Outcomes Assessment Plan and Report
Department of Health Science
Academic Year 2003-2004
(Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Summer 2004)
Prepared by:
Outcomes Assessment Committee
Satya Krishnan, Charles Kozel, and Sue
Forster-Cox
Department of Health Science
January, 2005
Introduction
The current outcomes
assessment plan and report provides the following information:
1.
Outcomes
Assessment Plan
2.
Methods of
assessment used
3.
The performance measures
or criteria used to determine student learning
4.
Results and
anticipated use of the results of the outcome assessment activities
5.
Dissemination of
results
The report will discuss the
department's undergraduate program first and then the graduate program offered
by the department and will cover the five points listed above. The outcomes assessment plan, methods of
assessment used, and the direct performance measures/criteria used to determine
student learning (1, 2, 3) are compiled and presented together in a tabular
form first for the undergraduate program and then for the graduate program.
1,2,3) Stage
3: Outcomes Assessment Plan.
|
Direct measures of Undergraduate Student's Learning A.
Percentile
scores on the English Writing Assessment test/exam offered in HLS 100. B.
Field
Experience Evaluations by Agency Preceptors. |
Performance Measures: Methods of Assessment and Activities Students take the English
writing test/exam in HLS 100 and are required to score 37 percentile or
greater. Performance
Measures Used: ·
No. of students
who were enrolled in HLS 100 (Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Summer 2004) ·
No. of students
who took the test/exam ·
No. of students
who scored a passing grade of 37 percentile or greater Each undergraduate student
is enrolled in a 6-credit hour field experience course (320 clock-hours) to
gain practical/hands-on experience in Community Health. Students are required to receive
adequate/positive evaluations from their field preceptors, receive a C"
or higher overall grade for the course, make an oral presentation of their
work at the end of the semester faculty/students meeting, and submit a
portfolio of their work to be maintained in the Department library. Performance
Measures Used: ·
No. of students
enrolled in Field Experience for (Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Summer 2004) ·
No. who
received positive preceptor evaluations ·
No. who
received a "C" or higher grade ·
No. who
presented ·
No. who
submitted their portfolio |
|
C.
Student Grades and
Evaluations from Outside
reviewers in the Capstone course HLS 499. |
HLS 499 is the department’s
undergraduate Capstone course that requires students to receive a “C” or
better overall grade and ‘good – excellent’ evaluations on their projects from
external reviewers. Performance
Measures Used: ·
No. of students
enrolled in HLS 499 in the academic year 2004-2004 ·
Grades
received: No.
of A’s No.
of B’s No.
of C’s
Excellent Very Good Good Fair Needs improvement |
|
D.
Pass rate on the
professional certification Examination
for "Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).” |
Undergraduate students are
encouraged to take the national professional certification examination
(‘Certified Health Education Specialist’-CHES) either in the last two
semesters before they graduate or immediately after graduation. Summaries of examination results are sent directly
to the department annually. Performance
Measures Used:
|
4a. Results of
Outcomes Assessment Activities
The following section
describes the results related to the direct measures used to assess student
learning outcomes in the undergraduate program:
A.
Percentile
scores on the English writing assessment test/exam offered in HLS 100:
One of the important
undergraduate students’ learning measures is the percentile scores in the
department’s English writing test/exam.
Students are required to score 37 percentile or greater to be
successful. During the Fall 2003, Spring
2004, Summer 2004 semesters (course not offered in the summer), a total of 27
students took the writing test/exam with the following results.
Number of students who were enrolled in HLS 100 during
Fall 2003, Spring 2004,
Summer
2004: 31 + 15 = 46
Number of students who took the test/exam: 27
(NOTE: Not all students enrolled are required to take
the exam, only those pursuing a major in the Department of Health Science)
or greater: 19
PASS
RATE: 70%
Note:
Typically, each semester some students choose to take the alternate exam,
primarily in those situations in which they are not successful in the
‘Conventions of Written English Exam.’
Additionally, some of the enrolled students are not potential health
science majors and therefore do not take the exam or the alternate one because
the other departments do not have the same requirements as the health science
department.
B.
Field
experience evaluations by agency preceptors:
Each undergraduate student
enrolls in a 6-credit hour field experience course and completes 320 clock hours
of internship to gain practical/hands-on experience in the fields of public
health and community health education.
The following results were recorded on the direct students’ learning
measures.
