Fall 2002/Spring 2003 Semester
Division Assessment Progress Report
Division: Health and Exercise Science
Report submitted by: Karen Fehr
- What specific courses/programs/cohorts/services have you identified for assessment purposes:
PED 115 Lifetime Fitness (Letter Grade) – Lead Faculty: Karen Fehr
EMT 104 Emergency Medical Technology – Lead Faculty: Dan Donahue
Our department has only three identified courses that are listed under general education requirements. (HES 100 Healthful Living, REC 120 Lesisure & Quality of Life and DAH 100 Introduction to Dance. The DAH 100 course moves to the new Fine Arts Division next academic year).
- What specific progress have you made towards defining Division/department/other cohort learning outcomes?
The specific progress we have made in PED 115 and PED 114 is that in 1999-2000, the goal statements for our Dept. 3 year plan included the following students learning outcomes:
1.1Student Outcome: The student will learn behavior strategies to be successful at making desired lifestyle changes (indicated by their goal statements) and will be successful at exercising 22 hours or more for a full semester at the PVCC Fitness Center.
1.2Student Outcome: The student will have the opportunity to learn how to improvetheir health and fitness through various educational offerings.
1.3Student Outcome: The students will learn what reliable resources are available on topics of wellness and fitness on the Web.
1.4Student Outcome: The student will have access to a variety of state of the art equipment to meet their needs.
1.5Student Outcome: The student will have access to a user-friendly environment to promote self-esteem, build relationships and ensure their success.
Identified Goals and Outcomes for EMT 104 Emergency Medical Technology
1.1. To introduce/review fundamental mathematical operations frequently encountered by the EMT-Bin the EMS setting.
1.2 To implement fundamental skills within three broad categories of use
1.3 To positively position the student to continue forward in an EMS educational field that will challenge his/her grasp of fundamental mathematics.
- Which of those defined learning outcomes align with the PVCC General Education Learning Outcome Statements?
These areas assessed in the PED 115 class are not addressed in the General Education Learning Outcome Statements
The EMT learning assessment is linked to the Critical Thinking – Problem Solving outcome statements.
- If groups or individuals in your division have actually done some assessments with our PVCC Assessment initiative in mind, what have you learned, and what changes have you made, or will you make, if any?
PED 115 Lifetime Fitness: An assessment tool (Fitness Continuum) has been used for the last two years to assess more specific data related to the broader student outcome statements. I limited the assessment to PED 115 Lifetime Fitness Letter Grade students. After the first year the continuum was used, all of the fitness center instructors gave feedback as to what changes they suggested should be made with this assessment tool. The changes were made and the fitness continuum was again used. It was then determined that it was essential that the Fitness Continuum be filled out at three separate times during the semester. Initially to assess the knowledge of the students prior to starting the course (during their orientation). Next the students were asked to fill it out again at the mid-point. We felt this was necessary in order for the instructors to be able to assess where learning was not occurring, and work on improving their strategies to help students in this area. Finally, the students were asked to fill out the fitness continuum at the end of the semester. The reports were then tallied to obtain aggregate data on PED 115 letter grade students to look at their overall learning. This data was used to help us decide where to focus more time and possibly use new methodologies during the future semesters. For example, based on our findings from last semester, it was clear that students have developed a commitment to vigorous exercise, strengthening exercises, proper technique, warm-up and cool-down. It was also apparent that the students experienced a more positive self-perception as evidenced by their rating of their physical conditioning level, body weight satisfaction and confidence. It was evident that the knowledge base of the students increased. This conclusion was supported by their skill in setting realistic goals and knowledge of physical activity. It was determined that there were two areas in which insignificant learning occurred (use of pulse rate and knowledge of blood pressure). This was discussed by the instructors at our pre-semester meeting and it was determined that we would need to verify understanding of these two areas during the orientation process. These two areas were also more clearly defined in a new orientation video script that was re-written during the Spring 2003 semester.
- In several narrative paragraphs, tell what other things the Division has done as part of its developing Assessment plan. Include any initiatives that may be different from or go beyond the SAAC timeline. Include specific plans developed for the next semester.
Other courses in the Health and Exercise Dept. that are going to be using a new assessment process are:
1)All PED activity courses. An assessment tool for a general assessment of learning for all of the PED activity classes will be implemented. Glendale Community College has developed a pre-post assessment tool for their academic activity classes. The chair has agreed to let us use the same assessment tool. This will be “tested” during the Fall 2003 classes.
2)PED 200 (Introduction to Exercise Science and Physical Education) has a project assignment in which the students have to do a presentation. The students will be partially graded on their presentation using the Learning Assessment Core Outcome “Communication: Speaking” criteria developed by the PVCC assessment team. (Instructors: Dr. Bridgette Wilde, Karen Fehr)
**At our last Dept. meeting in March, there were no other faculty that indicated that they had started anything specific for assessment.
**NOTE: Our occupational programs have some very valid assessment processes currently in place. Our EMT, Dietary Technician., and Nursing are regulated/evaluated by state and national organizations, there already using many assessment processes required by the agencies that oversee the accreditation of these programs.
- What suggestions does your Division have for improving our college-wide assessment efforts?