BIO 20 - Introduction to Ecology - Stage 5 - Lisa DiGirolamo
Assessment
| Assessment Methods | - Analysis of exam, quiz, or homework items linked to specific SLOs
- Assignments based on rubrics (such as essays, projects, and performances)
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| Assessment Description | Exam questions (Course SLO D)
Homework assignments (Course SLO D, GE SLO 1)
Final exam (Course SLO C, D, GE SLO 1) |
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| Learning Outcomes | Course SLO D: Apply models to explain the behavior of commonly occurring ecological phenomena
Course SLO C: Analyze biotic and abiotic factors shaping ecosystems, community structure, population dynamics and species’ adaptations, particularly on the local level |
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| Number of Sections | 1 |
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| Number of Instructors | 1 |
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| Number of Students | 34 |
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Data Analysis
| Data Shared With | Faculty and staff within our department |
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| Data Sharing Methods | - Face-to-face meetings
- Email
- Website review and commentary
- Shared document files
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| Data Summary | 74% of students were able to correctly answer a final exam question directly related to Course SLO C (receive at least 3/4 points on the question) |
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| Analysis Summary | Examination of exam scores. I include data above only on the final exam question (a short answer question). Over the course of the semester, I exam in class responses to questions, exams and quizzes. |
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| Next Steps Planned | I'm going to continue to evaluate SLO C, particularly in the content area of evolution/natural selection and applied ecological concepts. I will continue to use in-class activities (questions, group work), exams, homework (including guided case studies) as methods of assessment. |
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| Learning Outcomes | Course SLO C |
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Changes
| Details | I've added more at home assessments, particularly guided case studies using current ecological data. In Spring 2013, I modified the way we do discussions on articles relating to current ecological topics. I made the groups smaller and had the students lead the discussions 3 times instead of 1 to allow them to improve on the skills they were developing. I added an electronic discussion forum to allow the students to explore the topics and not force them to physically meet outside of class time (which was difficult for many). |
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| Learning Outcomes | I believe all SLO's for this course were helped by these changes. |
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GE Area C Details
| Learning Outcomes | Our course SLO D maps directly to the GE Area C outcome. |
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| Number Students: Proficient | 85% |
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| Number Students: Developing | 15% |
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| Number Students: No Evidence | 8 |
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| Criteria | I used the results are of a homework assignment and a question on the final exam, both about applying models and using scientific processing skills. Homework proficient if answered >70% of questions correctly. Exam question: proficient was out of 2 or 3 out of 3 points. The data above are only for the final exam question, but the results are similar for the homework assignment. |
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| Extra Details | No answer |
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Tentative Future Plans
| Term | Fall 2013 |
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| Activities | - Revision of outcomes and assessment methods (measurements)
- Assessment (measurement) of outcomes
- Analysis and discussion of assessment data and next steps
- Implementation of planned changes and reassessment
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| More Details | This semester, I've added guided case studies to be done at home which explore the concepts from class in more depth. I've also modified my in-class questions (an informal assessment) to better gauge student misconceptions. I use information from the previous semester to determine where these misconceptions lie and modify the course accordingly. I also will spend more time on later material to better cover Course SLO B and C. |
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SLO Details Storage Location
- ELECTRONIC COPY - In my electronic filing system (hard drive or web server)
- ELECTRONIC COPY - On a department web server or shared document system
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