Successful 2008 Application Abstracts
Dr. Frank Ridzi
Department: Anthropology, Criminology, Sociology
SLA Project for 2008
Project Abstract:
The goal of this project is to simultaneously tie up SLA loose ends and solve student-advising confusion by consolidating multiple curricular checklists into a single and easily auditable checklist. This new checklist will be digital and allow for greater clarity of presentation for key points of departmental student learning objective data collection and analysis, student learning progression through matriculation, course substitutions, and course offering rotations.
In addition, the checklist will facilitate department-wide audits of the curricular relevance of current course offerings and the development of digital portfolios that integrate materials from multiple sequenced courses.
Dr. David P. Voorhees
Department: Mathematics & Computer Science
SLA Project for 2008
Project Abstract:
This project will develop an SLA plan for the new computer science major. The SLA plan will consolidate the programs' learning goals, course learning objectives, and curriculum guidelines, it will identify exam / assignment categories for each required CS course, and will include an implementation schedule. The significant question to be addressed by this SLA plan is how well the first five courses in the new computer science major prepare a student for the upper-division courses and post-graduation.
Dr. Birgit Bryant, Dr. David DiFabio, Dr. Brenda Kirby, Dr. Monica Sylvia, Dr. Theresa White
Department: Psychology
SLA Project for 2008
Project Abstract:
The members of the Department of Psychology who teach PSY 201 would like to revise and evaluate the course substantively in an effort to address the needs of our majors and minors more fully. We would like to create a set of standardized course goals and objectives that reflect the breadth of methodologies in psychology, as well as needs that our students will have as research consumers and / or producers in the future. Specific assessment tools and an over-arching assessment plan will be developed to make certain that our newly developed goals and objectives are being met.
Dr. Mary L. Zampini
Department Foreign Languages & Literatures
SLA Project for 2008
Project Abstract:
This project relates to the last section of the Foreign Languages and Literatures Student Learning Assessment Plans 2007-08, which was submitted in Fall 2007. This section ("For students at all language levels") mentions that the Department will continue to include common components in the final examination. Although the proposed Blackboard tests will not be part of the final exam, they will nevertheless help the Department to examine program effectiveness in a more efficient and comprehensive way by allowing us to collect data in a broader context than that allowed by one brief essay. The idea for a Blackboard-based assessment came to me in Fall 2007 after attending discussions and workshops on student learning assessment; as a result, these tests are not explicitly mentioned in the plan. the project nevertheless has the full support of the Department Chair.