Archived Assessment Report
| Program | Engineering AS Degree |
| Assessment Reporter | [email protected] |
| Theme | Practicing Community |
| Review Year | 2024-2025 - Final Report |
| Learning Outcome (or Gen Ed Essential Skill) | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| 5. Collaborate respectfully and effectively with peer group using basic laboratory equipment safely to conduct experiments, collect data, and/or analyze data via graphs/equations. | Do at least 80% of the groups collaborate respectfully? |
| Learning Outcome (or Gen Ed Essential Skill) | Description of Assessment Tool | Population or Courses Assessed | Hypothetical Analysis/Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. Collaborate respectfully and effectively with peer group using basic laboratory equipment safely to conduct experiments, collect data, and/or analyze data via graphs/equations. | Instructors will observe lab groups as they work to complete a lab activity. Instructors will use a rubric to assess how respectful group members are of one another. | PHYS 1310L, PHYS 1320L | We expect that instructors will observe at least 80% of the groups collaborate respectfully. |
| Learning Outcome (or Gen Ed Essential Skill) | Summary of Results | Reflection on Focus Area | Intepretation of Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. Collaborate respectfully and effectively with peer group using basic laboratory equipment safely to conduct experiments, collect data, and/or analyze data via graphs/equations. | Three sections of PHYS 1310L and one section of PHYS 1320L were assessed through instructor observation of student group interactions. For PHYS 1310L, 100% of the 22 groups assessed earned at least a 3 out of 4 points on a rubric that gauged the respectfulness of their group interactions. Seventy three percent of the groups (16 of 22) earned 4 points. The average score for the groups was 3.73 out of 4 points. For PHYS 1320L, 100% of the 8 groups assessed earned at least a 3 out of 4 points. Seventy-five percent of the groups (6 of the 8) earned 4 points. The average score for the groups was 3.75 out of 4 points. | The results support our focus question because instructors observed that 100% of the groups in both PHYS 1310L and 1320L were respectful of one another. The rubric standard for a score of "3" states that the groups were "Mostly respectful of the efforts of fellow group members" and a score of "4" required "All members showed respect for the efforts of fellow group members". | These results indicate that our learners are well prepared to collaborate respectfully with others as they make their way through their physics degrees. |
| 5. Collaborate respectfully and effectively with peer group using basic laboratory equipment safely to conduct experiments, collect data, and/or analyze data via graphs/equations. | |
|---|---|
| Describe the change that was implemented. | We will edit the rubric to allow for more refinement between performance levels achieved by the lab groups. |
| Type of Change |
|
| Change in Assessment Approach or Tools? | The changes will require applying a slightly different rubric. |
| What data motivated the change? | Interpreting the data with only four levels to the rubric made it hard to pick a threshold for being adequately respectful. Requiring a score of 4/4 seemed too rigid, but allowing a 3/4 was perhaps too lenient. |
| Hypothesis about the effect the change will have? | The improved rubric will help us better differentiate between those groups meeting the criteria of being adequately respectful and those who are not quite there yet. |
| Learning Outcome (or Gen Ed Essential Skill) | Description of Assessment Tool | Population of Courses Assessed |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Collaborate respectfully and effectively with peer group using basic laboratory equipment safely to conduct experiments, collect data, and/or analyze data via graphs/equations. | New rubric with 5 levels of performance to choose from. | PHYS 1310L, PHYS 1320L |
| Learning Outcome (or Gen Ed Essential Skill) | Summary of Second Round Results | Intepretation of Results, Pre- and Post-Change | Follow up questions, possible next steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. Collaborate respectfully and effectively with peer group using basic laboratory equipment safely to conduct experiments, collect data, and/or analyze data via graphs/equations. | Two sections of PHYS 1310L and two sections of PHYS 1320L were assessed through instructor observation of student group interactions. For PHYS 1310L, 100% of the 12 groups assessed earned at least a 4 out of 5 points on a rubric that gauged the respectfulness of their group interactions. Sixty-seven percent of the groups (8 of 12) earned the full 5 points. The average score for the groups was 4.7 out of 5 points. For PHYS 1320L, 100% of the 8 groups assessed earned at least a 4 out of 5 points. Ninety-two percent of the groups (11 of the 12) earned the full 5 points. The average score for the groups was 4.9 out of 5 points. | This time around we focused on the collaborating respectfully aspect of our program objective. Next time we could focus on the other half of the rubric, which examines how well they stay on task, to focus on their effectiveness in completing their tasks. |
Describe any change in student achievement observed as part of this assessment process, and what led to those changes.
Through guidance from the instructors and practicing community, the students learn that discussion and negotiations lead to better comprehension for both themselves and everyone else in the group.
Describe long-term changes in the program(s) that the assessment process led to, and what motivated those changes?
No, we were pleased with the level to which our program embodied "practicing community" and did not feel any program-level changes were warranted.
What did you learn about the teaching and learning of "Practicing Community" in your programs?
Our students learn about practicing community the most during group work and experimentation. The students themselves do most of the teaching, as they work together and communicate about what is or is not working. Instructors are more like facilitators, there to help guide groups through situations where they may be in disagreement or distracted from the task at hand.
Describe any external factors affecting the program or affecting assessment of the program.
We are currently benefiting from strong interest in engineering from students and engaged faculty ready to challenge them. In recent years, faculty have created new, hands-on curriculum for our introduction to engineering students, created a chapter of Society of Women Engineers, and have brought in industry partners, as well as engineering departments from universities throughout New Mexico, to facilitate discussions about transferring and internships.