Assessment of Student Learning - Minnesota State University Moorhead

Chemistry
Assessment Report 1999

A. Summary of Data
Assessment data include faculty ratings of student performance in research and faculty ratings of student performance in senior seminars. The department has not yet established targets for desired averages on the rated items. Instead, since this is the first round of data collected under the current plan, we are establishing a baseline for future comparisons.

An exit interview of graduating seniors was also taken. Since the questions were conversational in nature, the information gained was anecdotal.

B. Commentary
The five areas of the Research Rating Scale correspond to the department's stated 5 outcome goals (basic understanding; analytical thinking/problem solving; laboratory expertise; experimental design; and communication skill).

Overall, faculty ratings of student performance in these areas was favorable. The averages (scale of 1-5) for all of the research students ranged from 2.8-3.5, and showed no obvious weaknesses in any particular area. When the averages of junior and senior level students alone are considered, they range from 3.6-4.1. A general progression in student performance as they move from Research 1 to Research 2 to Research 3 is obvious, particularly between Research 1 and Research 2.

The faculty ratings (scale of 1-5) of the student seminars were also favorable, although the sample size is very small. The student responses in the exit interviews were extremely favorable across the board. One concern was the perceived difficulty of the program, which the students considered to be harder than other majors.

What are the implications in the following areas?

Curriculum: These results give no clear mandate to make curriculum changes. However, in response to the perception that the chemistry major is a very hard major, we are reintroducing a BA degree that will not demand quite as many upper level courses as our Chemical Society-certified BS degree.

Budget: There are no clear budgetary implications in the current results. It is worth noting, however, that the evaluation of student performance regarding laboratory techniques and use of chemistry instrumentation was based on their ability to use what was available, not what was unavailable!

Retention/Recruitment/Public Relations: The enrollment numbers show a substantial decrease after Research 1 (Chem 297). This is an issue that has been discussed in the department, and has been addressed in part by introduction of the BA degree. However, many of the students who enroll in Research 1 are not chemistry majors. (For example, science education students are not required to participate in research, but often take Research 1 on a voluntary basis. In addition, a number of biology majors take Research 1.) Therefore, the enrollment drop after Research 1 is expected and does not reflect a problem In addition, students who enroll in Research 1 subsequently diverge between Research 2 (Chem 397) and Biotech (Chem 476/477).

These first results appear to be promising. We can use them to tell current and prospective students that our students successfully accomplish our student learning goals.

Revisions to the Assessment Plan: Because of the small number of graduating majors, it will take some time in order to gather a meaningful supply of exit-survey type data. However we would like to institute a graduating senior self-rating form that is quantitative in nature to supplement the exit interviews. This will provide some quantitative assessment regarding student satisfaction upon completing the program It will then be useful to contrast the exit survey versus results from the alumni survey.

The following rating scale is used by faculty to rate each student's performance in Undergraduate Chemistry Research 1,2, and 3 (Chem 297,397, and 497 respectively) as well as the performance of students in the research aspect of Biotech (Chem 477). The sample sizes were:

	Research I Chem 297	18
	Research 2 Chem 397	7
	Biotech Chem 476/477	5
	Research 3 Chem 497	4
	TOTAL	34

NOTE: Copies of data can be obtained from the assessment coordinator or the Chemistry Department.