Fall
2003, Spring 2004, Summer 2004: 16
from their field experience preceptors: 15
Number who received an overall course grade of “C” or
better: 15
Number of students who presented their work as an oral
presentation: 15*
Number of students who have submitted their
portfolios: 15
*
One of the students continued with the field experience and made the
presentation in the following semester.
Overall, all of the students who
enrolled in the field experience course received adequate/positive evaluations
from their field experience preceptors.
All but one of the students (95%) presented their work in front of their
peers, preceptors, and faculty and submitted their portfolios to the
department. All enrolled students
received a grade of “C” or above. The
field experience course is an essential component of the undergraduate program
and reflects students’ abilities to apply classroom knowledge and learning to
practice settings and community based public health and health education
projects and interventions.
C.
Student’s
overall course grades and evaluations from external reviewers in HLS 499:
HLS 499, the departmental
undergraduate Capstone course requires students to receive an overall course
grade of “C” or better and receive a “Good-Excellent” evaluation from external
reviewers on their class assignments/projects.
This course is designed to be a comprehensive overview and integration
of the content covered in the undergraduate program and its application to
three community-wide public health and community health education
projects.
Number of students who enrolled in HLS 499 during
Spring 2004: 31
Overall
student grades:
Number of A’s: 13 (42%)
Number of B’s:
7 (23%)
Number of C’s: 10 (32%)
D.
Pass rate on the professional certification
examination for the “Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES):”
Undergraduate students in the
department are encouraged to take the certification exam during the final two
semesters of their study. Practitioners
in the community indicate the relevance and utility of this certification
exam. Potential employers indicated that
the certification provides a standard to evaluate job applicants. The undergraduate program curriculum
integrates the content included in the CHES certification examination
throughout the various courses. The
following results were obtained for this student-learning measure.
Number of students who took the certification exam: 16
Number
of students who passed the exam: 10
*PASS RATE: 63%*
Overall, approximately 10-20%
of the eligible undergraduate students tend to take the certification exam
before they graduate from the BCH program.
Busy schedules, work and school issues, and cost of the exam have served
as barriers to students taking the exam in the final semester or two of their
study. However, students indicate their
intention to take the exam after they graduate and/or become employed.
* These numbers represent ALL
individuals who attempted the certification exam, including former students,
alumni, undergraduates, graduates, and any other individual currently or
previously affiliated with NMSU.
4b. Anticipated Use of Results
The results from the outcomes
assessments related to direct student learning measures will help guide the
undergraduate program coordinator and other faculty in making decisions and
changes in course content, course offerings and schedule, inclusion of field
experience sites, and in offering special courses such as the CHES preparatory
course. One of the areas for improvement
is to find ways to reduce the perceived barriers to help students successfully
prepare and complete the CHES exam while enrolled in the program. The outcome assessment results have and will
also continue to influence the department's hiring of new tenure-track and/or
full time faculty and/or adjunct faculty.
The results of past assessment's reports have been crucial in the successful
re-accreditation of the Bachelor of Community Health program until 2005.
The outcomes assessment data
have lead to the following changes in the undergraduate program that have
direct impact on undergraduate student learning:
·
Offering of an
alternative English exam/assignment that students can take in their HLS 100
course
·
A systematic review of field experience sites,
preceptors, requirements, and
expectations
·
Integration of a
new format for field experience presentations and more involvement of the
external field experience preceptors
·
Course offerings
(in particular core courses) are scheduled on a regular cycle
·
HLS 485, the CHES
preparatory course is now being offered
·
New tenure track
faculty have been hired
·
A new full-time
instructor for teaching general education courses has been hired
·
A new field
experience brochure has been developed detailing the key aspects for students and field experience
preceptors. Additionally the number and
types of sites have been expanded
·
The BCH oversight
committee with current student, alumni, and community representation has been
instituted to serve in an advisory capacity to the undergraduate program
coordinator
·
Availability of
application forms on the departmental web-site
·
An ongoing
assessment of course offerings and how to include courses in gerontology as
well as web-CT courses to enhance the quality of the undergraduate degree
program offered by the Health Science Department
5. Dissemination of Results
The results of the assessment
of direct student learning measures will be disseminated in the following ways:
1. Distribution of the written report to
all full time faculty.
2. Sharing of a summary of the findings
and results with all faculty (full time, part time, and adjunct).
3. Submission of the written report to
the College Dean and University Provost.
4. Make available the current and
previous outcomes assessment reports to all department personnel by having
copies available in the departmental library and on the departmental website
at: http://www.nmsu.edu/~hlthdpt/faculty.html.
