OATdb Archive - Sam Houston State University

OATdb Archive

2013 - 2014

Sociology BA/BS

Goal

Achieve Sociological Competency: Entry Level

Students who take introductory sociology classes will gain knowledge of social life, social change, and the causes and consequences of human behavior as they acquire the sociological perspective.

Objective

Demonstrate Sociological Competency: Entry Level

Students who take introductory sociology classes that are included in the SHSU Core Curriculum will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the basic core concepts of the discipline and the sociological perspective.

Indicator

Comprehension Of Basic Core Concepts

A sample of students enrolled in the three introduction-level sociology classes in the SHSU Core Curriculum (SOCI2319 in Component Area IV: Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts; and, SOCI1301 and SOCI1306 in Component Area V: Social and Behavioral Sciences) is chosen in the Spring semester for evaluation. Students responded to a five question evaluation instrument that measures their understanding of basic core concepts in Sociology. The selection of these indicators conforms to disciplinary standards for sociological research. This assessment was developed by the Department Undergraduate Committee and approved by the entire faculty.

Criterion

Desired Result: Comprehension Of Basic Core Concepts

At least 85% of participating students should have at least 3 correct answers out of the 5 questions.

Finding

Results: Comprehension Of Basic Core Concepts

Component Area IV: Out of 878 participating students in 23 sections, 87.2% of the students performed satisfactorily.
Component Area V: Out of 276 participating students in 10 sections, 92.4% of the students performed satisfactorily.

Action

Comprehend Basic Core Concepts

The data indicate the desired result is exceeded regarding both component areas. The department will continue to ensure that entry level students understand the basic core concepts of sociology.

Goal

Sociological Competency: Exit Level

Students who complete the Sociology Program will have an advanced understanding of the core concepts of the discipline and the sociological perspective.

Objective

Demonstrate Sociological Competency: Exit Level

Sociology majors will be able to demonstrate and apply advanced sociological knowledge and scientific skills to critically analyze social phenomenon through a capstone research paper.

Indicator

Sociological Papers

The SOCI4399: Senior Seminar class is a required capstone course to achieve the BA/BS in Sociology. A sociological research paper is a requirement of the class. A random sample of twenty-five percent of student research papers are selected from SOCI4399: Senior Seminar class in the Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 semesters for assessment of their advanced sociological knowledge and scientific skills to critically analyze social phenomenon.

The Undergraduate Committee reviews the selected papers at the end of the Spring semester based on three core criteria in the discipline of Sociology: sociological theory; sociological methods; and sociological perspective. The selection of these criteria conforms to disciplinary standards for sociological research. The evaluation rubric was developed by the Undergraduate Committee and approved by the entire faculty (see Attachment 2: Undergraduate Exit-Level Assessment Rubric).

Each paper is evaluated by three undergraduate committee members (two faculty members and the Director) using the evaluation rubric, where a score from 1 to 5 (1 is “no mastery” and 5 is “excellent mastery”) is assigned in each of the three core areas. Note: The Undergraduate Committee is composed of four faculty members plus the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Each paper is evaluated two faculty members and the Director.

Criterion

Desired Result: Sociological Papers

At least 75% of papers should be rated 3 or better on average in all three core areas.

Finding

Sociological Papers

83.3% of the students’ papers meet the minimum requirement in all three criteria.

Action

Apply Sociological Perspective, Theory, And Methods

The data indicate that the desired result is exceeded. Those who did not perform satisfactorily did not meet the minimum evaluative criteria regarding use of sociological perspective, demonstrate understanding of sociological theory, and apply appropriate sociological methods. The department will continue to make efforts in curricula and teaching to reduce the percentage of students who do not meet the minimum criteria.

Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

The desired outcome for the entry-level learning indicator was 85% in the 2012-2013 cycle. This criterion was achieved (87.6% for Component Area IV; 87.1% for Component Area V). In the 2013-2014 cycle, we maintained the desired criteria (minimum of 85). The outcomes of the entry-level evaluations in 2013-2014 are 87.2% in Component Area IV and 92.4% in Component Area V. These outcomes indicate the learning objective was achieved successfully. Students in introductory sociology classes are learning the basic core concepts at a level above the minimum of 85%.

The outcome of the exit-level evaluation did not meet the desired criteria in the 2012-2013 cycle. Therefore, the exit-level learning objective remains the same at 75% in the 2013-2014 cycle. To achieve the desired learning outcomes, early in the 2013-2014 academic year the department re-evaluated the objectives and instructions of the SOCI4399 course and suggested interventions. As a result of the intervention we successfully met the desired minimum criteria of 75% (83.3%) indicating that Sociology majors are able to demonstrate and apply advanced sociological knowledge and scientific skills to critically analyze social phenomenon through a research paper.

Plan for continuous improvement Regarding the entry level assessment, while in the 2014-2015 cycle we will maintain the desired criteria of the 2013-2014 cycle (minimum of 85%), the Sociology Department Undergraduate Program will put more effort on improving the learning outcomes of online students. The department has experienced a rapid increase in the number of students taking online classes. Online classes tend to exhibit more pedagogical challenges. To improve overall student learning outcomes, it is important to elevate the learning outcomes of online students. The Undergraduate Committee will develop instructional recommendations to improve students’ learning outcomes by coordinating with the Department-level performance objectives regarding the undergraduate program.

Regarding the exit level assessment, the outcome of the exit-level evaluation met the desired criteria in the 2013-2014 cycle. To stabilize this successful pattern of student learning outcomes, we will maintain the same criteria (minimum of 75%) for the 2014-2015 cycle, but continue to invest our effort on improvement of student learning outcomes. As part of this effort, the major challenges for students in the SOCI4399 class regarding the three core areas (theory, methods, and sociological perspective) will be identified and a plan for appropriate interventions will be discussed and suggestions for improvement provided by the undergraduate committee.

As a new component of continuous improvement, the SOCI2399: Writing in Sociology course will be included as a mid-level assessment for all sociology majors in the 2014-2015 cycle. To better prepare Sociology majors for writing in all upper-level courses, the SOCI2399 course was added to the Sociology major core requirements in Fall 2013. To develop the proposed mid-level assessment, a pilot evaluation protocol was created, implemented, and revised during the SOCI2399 course in Spring 2014.

In the 2014-2015 academic year, this course will be provided in the Fall and Spring semesters. The Undergraduate Committee will meet in early Fall 2014 and establish achievable criteria to measure mid-level student success toward the learning objectives. As a potential procedure, twenty-five percent of the students enrolled in each class will be randomly selected for assessment in both semesters. The Undergraduate Committee will review the papers at the end of the Spring semester based on the revised evaluation protocol.