Department of Biological SciencesSchool of Science and Technology

B.S. in BiologyCIP code: 260101

Program Code: 310

1Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010

Student Learning Outcomes

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 2

1. Explain the basic structures and fundamental processes of life at the cellular, molecular, organismal, and ecosystem levels.

2. Effectively apply current technology and scientific methodologies to collect, organize, analyze and interpret quantitative and qualitative data.

3. Effectively communicate data and scientific principles in written and oral form.

Note: This program does not have student-learning outcomes that are mandated by an accrediting agency.

• The specific learning outcomes needed for students to accomplish our program objectives:

Bloom’s taxonomy

Alignment of Learning Outcomes with the Cameron University Mission

• All of the Biology learning outcomes are:– designed to provide a diverse and dynamic student body

access to quality educational opportunities.– student-centered and are met through a combination of

innovative classroom teaching and experiential learning.– designed to prepare students for professional success,

responsible citizenship, life-long learning, and meaningful contributions to a rapidly changing world.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 3

Alignment of Learning Outcomes with the Plan 2013

• All of the Biology learning outcomes are:– designed to provide a diverse and dynamic student body access to

quality educational opportunities.– student-centered and are met through a combination of innovative

classroom teaching and experiential learning.– designed to prepare students for professional success, responsible

citizenship, life-long learning, and meaningful contributions to a rapidly changing world.

• Together these learning outcomes support the University’s plan to be the University of Choice and the College Experience of Choice.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 4

Alignment of the Learning Outcomes with the School of Science and Technology Mission

• All of the Biology learning outcomes are designed:– to educate students in an intellectual atmosphere based on

excellence in academic work, high ethical standards, and exposure to latest technological advances.

– to deliver student support which gives our students the skills and confidence to excel as lifelong learners.

– to ensure success of graduates in a diverse and ever-changing environment.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 5

Alignment of the Learning Outcomes with the Department of Biological

Sciences Mission

• All of the Biology learning outcomes are designed to:– to provide high quality instruction to students at the

undergraduate level with emphasis on active learning, problem solving, and critical thinking.

– to improve knowledge in various fields of biology through research and scholarly activities.

– to achieve excellence in education.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 6

Measures of Learning Outcomes

1. Direct measures of student-learning:– Baseline assessment– Mid-level assessment– Major Field Assessment (MFT)– Capstone Presentation

2. Indirect measures of student-learning:– Student exit survey (to be developed)– Assessment of student employment or acceptance into

discipline related professional or graduate programs.3. Strategies that address shortfalls in student

learning prior to graduation:– Mid-level assessment– Biology seminar

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 7

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 8

Item Time Line Human Resources Needed

Fiscal Resources Needed

Develop a retention plan to deal with student attrition in BIOL 1364 and 1474

1 year Entire department Not determined

Obtain guidance in exam validation for baseline and mid-level assessment exams.

1 year Outside expertiseEntire Department

Not determined

Implement Mid-level Capstone (BIOL 2881) and Assessment Test

1 year Faculty Teaching BIOL 2881: Biology

Seminar

Not determined

Obtain peer and aspiration institution MFT data

1 year PQIR committee Money to obtain data—$150 per administration

Outcome 1 Action Plan (2009)(Based on Multiple Learning Objectives)

• Develop a retention plan to deal with student attrition in BIOL 1364 and 1474– We have determined that voluntary attendance to recitation

does not help students who are doing poorly in the class.– We have discussed the need to develop a formalized

remediation program or identify a mechanism to make recitation a mandatory component of BIOL 1364.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 9

Outcome 1 Action Plan (2009) Update

Outcome 1 Action Plan (2009) Update

• Obtain guidance in exam validation for baseline and mid-level assessment exams.– Several faculty members attended the multi-day seminar on

exam validation presented by the IAC.– The information obtained from this seminar was discussed in

faculty meetings.– We are examining the feasibility of using ACAT testing agency

for developing nationally normed midlevel assessment tools versus redeveloping our locally developed midlevel assessment tool.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 10

• Implement Mid-level Capstone (BIOL 2881) and Assessment Test– The Mid-level Capstone is being offered for the first time

during the Fall 2010 semester.– Students were given the Mid-level Assessment. This data is

being analyzed and will be reported during the 2011-2012 PQIR.

– Students are developing portfolios which include CVs, personal statements, letters of application, and course materials

– Students are leading discussions on scientific ethics– Students are identifying mentors and areas of research for

their senior capstone projects

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 11

Outcome 1 Action Plan (2009) Update

• Obtain peer and aspiration institution MFT data– We have continued discussions on the need to obtain this data

for use in justifying the selection of benchmarks for MFT performance.

