PSYC 1B - Biological Psychology - Stage 5 - Karin Hu
Assessment
| Assessment Methods | Analysis of exam, quiz, or homework items linked to specific SLOs |
|---|---|
| Assessment Description | Comprehensive Final Exam with questions addressing SLOs. Examples: 1) What prevents most substance from reaching the brain's circulatory system? 2) Twin studies are used to determine if there is a(n)___contribution to a specific behavior. 3) Increasing the basal metabolic rate would result in ____? 4) Why are X-linked disease are more likely to occur in males? 5) What instrument is used to study the structure of the brain? 6) The purpose of the sodium-potassium pump is ____. 7) Parkinson's Disease is associated with a decrease in ______. 8) A correlational study can show the relationship between ____ and ___. 9) After dividing children into two groups, one receiving piano lessons for 6 months while the other group listened to fairy tales for 6 months, the research found anatomical changes in the auditory cortex of the piano players. This is example of what type of study? 10) What type of potential would make a neuron less likely to reach its threshold? |
| Learning Outcomes | ALL |
| Number of Sections | 3 |
| Number of Instructors | 1 |
| Number of Students | 86 |
Data Analysis
| Data Shared With | Faculty and staff within our department |
|---|---|
| Data Sharing Methods | Shared document files |
| Data Summary | 76% of the students were able to answer at least 70% of the SLO-based exam questions. |
| Analysis Summary | 26% correctly answered 90-100% of the exam questions. 26% correctly answered 80-89% of the exam questions. 23% correctly answered 70-79% of the exam questions. |
| Next Steps Planned | Weakest areas (fewer than 70% of the students answering correctly) include: --concept of synaptic action involving agonist and antagonist drugs --concept of neural transmission involving electrical potentials --scientific design: interpretation and implications |
| Learning Outcomes | 1) Define basic terms and concepts used in biological psychology 2) Analyze and evaluate biopsychological studies for scientific design, interpretation and implications. |
Changes
| Details | In the Fall 2012 semester many students confused experimental and correlational designs. In Spring 2013, lecture covered more details and examples of experimental and correlational designs, pointing out common flaws in interpreting the results. Students worked in small groups to discuss and distinguish these designs. |
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| Learning Outcomes | Analyze and evaluate biospychological studies for scientific design, interpretation and implication. |
Tentative Future Plans
| Term | Spring 2014 |
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| Activities | Implementation of planned changes and reassessment |
| More Details | New activities: students will work in small groups to discuss and answer problems in 1) interpreting scientific designs 2) outlining the processes of synaptic transmission and the effect of drugs. |
SLO Details Storage Location
HARD COPY - In my personal filing system (my office)