PSU Anthropology DepartmentAssessment Procedures

Dr. Michele Gamburdgamburdm@pdx.edu

Short History• Departments required in 1999 to begin formulating

assessment procedures – Michele Gamburd and Marc Feldesman undertook this

project for Anthropology• Our goal: the easiest, most efficient, least intrusive

procedure possible • PSU support through Center for Academic Excellence – Our thanks to Cheryl Ramette

• Assessment procedure implemented in 2002-2003 and all subsequent academic years

Learning Goals

• The department faculty captured our programmatic goals in clear, short statements– Three main categories of goals with 17 sub-goals

• Goals are closely related to the construction of our curriculum and mirror our B.A./B.S. requirements

• Examples of learning goals --

Communication Skills. Students will show proficiency in critical thinking and academic writing.

1. Students will demonstrate the ability to think critically, including the ability to view problems from multiple points of view.

2. Students will demonstrate proficiency in a language other than their natal language. (THIS GOAL IS MET BY THE BA/BS LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT.)

3. Students will be able to write an essay or paper that conforms to the basic rules of English grammar, syntax, and spelling.

4. Essays and/or papers will show an understanding of the difference between scholarly, peer-reviewed literature versus written works for general audiences and lay public (e.g., National Geographic, Discover, Wikipedia). This will be shown through in-text citation and bibliographies included with student papers/essays. As well, students will understand and apply the principles of academic honesty codified in the Anthropology Department’s “Statement on Academic Honesty”.

Applications of Anthropology. Students will understand how to apply anthropological

methods in an ethical and effective fashion to research questions, issues, and debates.

1. Students will understand and apply the research methods appropriate to at least one subfield of anthropology.

2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of how the interplay among theory, research questions, methods, and data shapes our knowledge and/or interpretations of the human past and present.

3. Students will understand the relevance of anthropology in and to contemporary public issues.

4. Students will understand the ethical codes appropriate to each subfield of anthropology.

Anthropological Theories. Students will show mastery of theories fundamental

to the subfields of Anthropology.

• Anthropology in general: 2 goals• Sociocultural Anthropology: 2 goals• Anthropological Archaeology: 3 goals• Biological Anthropology: 2 goals• Goals match key concepts in core courses

Curriculum Map

• Goals noted across the top• Classes that meet our major requirements

noted down the side• In the grid, each class evaluated in terms of

how it meets each goal0 = This course does not address this goal.1 = This goal is minimally addressed.2 = This goal is somewhat addressed.3 = This goal is well integrated into the course.

Curriculum Map (subsection)DEPT GOALS: I. Reasoning &

Communic’n Skills II. Applications of Anthropology

I.1 Critical Thinking I.3 Writing II.1 Apply research methods

COURSES:

304 Social Theory 3 3 1

305 Culture Theory 3 2 1

350 Arch’l Method & Th 3 3 2

370 Paleoanthropology 3 0 0

372 Human Variability 3 3 0

0 = This course does not address this goal.1 = This goal is minimally addressed.2 = This goal is somewhat addressed.3 = This goal is well integrated into the course.

Assessment process

• Fall Faculty Retreat: decide which goal or goals to evaluate and which 2 classes to assess.

• Through the year: the two faculty members collect class portfolios.

• What goes in a portfolio?

Class Portfolio

• Syllabus• Handouts of all assignments and tests• 5 student work samples from one assignment – Highest A, lowest A, lowest B, lowest C, lowest grade– Qualitative measure of student work

• Grade distribution for that particular assignment– How many students wrote ‘papers like these’?– Quantitative measure of student work

Assessment process, continued

End of year “Portfolio Review Day”• Department faculty sit down and read portfolios• Evaluate with rubric to see if the classes meet

the goal; discuss possible modifications to the classes

• Discuss where those classes fit into the curriculum map

• Make modifications to goals, rubrics, map• Document process and outcome in yearly report

Assessment rubrics

• List the goal(s) under assessment• Address two aspects of class portfolios – Materials presented by the instructors (syllabus,

course readings, course projects, assignments, tests, etc.)

– Student outcomes• Work samples = qualitative measure• Grade distribution on that assignment or test =

quantitative measure

Instructor Materials Student Work Samples

3 = Excellent - Material incorporated into multiple class components, integral to class.

- Learning goals, syllabus, readings, assignments, and tests closely linked.

- Students creatively and critically engage in projects

Nearly all of the samples show mastery of knowledge or skillOR: lowest ranked work sample demonstrates basic grasp of concepts

2 = Good - Material central to a section of the class but not integrated.

- Syllabus, readings, assignments, and tests adequately linked.

- Student knowledge and application of materials tested

Some or many of the samples show mastery of knowledge or skill

1 = Inadequate

- Material tangential to class.- Syllabus, readings, assignments, and

tests not linked.- Students tested for only minimal

knowledge

Few or none of the samples show mastery of knowledge or skill

0 = N.A. No basis for judgment No basis for judgment

Reports

• Reports generated yearly• The Anthropology Department’s assessment

materials, including yearly reports, are posted on the web at http://www.anthropology.pdx.edu/programs/programs.html#DepartmentAssessment

Benefits of assessment

• Department has an annual conversation about our curriculum and overarching goals

• We enjoyed seeing each other’s syllabi and assignments

• The Portfolio Review Day provides a venue to discuss curricular changes– E.g. revisions to BA/BS and MA/MS requirements