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Course Redesign: Assessment in a High Enrollment Course. Dr. Diane Finley Prince George’s Community College Pearson Publishers 2012. PGCC Statistics. Urban campus, outside of Washington DC Over 50 years in existence 118,000 credits taken in Fall 2009 40,000 students across 5 locations
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Course Redesign:Assessment in a High Enrollment Course Dr. Diane FinleyPrince George’s Community CollegePearson Publishers 2012
PGCC Statistics • Urban campus, outside of Washington DC • Over 50 years in existence • 118,000 credits taken in Fall 2009 • 40,000 students across 5 locations • 89% minorities • 57% under age 30 • 20% first time college students • 60% work more than 20 hrs. per week • 241 FT faculty; 686 PT faculty
Psychology Department Stats • 10 FT faculty • @ 35-40 PT faculty • 50+ sections of Psychology 1010 (General/Intro) each term • Over 300 psychology majors • Also provide support courses for Health and Education professionals
Enrollment Stats • Fall 2010 – 1300 • Spring 2011 - 1618 • Fall 2011 – 1847 • Spring 2012- 1173 (so far)
College Assessment Mandate • 1999: assessment of course learning outcomes (CLOs) of general education courses (PSY 1010 is one) • 2000-2002: revised master syllabi so CLOs are measurable and assignments align • 2002: 5 year plan with systematic assessment of 60% of CLOs • 2006: revisions to comply with Middle States • 2009: departmental work to align with APA Undergraduate Goals • 2011: new master syllabi to comply with federal financial aid compliance
Additional Influences • State Legislature • Federal Financial Aid mandates • APA Undergraduate Guidelines • Articulation Agreements
Psychology Department Plan • Conducted Departmental Self Study • Concerns given the number of faculty teaching 1010 • Mesh with APA Undergraduate Outcomes (now Guidelines) • Rewrote CLOs and also developed specific content objectives • Common final exam • Required Information Literacy Assignment
First Results • Mean percent correct: 68% factual 64% conceptual/applied • Biggest problem area: learning/conditioning • Final exam scores roughly correlated to class grades
Changes to “The Plan” • Modified procedures for exam • Modified some questions on exam • “Workshops” on specific content • FT faculty participating in observation of adjuncts – review of course syllabus • Common textbook • Required workbook/MPL site
Challenges • Exam security/procedures Teaching to the test Student cheating • Faculty anxiety about how results used • Measure faculty performance to improve both teaching and learning • Analysis of exam data
Upcoming Changes • Computerized “grading” • Specific linkage to course outcomes • “standardized” rubric for major assignments • Standardized percentages for assignments – info literacy, workbook and MPL
For Information Diane Finley Department of Psychology, M2054Prince George’s Community College 301 Largo RoadLargo MD 20774 301-322-0525finleydl@pgcc.edu