Nassau Community College

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Nassau Community College THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF
NEW YORK
G eneral E ducation A ssessment R eview
Kumkum Prabhakar, Assistant Professor of Biology
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Nassau Community College General
Education Assessment Plan
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Goal Based Assessment Paradigm
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SUNY General Education Knowledge and Skills Area
Basic Communication

• GOAL
• STUDENTS WILL
• ? PRODUCE COHERENT TEXTS WITHIN
• COMMON COLLEGE-LEVEL WRITTEN
• FORMS
• DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO
• REVISE IMPROVE SUCH TEXTS
• RESEARCH A TOPIC, DEVELOP AN
• ARGUMENT, ORGANIZE SUPPORTING
• DETAILS
• DEVELOP PROFICIENCY IN ORAL
• DISCOURSE
• EVALUATE AN ORAL PRESENTATION

COURSES COMMUNICATIONS ENGLISH
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SUNY General Education Competency Area
Information Management
COURSES ALL

• GOAL
• STUDENTS WILL
• PERFORM THE BASIC OPERATIONS OF
• PERSONAL COMPUTER USE
• UNDERSTAND AND USE BASIC
• RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
• LOCATE, EVALUATE AND SYNTHESIZE
• INFORMATION FROM A VARIETY OF
• SOURCES.

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SUNY General Education Knowledge Skills Area
Natural Sciences

• GOAL
• STUDENTS WILL DEMONSTRATE
• UNDERSTANDING OF THE METHODS SCIENTISTS USE TO
  EXPLORE NATURAL PHENOMENA, INCLUDING
• ? OBSERVATION
• HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT
• MEASUREMENT DATA COLLECTION
• EXPERIMENTATION
• EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE
• EMPLOYMENT OF MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS
• APPLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC DATA, CONCEPTS, AND
  MODELS INONE OF THE NATURAL SCIENCES

• COURSES
• Allied Health Science
• General Science
• Science
• Biology
• Multidiscipline Studies
• Chemistry
• Physics

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SUNY General Education Subcommittee
(Natural Sciences)

• Deciding Upon Learning Outcomes
• Recognizing Measurable Learning Objectives
• Creating a Menu of Measuring Tools
• Subcommittee Plan Submission by January 15, 2002
• Launching Pilot during spring 2002
• College wide Implementation fall 2002

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General Education Assessment of Student Learning
Natural Sciences Observation Measuring Tool Natural Sciences Observation Measuring Tool Natural Sciences Observation Measuring Tool Natural Sciences Observation Measuring Tool Natural Sciences Observation Measuring Tool Natural Sciences Observation Measuring Tool Natural Sciences Observation Measuring Tool Natural Sciences Observation Measuring Tool
A. Recording Visual Features of Specimen A B (correct answer is worth .5) A. Recording Visual Features of Specimen A B (correct answer is worth .5) A. Recording Visual Features of Specimen A B (correct answer is worth .5) A. Recording Visual Features of Specimen A B (correct answer is worth .5) A. Recording Visual Features of Specimen A B (correct answer is worth .5) A. Recording Visual Features of Specimen A B (correct answer is worth .5) A. Recording Visual Features of Specimen A B (correct answer is worth .5) A. Recording Visual Features of Specimen A B (correct answer is worth .5)
Specimen A Specimen A Specimen B Unable to 0 Unable to 0 Somewhat 0.5 Exactly 1 Exceeding Bonus
1 a. b. b.
2 a. b. b.
3. a. b. b.
4. a. b. b.
B. Reporting Relationship Between A B (correct answer is worth 1 point) B. Reporting Relationship Between A B (correct answer is worth 1 point) B. Reporting Relationship Between A B (correct answer is worth 1 point) B. Reporting Relationship Between A B (correct answer is worth 1 point) B. Reporting Relationship Between A B (correct answer is worth 1 point) B. Reporting Relationship Between A B (correct answer is worth 1 point) B. Reporting Relationship Between A B (correct answer is worth 1 point) B. Reporting Relationship Between A B (correct answer is worth 1 point)
Differences, Similarities, Connections and Others Differences, Similarities, Connections and Others Differences, Similarities, Connections and Others Unable to 0 Unable to 0 Somewhat 0.5 Exactly 1 Exceeding Bonus
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2
3.
4.
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Natural Sciences Cluster Biology
General Education Assessment Learning Outcome Observation General Education Assessment Learning Outcome Observation General Education Assessment Learning Outcome Observation General Education Assessment Learning Outcome Observation General Education Assessment Learning Outcome Observation
Biology 124 Plants and Society Biology 124 Plants and Society Biology 124 Plants and Society Biology 124 Plants and Society Biology 124 Plants and Society
General Education Learning Outcome Grade Mean Outcome Behaviors Outcome Behaviors Performance Mean
General Education Learning Outcome Grade Mean Recording Features Relationship Performance Mean
Observation 78.00 1.95 3.12 2.54
Performance Key 1.0 1.4 Not Meeting
1.5 2.4 Approaching
2.5 3.4 Meeting
3.5 4.0 Exceeding
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Sample Curriculum Map SUNY General Education
Learning Outcomes
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Modifications

• It is strongly recommended that
• Initial lab exercises should emphasize skills
  for critical observation
• Observation should be reinforced in activities
  during lecture and lab sessions
• Students be asked to read and analyze articles
  such as Louis Agassiz as a Teacher by Lane Cooper
• Instructional strategy should include reference
  to history of universal theories based on the
  power of observation proposed by scientists such
  as Darwin, Newton and Mendel
• Pre and post-test model should be designed to
  help student self-assess their ability to
  observe critically

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Thank you G.E.A.R group for extending this
invitation to Nassau Community College's
College-Wide Assessment Committee!