General Education Course Review -- Evaluation & Feedback: PHSC 1201
The purpose of the General Education Committee (GEC) is to provide guidance and direction to the VCAAR to improve the quality and relevance of the University's general education curriculum. The GEC considers proposals for modification of the general education curriculum and reviews each course in the general education program once every four years to determine its acceptability as a general education course.
The GEC will review assessment data on the general education program provided by the Assessment Office and make recommendations to the VCAAR.
Year: 2015-2016 General Education Goal: Using Science to Accomplish Common Goals
Title of Course: PHSC 1201, Physical Science Laboratory
_N__Syllabi reflect brief course description (40 words or fewer), as it appears in bulletin.
Nearly all syllabi were correctly submitted but none of those that were had the Bulletin description.
_~__ Syllabi list general education goal and related student learning outcome.
All eleven of the syllabi available for review showed the correct SLO but only three included the goal.
_Y__ Prerequisites are appropriate for level of course.
_?__Level of education of instructors for this course complies with ADHE and ASU Faculty Handbook.
ADHE - Master’s degree with at least 18 graduate hours in field for general education courses
ASU Faculty Handbook - section II.h. Credentials, p. 40
A review of teaching credentials is underway by the Provost’s office and the GEC and department will be advised of the results when complete.
Assessment of General Education Goal –Using Science to Accomplish Common Goals
_X_ Understand concepts of science as they apply to contemporary issues
_?_The above student learning outcome is being assessed across sections for continuous quality improvement of student learning.
The task used for assessment in PHSC 1201 is more creative than many of those seen by the GEC. Notably, it seeks to link science learning with contemporary issues. Without wishing to discourage such an imaginative approach, there are some aspects of the effort that deserve reflection:
- The contemporary issues end is more obvious than is the concepts of science end. How does completing the exercise provide evidence that students have mastered particular science concepts?
- Strikingly, the only performance data reported have to do with responses to the open-ended item, what should be done? The sample responses shown do not reflect an understanding of scienceissues. There is, moreover, the real possibility of a social desirability bias at work. In addition, so long as every student answered the “summary/conclusion” item, one will find 100% performance. Anything less than 100% does not indicate the presence of students who cannot use science concepts but rather the presence of slackers.
_Y_ Report of the assessment findings has been submitted.
_N_ Data are being used to improve student learning.
The report says nothing about how the faculty is using assessment data to reconsider teaching strategies with an aim to improving student learning.
decision of general education committee
_____Course is acceptable as a general education course linked to the General Education goal.
_____Course is not acceptable as a general education course linked to the General Education goal.
__X__Course is acceptable as a general education course linked to the General Education goal given the following modifications:
The department takes appropriate corrective actions to address the issues of concern shown above.
_____Unable to evaluate as a general education course linked to the General Education goal.
Action required
__X__None
_____Follow up Review
_____Meeting with Department Chair
GEC Chair ______Date______
Approved 10/30/2012; revised 18 Nov 14