STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
SUMMARY FORM AY 2011-2012
Degree and
Program Name:
MA – Mathematics (Mathematics Education)
Submitted By:
Marshall Lassak
Please complete a separate worksheet for each academic program
(major, minor) at each level (undergraduate, graduate) in your
department. Worksheets are due to CASA this year by June
15, 2012. Worksheets should be sent electronically to
[email protected] and should also be submitted to your college
dean. For information about assessment or help with your
assessment plans, visit the Assessment webpage at
http://www.eiu.edu/~assess/ or contact Karla Sanders in CASA at
581-6056.
Please use size 10 font or larger.
PART ONE
What are the learning
objectives?
How, where, and when are they
assessed?
What are the expectations?
What are the results?
1. Students will demonstrate
an understanding of advanced
mathematical content
knowledge in areas as
identified by AMATYC1 and
NCTM2 standards.
Completion of required
mathematics content coursework
(homework, exams, and projects).
Courses: MAT 4810/5810,
MAT 5635, MAT 5335, or other
allowable mathematics content
elective.
Coursework will be completed
with a grade of at least a B.
13 students in MAT 5335
(11-A, 1-B, 1-C, 1-W)
Graduate coordinator will meet
with faculty assigned to teach
course to discuss any
perceived content deficiencies.
If needed, deficiencies will be
addressed through
supplemental work as
determined by both the
graduate coordinator and
faculty teaching the content
course.
Coursework will be completed
with a grade of at least a B.
3 students in MAT 5810
(3-A)
2. Students will practice,
apply, and reflect on ethics,
technology use, new
pedagogical ideas, techniques
and practices related to
mathematics education as
identified by the NCTM
professional development
Completion of required
education and mathematics
education coursework
(homework, exams, and
projects).
Courses: MAT 4800, MAT
5400, MAT 5500, MAT 5700
Mathematics education courses
typically require a project or
clinical experience that is tied
into course completion. These
projects/experiences are
Committee/ person
responsible? How are
results shared?
Graduate mathematics
faculty assigned to teach
specific courses.
Graduate coordinator.
Department chair.
14 students in MAT 4800
(14-A, completion of project
at high level)
Graduate mathematics
education faculty
assigned to teach specific
courses.
Graduate coordinator
collects and compiles the
data.
standards.
assessed via instructor created
rubrics.
3. Students will demonstrate
effective writing skills and
ethics in the field through
reviewing and conducting
research in the field of
mathematics education.
4. Students will demonstrate
effective oral and written
skills through a presentation
of their action research
projects.
Completion of a literature review
(in course MAT 5410) and
completion of action research
project for the independent
study/thesis program
requirement.
The action research project is
assessed across four categories
using the ‘Action Research
Project Rubric’ by the
independent study advisor. The
Graduate committee reviews, but
does not assess all finished
action research projects.
The action research project
presentation or manuscript is
assessed using one category on
the ‘Action Research Project
Rubric’ by the independent study
advisor. A rating of ‘Advanced’
or higher is expected.
Literature review will compile
appropriate, relevant, and
recent research in the field.
Action research project will
demonstrate the ability to
design a study that either tests
a hypothesis or measures the
results of a treatment. The
action research project must
obtain the level of ‘Advanced’
or higher in all four categories
assessed.
12 students in MAT 5410
(11-A, completion of
literature review at high
level, 1- incomplete)
Presentation of the action
research project in an
appropriate venue –orpreparation of a manuscript
based on the action research
project for submission to an
appropriate journal.
4 projects are scheduled to
be presented in Summer
2012.
Independent study
advisor rates the
presentation.
1 presentation was
completed in Spring 2012 at
a local conference. It was at
an advanced or higher level.
Graduate coordinator
coordinates presentations
and manuscripts.
11 action research projects
started in Fall 2011; 6 were
completed by Spring 2012
(all rated at advanced or
higher level in all
categories); 5 scheduled to
be completed by Summer
2012.
Graduate mathematics
education faculty assigned to teach
MAT 5410 and direct
independent studies.
Graduate committee
approves and reviews
action research projects.
Graduate coordinator
collects and compiles the
data.
1 manuscript is scheduled to
be submitted.
.
1
2
AMATYC stands for American Mathematics Association of Two Year Colleges.
NCTM stands for National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
PART TWO
It is worth beginning this section as I have in previous years by noting that the program continues to attract students for one of three purposes:
professional advancement, ability to teach dual-credit courses, and to prepare for further graduate study in mathematics education.
This is important to continue to note because each purpose carries with it different needs. Those who wish to pursue dual-credit teaching certification need additional
content knowledge and therefore need more emphasis on identifying content knowledge deficiencies as required by cooperating community colleges. Students solely pursuing
professional advancement do not necessarily have the same depth of content needs or desires. Because of this, faculty identified content deficiencies of students are used
in addition to course grades to assess students in the area of content knowledge. This two-pronged approach appears to adequately meet our assessment needs in this
area. As will be discussed later, we are beginning to explore further improvements in this area.
Using the current assessment plan, two graduate students withdrew from the program based upon identified content knowledge deficiencies.
Based on high enrollment in MAT 5410, a record number of action research projects were initiated over the last year. The diversity of projects, and number of
faculty involved in advising have made apparent some gaps in our current assessment program for both the literature review and the action research project. As currently
written and implemented, it is not possible to assess every action research project using the current rubric. The opportunities that action research offers are not properly reflected
in the current rubric. Additionally, students are presenting results of their work in a variety of settings. When initially written, the idea was that all students would present
their finished work at the Mathematics Education Research Day. This is not feasible and not always the most effective avenue for presentation. A new rubric/assessment
plan is needed. Work on this will begin in the Summer 2012 semester.
One graduate student shared work from an action research project at the 2012 College of Sciences Graduate Showcase.
The details for the new clinical experience that will require students to design a lesson (or series of lessons) for implementation in the classroom based on content
learned in the program has passed the departmental curriculum committee and should work its way through the required university committees in the 2012-2013
academic year. Students beginning the program in summer of 2015 will be required to complete this new requirement. Additionally, the course proposal for the
new on-line course, MAT 5409 (an online research readings course) has also made it through the departmental curriculum committee.
Finally, last summer was the initial implementation of a new graduate program survey focused on gaining student feedback from first year graduate students. The
survey focused on having students identify program details and elements they found beneficial and relevant to their career goals. All first year graduate students
completed the survey.
PART THREE
Mathematics content courses in the program continue to challenge our graduate students. Many first year students indicated that the believed the content courses
they took were lacking in relevance to their career goals. In partial response to this we are offering a problem-solving content course in the coming summer that
should be more relevant to teachers and will allow much time for students to interact with each other during class. This class also helps us to begin to address the
new Common Core State Mathematics Standards. Another way we will attempt to address this issue is through better initial advising about content course
requirements and purpose in the program. Finally, the new clinical experience described in Part Two is designed specifically to help graduate students make
connections between content learned in the program with their teaching/pedagogical practice.
While this seems to be an ongoing issue, we continue to believe that course grades do provide some measure of competence for what graduates have learned
in a particular content area. We do acknowledge that a set of measurable standards are needed to better ascertain specifically what students are learning and what (if any)
specific content should be learned in the program. Part of this may be addressed by the forthcoming new clinical experience. This clinical experience will
allow students to show how they have integrated their content experiences into their pedagogical practices. This, in turn, should help us better identify content needs
and areas that are most beneficial to our students. Additionally, the department will undergo an external review in the coming year and this should provide the opportunity
to engage faculty in conversations as to what those standards should be. In the meanwhile, we continue to use instructor-identified deficiencies as the additional measure
of what has been learned.