Outcomes Assessment Plan and Report
Department of Health Science
Academic Year 2003-2004
(Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Summer 2004)
Prepared by:
Outcomes Assessment Committee
Satya Krishnan, Charles Kozel, and Sue
Forster-Cox
Department of Health Science
January, 2005
(Master of Public Health in Community Health
Education)
1,2,3) Stage 3.
Outcomes Assessment Plan
|
Direct Measures of Graduate Student Learning A.
A grade of
"B" or better in MPH Core courses. B.
Field
Experience evaluations by Agency Preceptors. |
Performance Measures and Methods of Assessment and
Activities The MPH program has 10
core courses. Students are required to
score "B" or better grades in these courses. Performance Measures Used: The core courses offered in
each academic year, number of students enrolled in each, and the number of
students receiving a “B” or better grade are compiled. Each graduate student is
enrolled in a 3-credit hour field experience (160 clock hours) to gain
practical/hands-on experience in public health and community health
Education. Students are required to
receive adequate/positive evaluations from their field preceptors, receive an
overall course grade of "B" or higher, make an oral presentation of
their work at the end of the semester, and submit a portfolio of their work
to be maintained in the department library. Performance Measures Used: ·
No. of students
enrolled in Field Experience for (Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Summer 2004) ·
No. who
received positive preceptor evaluations ·
No. of received
"B" of higher grade ·
No. who
presented ·
No. of who
submitted their portfolio |
|
C.
Pass rate on
the professional certification examination for "Certified Health
Education Specialist (CHES)". D. Final thesis or non-thesis option |
Graduate students are
encouraged to take the certification (CHES) examination either in the last
two semesters before they graduate or immediately after graduation. Copies of the examination results are
directly sent to the department annually. Performance Measures Used: ·
No. of students
who enrolled in the preparation courses and the number who took the CHES exam
for the academic year 2003-2004 ·
No. of students
who passed the exam ·
Pass Rate Departmental graduate
students have the option of completing comprehensive exams (written and oral,
non-thesis option) or a research-based thesis and its defense (thesis
option). Both culminating events are
open to all students and faculty. Each
exam/student thesis committee is chaired by a departmental faculty (of
students' choice), a departmental faculty member, and a dean's representative
(from another department). Performance Measures Used: ·
No. of students
who graduated in the Academic Year 2003-2004 ·
No. of students
who selected the comprehensive exam option (non-thesis option) ·
No. of students
who were successful in the comprehensive exam (non-thesis) option ·
No. of students
who selected the thesis option ·
No. of students
who successfully defended their thesis |
4a. Results of
Outcomes Assessment Activities
The following section
documents the results obtained from the direct measures used to assess graduate
students’ learning in the MPH program.
A.
A grade of “B” or better in MPH core courses:
The graduate (MPH) students
are required to take 10 courses that are considered core courses in the
program. Student learning was assessed
by documenting the number of students who received a “B” or better in each of
these courses. The data compiled in the
table below is based on the courses that were offered and the available data:
Course
No. No. of students
enrolled “B” or
better grade
MPH
500 (Fall 2003) 15 14
(93%)
MPH
510 (Fall 2003) 17 16 (94%)
MPH
520 (Fall 2003) 09 04
(44%)
MPH
530 (Sp.2004) 17 15
(88%)
MPH
550 (Sp.2004) 21 21
(100%)
MPH
570 (Sp.2004) 18 18
(100%)
MPH
572 (Sp.2004) 08 06
(75%)
MPH
573 (Fall 2003) 12 11 (92%)
MPH
574 (Fall 2003) 08 08
(100%)
MPH
579 (Sp.2004) 04 04
(100%)
As the table above indicates,
a majority of the students had received a “B” of better grade in the core
courses. A student may receive a “C”
grade in a course but has to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 in the program. Thus far all MPH students have met this
requirement.
B.
Field experience evaluations by agency
preceptors:
An essential ingredient of
student learning is their ability to apply and integrate classroom and
theoretical knowledge to practice. The
field experience course provides this unique opportunity and is a required
course in the MPH program. The program
has been flexible to allow for students to serve as interns in either local or
state/national agencies that meet their interests and needs.
Each graduate student enrolls
in a 3-credit hour field experience course and completes 160 clock hours of
internship to gain practical/hands-on experience in the fields of public health
and community health education. The
following results were recorded on the direct students’ learning measures.
