Designated items may comprise entire exams; systematic error analyses are expected to reveal
patterns of relative strengths and weaknesses among students (and potentially in the assessments themselves).
IV. Results: Describe the process of evaluating the results.
Faculty submit data to the Program Coordinator, who aggregates the data, analyzes it, and interprets the results.
V.
Analysis:
A. How will the results will be documented and archived?
The Program Coordinator prepares a brief report to share with program faculty and submits it to the Manager of
Instructional Assessment for archiving in the college’s assessment management platform.
B. Describe how the results will be used to improve student learning.
The Program Coordinator presents findings at one of two program committee meetings each year. Faculty discuss
relative strengths and weaknesses and propose changes in course design, instructional strategies, and assessment
tools and methodologies. When targets are not met, the program coordinator and the program committee make
plans to intervene and reassess student learning within the four-year cycle (if possible).