Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan for UGA Plant Biology B.S. Program 9/25/2015 Overall Objective: The goal of the Plant Biology undergraduate major is to teach and provide students with training and knowledge that will allow them to succeed in careers associated with plant sciences. We recently revised our program to offer two Areas of Emphasis: Plant Ecology and Environment and Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics. The majority of Plant Biology graduates go on to pursue graduate programs or other professional training. Others go directly into the job market in plant science‐related careers. For both areas of emphasis, a successful career requires knowledge of Plant Biology core concepts and skills. With the following Learning Outcomes Assessment plan, we aim to assess the core concepts and skills delivered by our program. 1) Learning outcome #1 : Scientific literacy Scientific literacy is an important expected outcome of our program. It is broadly defined as the ability to evaluate the validity of scientific information and arguments. Our expectation is that Plant Biology majors will attain scientific literacy, assessed as the ability to understand methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge, and the ability to organize, analyze and interpret quantitative data and scientific information. We will assess this learning outcome with a TOSLS test developed by Cara Gormally, who received her PhD from our program in 2010, and Peggy Brickman, who is a Professor in our Department (Gormally, Brickman and Lux, 2012, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3516792/pdf/364.pdf). The free online TOSLS test consists of 28 multiple choice questions that take about 20 minutes to answer and assess the following aspects of scientific literacy skills: a. Ability to understand methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge i. Identify a valid scientific argument ii. Evaluate the validity of sources iii. Evaluate the use and misuse of scientific information iv. Understand the elements of research design and how they impact scientific findings/conclusions b. Ability to organize, analyze and interpret quantitative data and scientific information i. Create graphical representations of data ii. Read and interpret graphical representations of data iii. Solve problems using quantitative skills, including probability and statistics iv. Understand and interpret basic statistics v. Justify inferences, predictions, and conclusions based on quantitative data The TOSLS test will be given to each Plant Biology major early in her/his program to establish a baseline and again at the end of their program to assess whether she/he has achieved the expected competency. To establish a baseline for each Plant Biology major, all current Plant Biology majors who have completed BIOL 1107‐BIOL 1107L or PBIO 1210‐PBIO 1210L will be required to take the test no later than spring semester 2016. After our current majors have been initially assessed, all newly declared 1 majors will be required to take the test after they have completed BIOL 1107‐BIOL 1107L or PBIO 1210‐
PBIO 1210L and joined the program. Each Plant Biology major will be retested during her/his last semester before graduating. We will examine the results of newly declared and finishing students. For the newly declared majors, we expect to see test scores to be similar to or greater than those for biology majors at research university who have completed an initial general biology class (67%, Gormally et al. 2012). If this expectation is not met, then this would reflect that students are coming into the program with lower than expected baseline scientific literacy skills. If this is the case, then we will investigate the possibility of offering additional opportunities for development of scientific literacy skills in the entry level classes for our majors. We would also seek to work with instructors in lower level Biology courses to incorporate additional skill development opportunities into their classes. For Plant Biology majors nearing graduation, we expect to see test scores in the range bracketed by scores of environmental biology majors at private research university after completing general biology class (84%) and scores of biology experts (91.4%, Gormally et al. 2012). If this expectation is not met, then we will investigate the possibility of redesigning our major requirements to include additional opportunities to develop scientific literacy skills. Options would include redesigning current classes, providing alternative or additional classes, and developing additional non‐class skill development opportunities. 2) Learning Outcome #2 Student mastery of Core Concepts in Plant Biology The mastery of core concepts in Plant Biology is an important expected outcome of our program. These core concepts have been identified by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in their “Vision and Change in Undergraduate Education” (http://visionandchange.org/files/2011/03/Revised‐Vision‐and‐Change‐Final‐Report.pdf) and by the American Association of Plant Biologists in their “Core Concepts and Learning Objectives in Plant Biology for Undergraduates” (http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/my.aspb.org/resource/dynamic/blogs/20121023_124722_27174.pdf) The core concepts are organized into four major areas: a) From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes; b) Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, Dynamics; c) Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits; and d) Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity. We will use two tools to assess mastery of core concepts. a) We will use a test is that is currently in development to assess core concepts identified in the AAAS Vision and Change, (http://www.fasebj.org/content/28/1_Supplement/531.11 ). This Bio‐MAP test is anticipated to be available in 2016. We will administer 2 sections of the test (cellular and molecular biology, and ecology and evolution) to our majors prior to graduation. If there is a cost to administer the test through the developers, then the Department will cover the cost. If the test results demonstrate that our students do not achieve competency in core concepts then we will reevaluate our required course offerings, course content, and non‐course activities to address deficiencies. 2 b) Curriculum Mapping will be used to assess the opportunities for Plant Biology to engage the core concepts identified by AAAS and ASPB. We will establish a committee to adapt the “Vision and Change” curriculum mapping tools developed by PULSE (http://serp.biologyandtheliberalarts.org/styled‐16/index.html ) for our curriculum. For classes required by the major, the committee will ask faculty to score classes for the extent to which they address the Vision and Change core concepts and learning objectives. The Committee will then compile the results and assess adequacy of coverage of core concepts. If student opportunities to engage in core concepts are not adequate, then the committee will make recommendations to the Department Head and the faculty for areas where students need additional opportunities for engagement and possible solutions for enhancing those opportunities. 3) Learning Outcome #3: Ability to write a research proposal for independent research. Plant Biology majors are required to do one semester of independent research (PBIO 4960 or comparable independent research course) or an internship (PBIO 4940, PBIO 4261) to gain hands‐on research experience. As part of the application process for independent research or internship, a student is required to develop and submit a (1 ‐2 page) proposal with guidance from faculty and graduate student mentors. The proposal will include a project title, research objectives and hypotheses within context of research background, technical approaches and specific objectives, and expected research outcomes and significance. Each proposal will be assessed using a modified version of the rubric provided by HHMI (http://www.southwestern.edu/live/files/2215‐hhmi‐summer‐research‐
proposal‐evaluation). Each proposal will be evaluated by the faculty mentor, the graduate student and/or postdoc mentor (if applicable), the undergraduate coordinator, and the undergraduate liaison. The results will be collated by the undergraduate coordinator. The expectation is competency, defined as a minimum score of average across all categories. If students are not achieving competency, then the undergraduate coordinator will make recommendations to the Department Head and faculty for areas that need additional mentoring and possible solutions for delivering that mentoring. 4) Learning Outcome #4: Ability to present research as paper or poster. Plant Biology majors are expected to demonstrate the ability to present research conducted in PBIO 4960 (or comparable approved class) as a paper or a presentation (poster or talk) at a local or regional scientific meeting (e.g. PBIO fall student symposium, Plant Center fall retreat, UGA CURO spring symposium, or other approved venue). Papers will be evaluated by the faculty mentor, the graduate student and/or postdoc mentor (if applicable), the undergraduate coordinator, and the undergraduate liaison, using an undergraduate research paper rubric adapted from https://rubrics.kon.org/rubric‐
undergraduate‐research‐papers.html. Presentations at research meetings will be assessed by the judges for the presentation competition if possible, or by an ad hoc committee of Plant Biology faculty and students if needed. The presentations will be assessed with a rubric adapted from http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/poster‐presentation‐scoring‐rubric. The expectation is that students will achieve competency, as defined by the rubrics. If students are not achieving competency, then the undergraduate coordinator will make recommendations to the Department Head and faculty for areas where students need additional training and possible solutions for delivering that training. 3