Random Sampling of an Embedded Assignment Used to Evaluate SLOs in a History Course
Student Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of HIST 110A: World History-Ancient to 1500, students will acquire a holistic understanding of the origins and historical development of world civilizations to 1500, including contributions of religion, language, philosophy, material and nonmaterial culture, and their interaction with the environment. This SLO is considered satisfied when 75% of students score a 2 or higher on the corresponding rubric.
Methods:
A rubric covering global awareness, holistic understanding of world civilizations, and historical knowledge was applied to an embedded, uniform assignment that was assigned to every student in each section either as an extra-credit assignment, take-home assignment, in-class assignment, or part of the final. 325 random samples of the assignment were scored in pairs following the rubric.
| Dimension | (1) Does not meet expectations | (2) Needs improvement (Developing) | (3) Meets expectations (Proficient) | (4) Exceeds expectations (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Answer not fully developed) | (Answer not fully developed) | (Answer fully developed) | (Answer fully developed) | |
| Historical Knowledge | Fails to provide at least one concrete example of how an historical phenomenon shaped a global culture | Provides at least one concreteexample of how an historicalphenomenon shapeda global culture | Provides two or more concrete examplesof how historicalphenomena shaped two or more cultures | Provides a sophisticated understanding using two or more concrete examples of the development of two or more cultures beyond the 100-level |
| Global Awareness | Fails to communicate any sense of global Interconnectivity and interdependencyacross time and/or space | Has only a vague sense of globalinterconnectivity and interdependencyacross time and/or space | Has a clear sense of globalinterconnectivity and interdependencyacross time and/or space | Has a sophisticated understanding of globalinterconnectivity and interdependencyacross time and/or space beyond the 100-level |
Results:
Students were found to meet the criteria for satisfying the SLO, as evidenced by scoring a 2 or higher on all categories covered by the scoring rubric. It is worth noting that criteria were only met by a narrow margin in the global awareness category.
Historical Knowledge : Total percentage scoring a 2 or higher= 80.6%
| Possible score |
1 does not meet expectations |
2 needs improvement (developing) |
3 meets expectations (proficient) |
4 advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distribution of scores |
63 (19.4%) |
113 (34.8%) |
123 (37.8%) |
25 (7.7%) |
*note: one paper scored a 2.5.
Global Awareness : Total percentage scoring a 2 or higher = 75.1%
| Possible score |
1 does not meet expectations |
2 needs improvement (developing) |
3 meets expectations (proficient) |
4 advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distribution of scores |
81 (24.9%) |
147 (45.2%) |
80 (24.6%) |
17 (5.2%) |
Improvement Actions:
It was decided that the assessment instrument should be revised to use existing instead of embedded assignments. In addition, clearer rubrics were created and workshops/discussions were held about global connections in a pre-1500 world. Finally, it was suggested that a tutoring center be created to enhance student learning.