– We have not yet prioritized a use of funds for obtaining this data.

– This component of our action plan will be carried forward into the new action plan.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 12

2009-2010 Outcome 1 Action Plan Update

• Obtain guidance in developing survey tools for exiting students, graduates, and employers/graduate & professional programs– We have not had the time to prioritize this component of our

action plan.– This component will be carried forward in the new action plan.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 13

Outcomes 2 & 3 Action Plan (2009) Update

Learning Outcomes to Be Addressed in 2010-2011 PQIR

1. Explain the basic structures and fundamental processes of life at the cellular, molecular, organismal, and ecosystem levels.

2. Effectively apply current technology and scientific methodologies to collect, organize, analyze and interpret quantitative and qualitative data.

3. Effectively communicate data and scientific principles in written and oral form.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 14

Learning Outcome 1: Explain the basic structures and fundamental processes of life at the cellular, molecular, organismal, and ecosystem levels.

PROGRAM OUTCOME

CURRICULUM AREA OR TARGET AUDIENCE

MEASUREMENTS OF STUDENT LEARNING OR SERVICE OUTCOME

Measurements

Methods used to determine validity of measurement instruments

Methods used to determine reliability of measurements

Schedule for measurements

Explain the basic structures and fundamental processes of life at the cellular, molecular and organismal levels.

Entry Level: BIOL 1364

Locally developed Baseline Assessment (Direct)

Not determined Not determined

Twice a year, Spring and Fall

Core Courses: BIOL 1364, BIOL 1474, BIOL 2124, BIOL 2144, BIOL 2154, BIOL 3014

Locally developed Mid-level Assessment (Direct)

Not determined Not determined

Annually, Fall

Upper Division Courses:

Major Field Test in Biology (Direct)

Nationally Normed ETS determined

Annually, Spring

1515Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010

Learning Outcome 1 Baseline Assessment

Fall 2007 through Spring 2010

16Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010

Baseline exam score distribution for Biology majors in Principles of Biology I in the Fall 2007 through Spring 2010 semesters (n=222). Note: No trend analysis available.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

< 25% 26-50% 51-75% 76-100%

Stu

den

ts r

ecei

vin

g t

his

exa

m s

core

(%

)

Fall 2007

Spring 2008

Fall 2008

Spring 2009

Fall 2009

Spring 2010

Learning Outcome 1Analysis of Baseline Assessment

1. The Baseline Assessment tool is designed to assess what our majors know when they enter the program.

2. The majority of incoming students receive a score in the 26-50% range, which has been a consistent trend since initiation of the baseline tool in Fall 2007.

3. The content of this exam is currently being redeveloped to more directly map to our learning outcomes. This will allow us to align freshman competency with our core learning outcomes.

4. This is a locally developed assessment tool and cannot be compared to data from Oklahoma or regional/peer institutions nor can it be compared to national norms.

17Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010

Learning Outcome 1 Midlevel Assessment

• No data to report• This exam was given for the first time during the Fall 2010

Biology 2881 course. • This data is currently being analyzed and will be reported

in the 2011 PQIR.

18Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 19

Learning Outcome 1

The percentage of students who scored in the 50th percentile or above for the Major Field Test (MFT). Total Score for the years 1999-2009. Designations “a” and “b” next to the year represent scores from the spring and fall semesters, respectively. The horizontal red line represents the departmental objective of 50% of students scoring in the 50th percentile. The black line represents the trendline. Data from 2002 and 2004 are not available.

Percentage of Students Scoring in the 50th Percentile or Above on MFT (1999 - 2009)

1999a 1999b 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005a 2005b 2006 2007 2008 20090

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Pe

rce

nt

Year

Learning Outcome 1Major Field Test

20Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010

Major Field Test (MFT) Institutional Percentile Rankings for the Cameron Biology Department from 1999-2009. Designations “a” and “b” next to the year represent scores from the spring and fall semesters, respectively. The horizontal red line represents the 50th percentile departmental objective institutional score. The black line represents the trendline. Data from 2002 and 2004 are not available.

