Students completing core education in geography will be able to demonstrate foundational knowledge of geographic principles and concepts about the physical world.
Objective
First-Year Foundational Geographical Principles And Concepts
Students completing core curriculum education in geography will be able to demonstrate foundational knowledge of geographic concepts and principles, including critical thinking.
Indicator
Comprehensive Final Exam
Common embedded questions on the comprehensive final exam will determine student knowledge regarding general geographic concepts.
Criterion
70% Accuracy
The average scores will be 70% correct on the general geographic concept questions embedded in the comprehensive exam.
Finding
Performance On Concept Questions
The students in GEO 131 averaged 68% on the specific concept questions embedded in their exam. The GEO 146 students averaged 71% on the number of concept questions embedded in their exam. These averages are probably consistent with the overall averages on the entire exam.
Indicator
Comprehensive Final Exam - Geographic Principles Portion
The final faculty-developed comprehensive exam will indicate students' grasp of major geographic principles, including critical thinking.
Criterion
70% Principle Accuracy
The average score will be 70% correct of the major geographic principles and critical thinking items embedded on the comprehensive exam.
Finding
Performance On Principle Questions
The students in GEO 131 averaged 25% on the principles and critical thinking questions embedded in their exam. The students in GEO 146 averaged 45% on the principles and critical thinking questions embedded in their exam. Both classes scored low on the graph interpretation questions, both scoring 23% correct.
Action
Improving Geographical Understanding Of Concepts And Principles
The performance of the students on the concepts questions is consistent with how they performed in the class and is a function of their ability to study and absorb new concepts. Last year's smaller subset scored higher on the concepts questions (78%, 86%, and 78% for an 81% average). This will require some thought and imagination to determine ways to help the students improve in this area both in lecture and in lab. We do not have a definitive solution at this time. The results on the principles and critical thinking questions indicate a very serious need for improvement in these expected student learning outcomes. This group did better on physical principles than last year: 40% vs. 32%. Also showed improvement in understanding correlation vs. causation: 40% vs. 22%. However, this year's group actually did worse on graph interpretation: 23% vs. 32%. We will incorporate improvements in our lab exercises to address these issues, with a particular emphasis on increased practice interpreting graphs. The laboratory provides a better venue for bringing these concepts home. The lab can enhance what is covered in lecture.
Objective
Demonstrate Knowledge Of Foundational Concepts Of Physical Geography
Students completing the core education in geography will demonstrate knowledge of physical geography including the world in spatial terms, places and regions, and physical systems.
Indicator
Physical Geography Concepts
Students will correctly answer the embedded questions on exams throughout the semester that address physical geography. The areas of emphasis include the world in spatial terms, places and regions, and physical systems.
Criterion
70% Accuracy On Physical Concepts
Students will score 70% correct on those questions pertaining to each of the three areas of emphasis concerning physical geographical concepts.
Finding
Student Results Concerning Physical Concepts
The students scored an average of 81% correct on the questions about the world in spatial terms. On the questions associated with the area of places and regions the students only averaged 41% correct. The students scored an average of 65% correct on those questions related to physical systems.
Action
Improving Understanding Of Physical Concepts In Geography
Results of the assessment suggest that students possess adequate knowledge of how to use maps and other graphical tools, and can effectively analyze the spatial organization of phenomena of the Earth's surface. This year's 81% is comparable to last year's 75%, although last year's data is from a different course where the entire focus was on maps. The low score on "places and regions" indicates both a need for a better feedback system between instructor and students in this area and perhaps a less limited number of questions on this area. The area of physical systems should benefit from new course on Environmental Geography that has started its passage through the curriculum cycle.
Goal
Training Geographically Informed Students - Cultural Aspects
Students completing the core courses required for a Geography degree will demonstrate knowledge of cultural geography including both human systems and the interaction between the environment and society.
Objective
Demonstrate Knowledge Of Cultural Concepts In Geography
Students completing the core courses required for a Geography degree will demonstrate knowledge of cultural geography including both human systems and the interaction between the environment and society.
Indicator
Cultural Geography Concepts
Students will correctly answer the embedded questions on exams during the semester that address cultural geography. The areas of emphasis include human systems and the environment and society.
Criterion
70% Accuracy On Cultural Concepts
Students will score 70% correct on those questions pertaining to each of the two areas of emphasis associated with cultural geography concepts.
Finding
Student Learning Outcomes Concerning Cultural Concepts
The students scored an average of 82% correct on questions concerning human systems. The students scored an average of 53% on questions related to the interaction of the environment and society.
Action
Improving Knowledge Of Cultural Aspects Of Geography
Results of the assessment suggest that students possess adequate knowledge of the characteristics, distribution, organization and movement of human, economic and cultural related phenomena across the Earth's surface. This compares well to last year's results: 82% vs. 65%. However, last year's results were from a different course with a slightly different emphasis. Last year's course did not address environmental issues. They possess less than adequate knowledge of how humans modify the physical environment and vice versa. Again, the new course on Environmental Geography is designed to fill this gap in student knowledge.