University of Nebraska Kearney

UNK
Random UNK images
Assessment
related links

Family Studies Assessment Plan (Replaced F05)

 

Direct Measures

Research Papers

Required research papers for FSID 402 are read by three faculty teaching 300 and 400 level courses who have been assigned to a reading committee. Papers are distributed in equal numbers blind to the faculty committee that is with a standard format cover sheet removed. Papers are read for; content, level of analysis, and adherence to formal standards for written English, and disciplinary format.

Objective Participants Evaluators
  all Family Studies majors three faculty
using Evaluation of Research Papers

Presentations

Presentations for FSID 402 are viewed by three faculties teaching 300 and 400 level courses who have been assigned to a presentation committee. Presentation duties are distributed in equal numbers (to ensure that there are multiple readers for each paper) blind to the faculty committee. Faculty members use a common assessment tool. Presentations are reviewed for; planning and organization, clarity and adherence to formal standards for spoken English, content and level of analysis, use of technology, overall appearance of presentation and presenters.

Objective Participants Evaluators
  all Family Studies majors reading committee using Evaluation of Research Presentations

Family Studies Substance Areas of Knowledge Survey

Question and answer survey piloted Spring 04, revised summer 04, and administered Spring 05. The instrument measures the ten "Family Life" substance areas of knowledge.

Objective Participants Evaluators
Knowledge: 1 all Family Studies majors  

Field Experience and Internship

External Field Experience sponsors evaluate all students in the Family Studies Program at the completion of the 80 hr. field experience. Length of Internships vary with programs and student interest. The minimum length common to all programs is 120 hrs. or three credits. Internships are processed through an Internship Coordinator the department shares with another department. The internship form is a shared and newly revised instrument.

Objective Participants Evaluators
Values: 1, 2 all Family Studies majors Field Experience supervisor, Internship supervisor using Intership Assessment Rubric

Assessment of the Assessment Process

Faculty will annually assess the relevance and reliability of existing assessment measures to determine whether the assessment process accurately measures student outcomes and whether the measurements contribute to the specific skills, attitudes, knowledge and overall quality and preparedness deemed desirable of graduates.

The data for the assessment of the assessment plan is derived from external feedback from Field Place and Internship sponsors, requirements of external disciplinary accrediting bodies, and ongoing discussion by the department faculty surrounding teaching methods, content and student achievement. Our primary internal questions are:

  1. Are current measures of student assessment reflective of the competencies we expect our graduates to have?
  2. Are current methods of assessing students effective, and consistent, within the standards of our disciplines?
  3. Are there new or modified methods which will better assess what we want to learn about student outcomes?

The department as a whole, and separate programs individually, will decide on assessment activities that will be continued, those that will be modified, those that will be discontinued, and those that should be added. These decisions will be arrived at annually in a spring faculty meeting and revisited for clarification if needed in a first fall faculty meeting.