Appendix C2

Middle States Outcomes Assessment 1999

Department or Program: Biology

Goals

1. Comprehend and appreciate the values that characterize the scientific enterprise including commitment to understanding the natural world, intellectual integrity, curiosity, skepticism, tolerance for ambiguity and openness to new ideas.

2. Apply appropriate scientific methods of data collection and management.

3. Appreciate the uniqueness of scientific knowledge by understanding the nature of scientific laws, theories, and models; the process for their formation ; and their explanatory and predictive powers.

4. Apply scientific laws, theories and models to diverse situations by developing hypothesis, designing experiments, applying techniques, constructing models, evaluating contending theories;. inducing relationships between the concrete and abstract, between phenomena and theory.

5. Use scientific vocabulary as well as mathematical symbols and formulas to represent

phenomena, events ad causality.

6. Judge the scientific merit of articles and lectures.

7. Apply mathematical and statistical principles to design experiments, to interpret data, and to establish the limits of reliability.

8. Develop an awareness of the transdisciplinary concepts and their common features including causality and consequences, scale and proportion, dynamic equilibrium, and change and evolution.

9. Value the historical and contemporary contexts of science.

10. Communicate scientific observations, analyses, and arguments through oral and written presentations and group interactions.

G.C.P. Correlation

Writing - goal 10; Reading - goal 6; Reflexive Thinking - goal 1;

Quantitative Problem Solving -goals 4, 7, 6, 3, 2; Scientific Reasoning - goals 4, 7, 6, 3, 2; Socioethical Understanding - goals 1, 9.

Means of Assessment

1. Laboratory coursework - goal #2.

2. Senior seminar presentation - goal #1, goal #6 (80% will critically analyze an article), goal 8 and goal 9 – (90% will develop and deliver an effective presentation of a research article).

3. For RGT majors, term project/poster presentation.

4. Biology Program Assessment Exam {Criteria: % of seniors scoring above 50% on goal specific questions for goals # 2, #3, #4, #5 (75% of seniors should score >= 50% on total exam), and #7}.

5. Senior survey - goal #3, goal #7 and goal #8.

6. Undergraduate research - goal #4 and goal #9 (students submit abstracts and make

presentations at regional and national professional meetings).

Outcomes

1. Senior seminar- over 90% of students completing course can "contribute to the discussion of research articles ..by posing and responding to questions." Over 90% can "read and analyze an article ... from the primary literature." Most students improve oral presentation the second time.

2. For the assessment exam, for goal #2, and #3, > 50% of 1998 seniors responded correctly to relevant exam questions; There were mixed results for the other goals. For the overall exam, goal #5, 81% of students scored above 50% on Biology Program Assessment Exam in 1998.

3. In surveys: for goal #2, 90% of seniors indicated that they collected data; 88% indicated that they had analyzed data; of these, 51% indicated that that they had used a computer for data collection and 63% used a computer for analysis. For goal #3 mixed results were found for discipline specific familiarity of terms. for goal # 7, 51 to 58% of the seniors(1992-1996) indicated that they are "very familiar" with statistical analysis, 15-19% indicated that they were "quite familiar". For goal #8, most of the students indicated that they professed at least an average level of familiarity on most important contemporary issues.

4. In undergraduate research, 15-20 undergraduates present research results at regional/national meetings each year (goal #9) and 25% of the graduates become involved in the undergraduate research program (goal #4).

Uses

1. Curricular modifications: Continual introduction of more lab exercises involving data analysis and increased emphasis on research methodology in introductory and core courses to enhance goals #2 and #4. Increased emphasis on evolutionary biology in Animal Biology and reintroduction of upper division elective, Evolution to address weaknesses found in goal #3., and also on undergraduate research. Incorporate the use of primary literature in upper division elective courses to enhance goals #1 and #6. Continual curricular revision to increase the emphasis on quantitative analyses to enhance goal #7. Modify senior seminar to place greater emphasis on historical and contemporary context for goal #8 and reintroduce Freshman/Senior writing essays. Incorporate mini-presentations into lab and lectures to enhance scientific communication skills of goal #9.