Assessment of Student Learning - Minnesota State University Moorhead

Anthropology
Assessment Report 2001

Assessment of Student Outcomes, 1999-2001:
A university approved assessment of student outcomes was used to measure performance
in anthropology only, since there is no major in the earth science areas of geography and
geology. Assessment in anthropology was based on the same instrument used by the
anthropology program prior to the establishment of the department in 1999.

The assessment of anthropology students was accomplished through the use of a standard
form completed for every anthropology student that enrolled in the senior seminar. This form
requires the instructor of the course to rate each student under a set of criteria that are
designed to measure student progress toward departmental goals, as set out in the
departmental mission statement and published in the MSUM Bulletin and Undergraduate
Catalog (1999-2001). This process provides numeric results and serves to generate
discussion about anthropology student outcomes, since the seminar class is designed
for majors and is normally taken only by anthropology students.

The assessment forms rate students on a scale of 1-9 (poor to excellent) and result in a characterization of the senior anthropology students by numeric scores. The average
score for anthropology students assessed in this way from 1999-2001 is listed in the
table below.

Table 1: Assessment of Anthropology Majors
Goal	Mean Score	Range	SD
Commitment to Learning	7.2	5	1.4
Understanding Anthropology	7.2	6	1.3
Works with Concepts in Field	7.1	4	1.2
Thinks Critically	7.2	4	1.1
Can Use Social Research	7.0	6	1.3
Organizes Knowledge	7.0	4	1.1
Uses Resources Effectively	6.9	5	1.1
Speaking Ability	7.0	4	1.1
Writing Ability	7.2	4	1.0

These scores indicate that anthropology students are leaving MSUM having met many of
the academic goals set for them by the anthropology faculty. However, there are modest
differences in scores, and additional effort should be directed at improving student ability
to use social research methods, use resources more effectively, to become more organized
in the presentation of knowledge, and to improve their speaking skills.

More important than the scores presented in table 1 are the discussions among faculty
regarding these results. All are agreed that more must be done to improve student’s
ability to speak about anthropology and social issues generally, and to be able to take
research data, organize them, and subject them to appropriate analytical protocols.
Students need to develop their skill in recognizing and solving research problems.

Partly in response to the assessment results during the 2000-2001 academic year two
new courses were designed to help students in areas of concern; Anth. 460
(Ethnographic Research Methods) and Anth. 248 (Ideas of Culture). One of these
(248) has already been taught, while another (460) is being offered in Spring, 2002.
After the review of students enrolled in the Fall, 2001 Seminar in archaeology, there
will be discussion of how to improve the training of students in the archaeology track
of the anthropology major.

The generally positive results from assessment efforts match student success in finding
employment in the field after graduation, their routine admission into graduate programs,
and reports from graduates on the high quality of their educational experience in
anthropology at MSUM.