Fall 2002, Spring 2003, and Summer 2003: 7
from their field experience preceptors: 7
Number who received an overall course grade of “B” or
better: 7
Number of students who presented their work as an oral
presentation: 7
Number of students who submitted their portfolios: 7
The field experience course
is an essential component of the graduate program and as indicated previously
reflects students’ abilities to apply classroom knowledge and learning to
practice settings and community based public health and health education
projects and interventions.
Like the undergraduate
students, departmental graduate students are encouraged to take the
certification exam during the final two semesters of their study. Practitioners in the community indicate the
relevance and utility of this certification exam. Potential employers indicate that the
certification provides a standard to evaluate job applicants. The graduate program curriculum covers the
content included in the CHES certification examination. Additionally, the department offers a
1-credit CHES preparation course.
Overall fewer graduate
students have taken the CHES exam as compared to the number of undergraduate
students. Additionally, fewer graduate students have expressed interest or
intent to take the certification exam before they graduate from the MPH program
as compared to the number of undergraduate students. Busy schedules, work and school issues, and
cost of the exam have served as barriers to students taking the exam in the
final semester or two of their study. In
the future, the department will have to find better ways to highlight the
relevance of the certification exam and its utility in public health and
community health education practice.
Additionally, the department will need to find better ways of reducing
barriers to taking the CHES exam and better integrating the CHES preparatory
course into the MPH program.
D.
Thesis or Non-thesis option:
MPH graduate students have
the option of selecting one of two options available for their culminating
event. The events are open to all
students and faculty and are designed to evaluate students’ overall knowledge,
understanding, and skills in core public health and health education topic
areas as well as their special area of interest. The following results were compiled for the
2003-2004 academic year (Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Summer 2004).
No. of students who
graduated in the academic year 2003-2004: 12
No. of students who selected the
non-thesis option: 6 (50%) No. of students who were
successful: 6 (50%)
No. of students who selected the
thesis option: 6
(50%)
No. of students who were successful: 6(50%)
An increasing number of students are beginning to select the
thesis option because of personal interest in pursuing graduate school, medical
school, or a career in the public health sector. The current full accreditation of the MPH
program and the successful hiring of a biostatistician to teach statistical
courses and consult on students’ theses appear to play a role in changing the
above trend.
The outcomes assessment
efforts have lead to the following changes in the graduate program that have
direct impact on graduate student learning:
·
Course offerings
(in particular core course) are scheduled on a regular cycle
·
New tenure track
faculty have been hired including a fulltime senior level faculty to teach
research and biostatistics courses
·
Streamlining of
biostatistics requirements and prerequisites among new admits
·
The MPH oversight
committee with current student, alumni, and community representation has been
instituted to serve in an advisory capacity to the undergraduate program
coordinator
·
Continuation of the graduate
student organization (MPHSO)
·
Review of all MPH core courses
and field experience sites and requirements on an ongoing basis
·
A current review of admissions
standards and requirements
·
Expansion of field experience
sites to those located out-of-state including federal internships
·
Offering of graduate and
teaching assistantships to a larger cohort of graduate students
·
Development of a better
tracking data system on current and prospective MPH students
·
Availability of all
application forms on the department web-site
·
The project option has been
phased out with students having a choice between thesis /non-thesis option
4b. Anticipated Use of Results
The results from these
outcomes assessment efforts will guide the graduate program coordinator and
other departmental faculty in making useful and effective decisions and changes
in:
a)
Course
content
b) Course offerings and schedule
c)
Field
Experience sites
d) Hiring of faculty (full time and
adjunct)
e)
Better
integration of CHES preparation into the MPH curriculum
f)
Greater
support and promotion of the thesis option
g)
A
more stringent admissions standards for incoming students
In fact, these activities
helped the department make a successful and rational case for new faculty lines
and/or fill existing vacant lines, and successfully apply and receive
accreditation for its MPH program and a new minor in Border Health. In addition, the results from the outcomes
assessment were also helpful in receiving full reaccredidation in 2003.
4c. Dissemination of Results
The results of the outcomes
assessment activities will be disseminated in the following ways:
1. Distribution of the written report to
all full time faculty.
2. Sharing of a summary of the findings
and results with all faculty (full time, part time, and adjunct).
3. Submission of the written report to
the College Dean and University Provost.
4. Make available the current and previous
outcomes assessment reports to all department personnel by having copies
available in the departmental library and on the departmental website at: http://www.nmsu.edu/~hlthdpt/faculty.html.