History Program Assessment:

 

Learning Goals for Majors:

1.     familiarity with a range of historical periods and cultures sufficiently broad to allow meaningful exploration of the human experience in varied times and places ;

2.     ability to critically analyze, interpret, and synthesize various types of historical materials;

3.     insight into the construction of historical knowledge as reflective of  personal and social contexts;

4.     ability to initiate and pursue a course of historical inquiry.

Measures

Goal 1

Goal 2

Goal 3

Goal 4

Use of Information

 

 

 

 

 

Review of the below information leads to adjustments in course and program design

In-class exercises – written and/or oral

 X

 X

X

 

Semi-annually

Advising sessions

X

 

 X

 

Semi-annually

Senior thesis

 

 X

 

X

Annually

Pre-grad survey*

 X

 X

 X

 X

Annually in spring semester

Graduate transcript review

 X

 

 

 

Annually in spring semester

Recent programmatic changes that have reflected review of the above information [except for the pre-grad survey] include new procedures for assigning senior theses, a new course in historiography/research methods, expanding opportunities for research projects prior to the senior thesis.

 

*Pre-Graduation Survey For History Majors

[to be completed in beginning of the last semester prior to graduation; response will be anonymous, but completion is required for graduation]

 

QUESTIONS

 

1) While at UMM, identify an exceptional reading (be it a book, chapter, or article) you were assigned for a history course? Why was it an outstanding example of historical scholarship and craft?


(2) IDENTIFY an assignment given in a history course that you remember as especially effective in improving your skills as a historian? What was particularly effective about this assignment?

 

(3) How do you read a historical work, book or article, differently today from when you were a first-year student?


(4) If you were to pursue research on a new historical topic of interest, how would you  proceed?

 

 

The following questions ask you to evaluate how much you have improved in each of the history programÕs goals:

 

5.     familiarity with a range of historical periods and cultures sufficiently broad to allow meaningful exploration of the human experience in varied times and places ;

1                      2                      3                      4                      5                      NA

None                                       satisfactorily                             exceptionally

Comment:

 

6.  ability to critically analyze, interpret, and synthesize various types of historical materials;

1                      2                      3                      4                      5                      NA

None                                       satisfactorily                             exceptionally

Comment:

 

7.  insight into the construction of historical knowledge as reflective of  personal and social contexts;

 

 

1                      2                      3                      4                      5                      NA

None                                       satisfactorily                             exceptionally

Comment:

 

8.  ability to initiate and pursue a course of historical inquiry.

 

1                      2                      3                      4                      5                      NA

None                                       satisfactorily                             exceptionally

Comment: