Direct Measures
Pre-test to be administered and evaluated by a team of 3-4 faculty in the Department of Biology. The intent in the exam is to assess level of knowledge, understanding, and competence within the first three courses in the Biology major.
Post-test to be administered and evaluated by a team of 3-4 faculty in the Department of Biology. The intent in the exam is to assess level of knowledge, understanding, and competence by completion of the final course, Senior Seminar in Evolution, in the Biology major.
Objective
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Participants
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Evaluators
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A, B, D
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all majors
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team of 3-4 faculty not including co-instructors of Senior Seminar course
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Written report, oral presentation, and poster presentation to be evaluated by the pair of faculty mentors that form the student's project evaluators. In all cases, this evaluation will also include the comment of other faculty.
Indirect Measures
A five-point Likert scale assessing student attitudes, interests and values. The assessment is administered in selected 300 and 400 level courses and evaluated by the Department of Biology Enhancement Committee; a group of 5 faculty.
Surveys will be sent every two years to graduates of the Department of Biology.
Assessment of the Assessment Process
The process of assessment is ongoing; it is never "complete." That is, the faculty in the Department of Biology expect to continue to assess the curriculum, its structure and delivery, to ensure an experience fo the Biology major which has quality, currency, and relevance. To that end, the Department expects to continue to integrate the following tasks into its assessment: 1) continual evaluation of desired outcomes including student skills, competencies, and values, 2) regular assessment of "what works" to achieve the desired outcomes, 3) regular assessment of the curriculum and its delivery in order to ensure the proper scope and sequence of the curriculum, and 4) continued effort that focuses on the mission of the University of Nebraska at Keraney and the Department of Biology in order to ensure constructive change in the program.