Spring 2013 Course SLO Review

AFAM 55 - From Funk to Hip Hop - Stage 5 - Frederick Vincent

Assessment Methods	Analysis of exam, quiz, or homework items linked to specific SLOs Assignments based on rubrics (such as essays, projects, and performances) Direct observation of performances, practical exams, group work
Assessment Description	Students were given an assignment, early on in the first half of the semester, to determine the relative importance of a series of black figures, some clearly political figures (e.g., Malcolm X), others entertainers (e.g., James Brown). The question confuses most students because they have not yet learned to conceptualize the connections between history, politics, economics, and culture, the basic elements embodied in the course SLO's. The products of this assignment reveal an uncertain, halting approach. Only an incipient understanding of the connections is evident in most students. In the second half of the semester an similar question is assigned in which students are asked to consider the roles of rappers in society: Are they merely "entertainers" or representatives of a social strata of society and therefore obligated to pursue social issues. Most students, by this time, can readily grasp the connections that were more elusive earlier in the semester and are able to articulate the recognize the relationships between art and history, politics, and economics, which is the core element of the course.
Learning Outcomes	All.
Number of Sections	One.
Number of Instructors	One
Number of Students	Forty-five

Data Shared With	Faculty and staff within our department
Data Sharing Methods	Face-to-face meetings
Data Summary	Eighty-five percent of the students passed the course with grades that were satisfactory or better.
Analysis Summary	A significant majority of the students were able to understand the core elements of the course, as manifested in their performance in class participation and essay assignments.
Next Steps Planned	In the fall 2013 semester, I plan to utilize a second method of assessment of student outcomes, and that is to approach the question of hip hop and music history. This will involve a focus on the question, "what happened musically before hip hop?"
Learning Outcomes	All.

Term	Fall 2013
Activities	Revision of outcomes and assessment methods (measurements)
More Details	The approach to the course SLO's will be through of a focus on music history.