MFT Institutional Percentile Rankings 1999-2009

1999a 1999b 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005a 2005b 2006 2007 2008 20090

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100P

erc

en

t o

f In

sti

tuti

on

s a

t o

r b

elo

w

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 21

Learning Outcome 1MFT Institutional Percentile Rankings for Sub-scores

1999a 1999b 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005a 2005b 2006 2007 2008 2009

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Cell Biology Molecular Biology Organismal Biology Population Biology, Evolution, and Ecology

Pe

rce

nt

of

ins

titu

tio

ns

at

or

be

low

Major Field Test (MFT) Institutional Percentile Rankings for each sub-score for the Cameron Biology Department from 1999 – 2009. Designations “a” and “b” next to the year represent scores from the spring and fall semesters, respectively. The horizontal line represents the 50th percentile departmental objective institutional score. Data from 2002 and 2004 are not available.

22Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010

Learning Outcome 1Analysis of MFT

• 80% of the students taking the MFT in 2009 scored in the 50th percentile or above.

• The institution achieved an 80th percentile ranking for the Biology MFT in 2009.

• In 2009 the institution achieved 75th, 85th, 90th, and 80th percentile rankings in cell biology, molecular biology/genetics, organismal biology, and population biology/evolution/ecology.

Learning Outcome 1 Action Plan

1. The trend for the MFT data suggests that this learning outcome is being met by the time students graduate.

2. Only one tenth of students who start as biology majors graduate. Therefore, this learning outcome will continued to be monitored through baseline and midlevel assessment to determine a retention strategy.

3. It is anticipated that assessment at the baseline and midlevel will be gathered for 3 to 5 years before a significant action plan for retention can be developed.

23Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010

Learning Outcomes 2 and 3

2. Effectively apply current technology and scientific methodologies to collect, organize, analyze and interpret quantitative and qualitative

data.3. Effectively communicate data and scientific principles in written and

oral form.

2424Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010

PROGRAM GOAL: Students completing a Bachelor of Science in Biology program will demonstrate knowledge in cellular/molecular, organismal, and ecological/evolutionary biology.

LEARNINGOBJECTIVES 2 and 3

CURRICULUM AREA OR TARGET AUDIENCE

MEASUREMENT OF PROGRAM OBJECTIVE

Measurements

Methods used to determine validity of measurement instruments

Methods used to determine reliability of measurements

Schedule for measurements

Students completing BIOL 2881

Students completing BIOL 4902

Mid-level oral and written assessment(Direct)

Senior Capstone oral and written assessment(Direct)

Not identified

Not identified

Not identified

Not identified

Annually

Annually

Learning Outcomes 2 and 3 Mid-level Written Assessment

• No data to report• This written assessment exercise was given for the first time

during the Fall 2010 Biology 2881 course. • This data is currently being analyzed and will be reported in

the 2011 PQIR.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 25

Learning Outcomes 2 and 3 Senior Capstone Oral and Written Assessment 2009-2010

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 26

No. of Students Participating

Percentage of Students Scoring 70% or Greater

Research Paper

Percentage of Students Scoring 70% or GreaterResearch Presentation

14 14 14

Learning Outcomes 2 and 3 Senior Capstone Oral and Written Assessment 2007-2010

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 27

No. of Students Participating

Percentage of Students Scoring 70% or Greater

Research Paper

Percentage of Students Scoring 70% or GreaterResearch Presentation

30 30 29

Learning Outcome 2 and 3 Action Plan

28Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010

1. The trend for oral presentation and research paper scores suggests that these learning outcomes are being met by the time students graduate.

2. Only one tenth of students who start as biology majors graduate. Therefore, this learning outcome will continued to be monitored through baseline and midlevel assessment to determine a retention strategy.

3. It is anticipated that assessment at the baseline and midlevel will be gathered for 3 to 5 years before a significant action plan for retention can be developed.

2010 – 2011 General Action Plan

• BIOL 2881 will be initiated in Fall 2010. This course will include a mid-level assessment test and written communication component, the results of which will be presented in the 2010/2011 PQIR.

• Departmental Curriculum Committee will meet by 01 February 2011 to initiate a re-evaluation of baseline and mid-level assessment tests.

• Departmental Curriculum Committee will present conclusions from the re-evaluation and any resulting proposed changes to the department in writing by 01 April 2011.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 29

2010 – 2011 General Action Plan Contd.

• Baseline/Mid-level assessment test for the 2011-2012 academic year (in whatever revised form) will be completed by 01 May 2011.

• Any changes to assessment tests will be initiated with the incoming freshmen cohort of Fall 2011.

Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010 30

Ancillary Actions(Optional)

• These actions are a result of ideas gleaned from assessment activities beyond those actions expressly derived from priority student-learning or service outcomes data

• Ancillary Actions help document assessment activities which are important to the overall assessment process, but are not normally or directly attributable to data collected by traditionally recognized direct or indirect measurements.

31Program Quality Improvement Report 2009-2010