Chemistry and Biochemistry Discipline
Assessment 2006-2007
Scope of assessment activities
___√__Course-embedded assessment
___√___ Pre- and post-testing
______ Outside the classroom
______ Across the discipline
Direct measures of student learning
___√__ Capstone experience
______ Portfolio assessment
___√__ Standardized tests
______ Performance on national licensure, certification or
preprofessional exams
______ Qualitative internal and external juried review of
of comprehensive senior projects
______ Externally reviewed exhibitions and performances in
the arts
______ External evaluation of performance during internships
Discussion and Description
Discipline goals, direct measures, and improved student learning
1. Chemistry and biochemistry discipline goals.
Students study, at a level appropriate for undergraduates,
á the structure of matter and
á the conditions required for material change.
The curriculum is designed to prepare students for post-graduate work in a wide variety of fields, or for a career in industry, or in secondary teaching. Students may earn either the traditional chemistry or the biochemistry major.
2. Capstone course: the two-semester senior seminar.
Senior chemistry majors should be able to
á undertake an in-depth study of a specialized topic in chemistry and
á orally present the results of their research in a professional manner.
There are concrete expectations about the seminarÕs format and depth. Over the past five years the faculty has assessed the seminar and instituted a number of changes to improve student learning.
á The first semester has been moved to the spring semester of the junior year and a number of learning strategies instituted.
á The grading basis has been changed from S/N to A/F.
á The faculty has prepared guidelines for students to follow during the semester of their seminar to assure timely and thorough preparation.
á Although one faculty member is formally assigned to supervise the course, each faculty member supervises one or more students in seminar preparation.
á All faculty contribute to judging the degree to which each student has met the goals of the seminar.
3. Course-embedded assessment. Pre-test/post-test.
3a. General chemistry.
This course is required for the chemistry, biology, and geology majors, and satisfies the general education requirement for physical and biological sciences with lab. Lecture and lab in this course are designed to complement each other. The instructor assessed student learning in lab with exam questions in lecture. The learning objectives to be met were understanding
i. the theory of density measurements
ii. the concept of significant figures
iii. the concepts of the limiting reagent and percent yield
iv. the concepts of acid-base chemistry and solution stoichiometry
v. the interplay between atomic spectroscopy and models of the atom.
The instructor recorded the frequency[1] with which students met the learning objectives. In general, student success was high except for the second objective, which prompted the instructor to create a strategy for improving student learning for significant figures.
3b. Analytical chemistry.
The learning objectives were understanding
i. multiple ways to represent concentrations
ii. how to convert between units
iii. propagation of uncertainty
iv. dilution and density
v. pH and pOH, and the mathematical relationship between the two
vi. use of correct significant figures.
The pre-test would better be described as a first test, since students had studied these ideas by attending lecture, reading, and working exercises. The post-test was the final exam in which questions similar to those on the first test were used to measure improvements in student learning. The first and final frequencies of success were recorded. In between, students had the opportunity to improve their mastery by studying the first exam with instructorÕs comments, meeting with the instructor individually, encountering the ideas again in different contexts in lecture and lab, and by revisiting their earlier studies.
3c. Physical chemistry.
A key discipline goal is that students should be able to understand Òthe conditions required for material change.Ó The second law of thermodynamics is the most general law governing material change. This suggested two related learning objectives that students should be able to apply the second law to
i. phase changes and
ii. chemical changes.
The pre-and post-test strategies were essentially the same as those in analytical chemistry, with the exception that after the pre-test two concrete learning difficulties were identified, brought to the attention of the class through a couple of strategies, and then monitored on the final exam. One difficulty persisted and the other disappeared completely.
4. Nationally standardized exam. Organic chemistry.
The American Chemical Society prepares comprehensive examinations in the subfields of chemistry. The organic chemistry test, which is meant to be administered after a year of study, has been used at UMM three times in recent years. In all three instances UMM students performed at two to five points above the national norms.
|
Year |
National Test Mean |
UMM Test Mean |
UMM National Percentile |
|
2001-2 |
43.3 |
48 |
62 |
|
2002-3 |
38.7 |
43 |
66 |
|
2006-7 |
43.1 |
45 |
55 |
General education categories spanned by the discipline
Most chemistry courses carry either the Sci-L or Sci general education designator for physical and biological sciences with lab or without lab, resp. Exceptions are directed study, chemistry seminar, and all one-credit[2] laboratory courses, which have no general education designator.