Business Administration Students’ Understanding of Data and Methodology
Step 1: Student Learning Outcome
Analyze and compare data, applying appropriate methodologies to support decision-making.
Step 2: Methods and Measure
Direct Assessment: Common exam (ISDS 361A)
A standard questionnaire with questions from five key topics in ISDS 361A, distributed over multiple exams.
| Common Exam Performance Standard | Rating |
|---|---|
| 85 - 100% | Excellent |
| 75 - 84% | Good |
| 65 – 74% | Acceptable, with room for improvement |
| 0 – 64% | Below expectations |
Step 3: Criteria for Success
The overall score for all 5 topics will be 70% or above to meet the program’s established criteria for success on the outcome.
Step 4: Results
In Fall 2013, ISDS 361A offered 30 sections. Of those, 27 (90%) participated, 3 of which were delivered online (16wks) and one section was offered via OBABA (8wks). The total number of students assessed was 1024.
Common Exam: Percentage of correct responses
| Section | N | Topic 1Normal Distribution | Topic 2Sampling Distributions | Topic 3Estimation–Confidence Intervals |
Topic 4Hypothesis Testing | Topic 5Regression | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BABA | 104 | 56.73 | 67.3 | 70.19 | 76.44 | 52.88 | 64.71 |
| Online (16 wks, 3 sections) |
|||||||
| OBABA (8 wks) |
26 | 65.38 | 61.53 | 73.07 | 61.53 | 57.69 | 63.84 |
| Traditional | 894 | 74.34 | 69.46 | 74.1 | 62.95 | 68.45 | 69.86 |
| Overall Totals | 1024 | 72.33 | 69.04 | 73.68 | 64.29 | 66.6 | 69.19 |
Analysis of the proportion of students who successfully answered the questions on the five key topics learned in ISDS 361A indicated an overall score of 69.19%. The results place student performance in 5 key topics in the “acceptable, with room for improvement” category which did not meet the program’s criteria for success.
Step 5: Improvement Actions
Although students need to receive 70% overall to pass the course, the program determined that owing to the high level of difficulty of these key topics, a slightly lower bound suffices. The performance standards may be revised for later assessments as we refine the process over time.
Out of the 5 key topics, the program was able to identify some topics that students were particularly having difficulty with via discussion with the department chair and other department faculty. The ISDS 361A course was completely re-designed, the pilot occurring in spring 2015 and launched in fall 2015.
In addition, the program has done the following:
- Introduced several video-based modules that solve exercises and explain concepts in order to supplement course materials.
- Introduced CengageNOW, an interactive and adaptive learning platform for homework assignments.
- Implemented intervention techniques by identifying students “at risk” of failing early on during the semester and encouraged to seek additional help and support from the resources within the College.
- Implemented a supplemental instruction (SI) for ISDS 361A pilot of online SI for online classes in fall 2015.
