PHYC 4A - Physics for Scientists and Engineers - Stage 5 - Leilah McCarthy
Assessment
| Assessment Methods | Pre & post surveys or tests |
|---|---|
| Assessment Description | A 7 question multiple choice questionnaire was administered at the end of the semester. The questionnaire was used across all Physics 4A sections. The data included the number of students who answered each questions correctly and the number of students who answered each question in correctly. |
| Learning Outcomes | A. Apply dimensional analysis to check for the reasonableness of solutions and to check the dimensions of constants such as the gravitational constant. B. Apply vector mathematics to physics problems such as two-dimensional kinematics problems or calculating the work done by a force along a defined trajectory. C. Predict the future trajectory of an object moving in two dimensions with uniform acceleration. D. Analyze a physical situation with multiple forces acting on a point mass or extended object using Newton's Laws of Motion. E. Analyze a physical situation with multiple forces acting on a point mass or extended object using concepts of work and energy. F. Distinguish which fundamental laws of physics apply in a problem such as whether or not momentum or energy is conserved. G. Solve problems in symbolic form such as the orbital period of a satellite, the rotational speed of a solid sphere down an inclined plane, or the buoyant force acting on an object in air. H. Solve problems graphically such as finding the total displacement traveled from a velocity versus time graph or the total impulse from a force versus time graph. |
| Number of Sections | 4 |
| Number of Instructors | 3 |
| Number of Students | 98 |
Data Analysis
| Data Shared With | Instructors of the same course (at CCSF) |
|---|---|
| Data Sharing Methods |
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| Data Summary | 55% of the students answered the question about SLO A correctly. 45% of the students answered the question about SLO B correctly. 86% of the students answered the question about SLO C correctly. There were 2 questions related to SLO D. 45% answered the 2-dimensional question correctly. 69% answered the 1-dimensional question correctly. 60% of the students answered the question about SLO E correctly. There were 2 questions related to SLO F. 60% answered the conservation of energy question correctly. 37% answered the collision question correctly. 71% of the students answered the question about SLO G correctly. 72% of the students answered the question about SLO H correctly. |
| Analysis Summary | Criteria: " A significant majority of students should be able to answer each question correctly." SLOs that need improvement: SLO A: Although over half (55%) of the students answered the dimensional analysis question correctly, this is an essential basic skill and we hope to improve this in the future. SLO B: The students continue to struggle with analyzing 2-dimensional problems using vectors. (45% answered correctly) SLO E: Although over half (60%) of the students answered the conservation of energy question correctly, this is a fundamental concept and we hope to improve this in the future. SLO F: The students tend to incorrectly assume that all collisions are elastic. (37% answered correctly) Satisfactory results: SLO C: The students did very well predicting the future trajectory of an object (86% correct). SLO D: Although the students struggle with 2-dimensional problems, they seem to generally be able to apply Newton's Laws. (69% correct) SLO G: Students did well solving problems symbolically. (71% correct) SLO H: Students did well analyzing problems graphically. (72% correct) |
| Next Steps Planned | Plans for improvement have not yet been discussed. This will be discussed at the beginning of the Fall 2013 semester. |
| Learning Outcomes | ALL |
Changes
| Details | This Spring 2013 semester we implemented a new assessment. The former assessment was a department-wide questionnaire and therefore some of the questions on the old assessment were not related to this course. The new assessment for this semester assessed a broader range of the course SLOs (all but one, which we plan to remove) and only asked questions specific to the course. Modifications to the SLOs on the course outline were discussed and agreed upon, but were not yet submitted to curriculum. These changes will be submitted in the Fall. |
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| Learning Outcomes | ALL |
GE Area C Details
| Learning Outcomes | B. Apply vector mathematics to physics problems such as two-dimensional kinematics problems or calculating the work done by a force along a defined trajectory. C. Predict the future trajectory of an object moving in two dimensions with uniform acceleration. D. Analyze a physical situation with multiple forces acting on a point mass or extended object using Newton's Laws of Motion. E. Analyze a physical situation with multiple forces acting on a point mass or extended object using concepts of work and energy. F. Distinguish which fundamental laws of physics apply in a problem such as whether or not momentum or energy is conserved. G. Solve problems in symbolic form such as the orbital period of a satellite, the rotational speed of a solid sphere down an inclined plane, or the buoyant force acting on an object in air. H. Solve problems graphically such as finding the total displacement traveled from a velocity versus time graph or the total impulse from a force versus time graph. |
|---|---|
| Number Students: Proficient | 31 |
| Number Students: Developing | 44 |
| Number Students: No Evidence | 23 |
| Criteria | Of the 7 questions on the questionnaire, 6 of the questions covered SLOs that were linked to this GE Area C outcome. Students answering 5 or 6 questions correctly were assessed to be Proficient. Students answering 3 or 4 questions correctly were assessed to be Developing. Students answering 0, 1, or 2 questions correctly were assessed to be at the No Evidence stage. |
| Extra Details | Our assessment did not really match this rubric system. The rubric refers to whether students are proficient at one specific model. The SLOs (and our questionnaire) for this course refer to a few models (i.e. Newton's Laws, conservation of energy, conservation of momentum), which is why so many of the SLOs map to this GE Area C outcome. The data above is based on an overall average of all the models. We have found that students have a stronger proficiency in conservation of energy and 1-dimensional Newton's Laws problems and less proficiency in 2-dimensional Newton's Laws problems and conservation of momentum. |
Tentative Future Plans
| Term | Fall 2013 |
|---|---|
| Activities |
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| More Details | Revision of outcomes: SLO C is planned to be made more general. SLO B is planned to be eliminated since it is already covered by SLOs C and D. SLO I is planned to be eliminated since it is not something we expect the students to learn. Assessment: The current plan is to use the same assessment as this semester, but we may discuss alternatives or revisions. Analysis of data and Implementation of changes: Analysis of Spring data will be discussed at the beginning of Fall and possible changes will be discussed at that time. |
SLO Details Storage Location
- HARD COPY - In a department filing system (department office)
- ELECTRONIC COPY - In my electronic filing system (hard drive or web server)