Download ANTH 2010 - Motlow State Community College

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Motlow State Community College
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Use of Assessment Results
Fall Semester 2015
PROGRAM TITLE: University Parallel
COURSE: ANTH 2010 Introduction to Anthropology
This course examines man’s place in nature through the investigation of physical and cultural
aspects of anthropology. Study is made of human origins, the fossil record from archaeological
excavations, and the biological aspects of race, variations, and heredity.
Expected Student learning Outcomes:
1. Students will comprehend the breadth of the study of anthropology, understanding its
interest in global diversity and cross-cultural comparison.
2. Students will be able to present a clear explanation of the anthropological perspective
(cultural relativism, comparative, and holism) and how it can be applied to everyday life.
3. Students will be able to give a clear definition of the anthropological concepts of
culture.
4. Students will be able to understand the four-fold approach of American anthropology
(archaeology, socio-cultural, biological, and linguistics) and the historical circumstances
that led to this approach.
5. Students will understand the anthropological concepts of biological and cultural
evolution and some of the more important scientific models of these concepts.
6. Students will recognize the key methodological concerns of each of the four subdisciplines of American anthropology, particularly participant observation.
Performance Measure:
Pre-Test/Post-Test
Effectiveness Standard:
At least 70% of the students will answer the post-test questions
that pertain to the student learning outcomes correctly.
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Assessment Results:
Question
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Pre-Test
#
Correct
Pre-Test
%
Correct
23
44
15
31
45
43%
81%
28%
57%
83%
PostTest
#
Correct
PostTest
%
Correct
24
33
31
30
35
%
Difference
67%
92%
86%
83%
97%
24%
10%
58%
26%
14%
A total of 36 students took both the pre and post-tests.
Use of Assessment Results:
From Fall 2015 Assessment of ANTH 2010
After discussing the results with faculty, it was discovered that the questions were not revised
or expanded upon since the last assessment. This was due to miscommunication and will be
corrected. The new action plan is provided below. It requires that the questions are revised so
that there are 2 questions per SLO. In addition, question #1 (the only item that did not meet
the benchmark) is covered at the beginning of the semester. Because of the amount of time
that elapses between pre and post-test, students may not be retaining this knowledge. It has
been suggested that a refresher session covering all SLOs be held prior to the administering of
the post-test. Also, incentives were not given to encourage assessment participation. Faculty
do plan on offering extra credit for participation during the next cycle. In closing, faculty
complained that the pre and post-test consume too much class time and prefer that the
assessments take place outside of class time.
Action Plan
Question Expansion and
Refresher Session
Person(s) Responsible
Daniel Seymour, Laura Bartel,
and Bryan Thomas
Deadline
May 1, 2016
COMPLETED: 2/11/2016
From Fall 2013 Assessment of ANTH 2010
In Fall 2013, Introduction to Anthropology (ANTH 2010) was assessed using an online PreTest/Post-Test format. Five of the six Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) were assessed by one
multiple choice question: SLO 2 (question 1), SLO 3 (question 2), SLO 4 (question 3), SLO 5
(question 4), and SLO 6 (question 5). SLO 1 was not assessed due to the fact that it is very
general. In other words, SLOs 2—6 cover the specifics of what is stated in SLO 1. Incremental
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gains between pre-test and post-test were observed for all SLOs except SLO #4. All SLOs were
achieved at the Effectiveness Standard of 70%. The Anthropology faculty discussed some
concerns pertaining to the assessment. These include difficulty getting all section instructors
and students to complete both the pre-test and the post-test, and the time interval between
pre-test and post-test (i.e., pre-test at the beginning of the semester and post-test at the end of
the semester). The Anthropology faculty and Department Chair of Social Sciences concluded
that it is easier to get on-ground students to participate in the assessments that it is to get WEB
students to participate in the assessments. A computer lab classroom can be reserved during
class time for on-ground student assessment. Regarding the poor results for SLO #4, the low
number of questions could enhance the impact guessing has on overall results. Teaching
methodologies and course content were not considered to be a contributory factor. As a result,
the Anthropology faculty and the Department Chair of Social Sciences recommend two actions:
1) Offer incentives to students (on-ground and WEB) in order to increase participation in the
post-test; 2) Adding 2 questions per SLO (including SLO 1 which was not assessed this time) for
a total of 12 questions in order to eliminate the impact guessing could have on the results. This
will be done in advance of the next scheduled general education assessment of Introduction to
Anthropology (ANTH 2010).
The General Education Assessment pre/post-test questions were updated during the Summer
of 2013. The questions will be revised again before the next assessment.
Assessment Instrument: Pre/Post-test for ANTH 2010