ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR THE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
IN ANTHROPOLOGY AND
GEOGRAPHY (revised 8/04)
Department of
Anthropology and Geography
The Department of Anthropology and Geography offers
a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Anthropology; a Bachelor of Arts and
a Master of Arts in Geography; and a Certificate in Geography Information
Systems (GIS). Its focus is on the
study of humans and their environments in the global system. This approach includes biological,
pre-historic, ecological, economic, political, social and cultural dimensions
of humanity. The programs in
anthropology and geography emphasize research and teaching on urban contexts,
processes, and populations, and each contributes content, methods, and skills
in three topical specializations:
Culture, Environment, and Health.
Students receive rigorous training in local, regional, and global
transformations, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and theories of
nature, society, and culture. In addition to intellectual maturity, students
gain practical skills, including GIS, map-making, proposal writing, project
development, field research, ethnographic needs-assessments, community
development, and program evaluation. The Department is committed to a
comprehensive education of our undergraduates who benefit from our wide
repertoire of lower division courses in anthropology and geography
respectively. Undergraduate majors choose from a variety of upper-division
courses, and are encouraged to write a senior or honors thesis based on
supervised, original research on a topic of interest. Undergraduates also have the option to
conduct an internship on their topical concentration with a private or public
organization in
The
Anthropology Program
The Anthropology
Program at
The
Geography Program
Our Geography
Program focuses on human and physical variability across space and time.
Undergraduate and graduate education is organized on the following principles:
(1) a comprehensive understanding of geography requires the study of its
physical, human, and technical dimensions; (2) a holistic understanding of
geography as a physical and a social science requires quantitative and
qualitative research methods; and (3) human problems must be examined and
solved in their environmental, geopolitical, economic, and social contexts.
Consistent with our perspective on the discipline, the Program offers
undergraduates and graduate students an integrated education of the earth and
its people that consists of a wide array of academic and practical expertise on
which students may concentrate their studies. These include: the relationship
between the physical environment and human behavior; climatology; biogeography;
GIScience, including cartography and visualization;
urban, economic, and regional development; and spatial patterns and political
movements. Research sites of the faculty
include
II. LEARNING OUTCOMES:
A.
Students demonstrate use of the six phases of the Social Research
Process: researcher’s role; theoretical
paradigms and perspectives; research strategies; data collection and analysis
of primary and secondary field and laboratory data; interpretation and presentation
of findings; applications.
B.
Students design and implement qualitative research designs that
include ethnographic methods such as participant observation, interviewing,
focus groups, narratives, and text and content analysis.
C.
Students demonstrate how to infer causal relationships between
social and natural scientific variables, read graphs, statistical charts,
diagrams, and maps.
D.
Students effectively translate situations into symbolic
representations and use those representations to solve problems.
E.
Students effectively translate arithmetic operations, as well as
reason to draw appropriate conclusions from numerical information.
F.
Students use appropriate computer and information technology
skills.
G.
Students demonstrate ability to read and understand research
reports/scientific articles/monographs in anthropology and geography
respectively.
H.
Students demonstrate skills of spatial analysis and interpretation
of spatial data.
A.
Students demonstrate ability to design a research project.
B.
Students demonstrate ability to use qualitative and quantitative
research strategies.
C.
Students demonstrate ability to develop research questions,
formulate testable hypotheses, and conduct field research.
D. Students
demonstrate ability to analyze and interpret data (hypothesis testing, drawing
inferences, interpreting texts, formulating
conclusions).
E. Students
demonstrate ability to use research data to formulate new research questions.
F. Students
demonstrate ability to review and critique scientific and humanistic research
publications, political positions, public policies, social institutions, and
social programs.
III.
Communication Skills
A. Students
develop effective written communication skills
B.
Students use appropriate academic writing conventions and formats.
C.
Students present material orally among peers and faculty in class
and professional conferences.
D.
Students write grant/research proposals, essay examinations, term
papers.
E.
Students collaborate with peers and professors on research
projects.
F.
Students develop visual communication skills by using maps and
graphics to communicate ideas.
G.
Students demonstrate approaches and strategies to communicate
effectively and ethically across sociocultural
boundaries, including class, race, ethnicity, gender, and age.
IV.
Acquisition of Knowledge
A.
Students demonstrate knowledge of key anthropological/geographical
concepts, theories, methods, and facts through lectures, class discussions, and
library research.
B.
Students produce primary knowledge through independent field,
laboratory, or ethnographic research, and web-based projects within and outside
the classroom.
C.
Students generate knowledge through basic and applied
epistemologies and paradigms.
D.
Students demonstrate knowledge of historical controversies in
their respective discipline, and engage in debates on contemporary theoretical,
practical, and ethical issues that anthropologists and geographers confront in
their work.
V.
Analysis of Contemporary Events and Processes
A. Students
demonstrate the ability to identify, analyze, and suggest solutions to pressing
social problems.
B. Students analyze contemporary multicultural, global, or international processes.
VI.
Application
A.
Students participate in internships and practica in real world
settings.
B.
Students apply anthropological/geographical knowledge and skills
as professionals to help solve real-world problems as part of coursework.
IV. ASSESSMENT PLAN
The Department of Anthropology and Geography emphasizes four key Learning Outcomes for undergraduate majors and graduate students in their respective disciplines: Theory, Method, Topical focus, and skill set. With an external review of our programs in progress, the Department is poised to intensify its intellectual and pedagogical strengths, and build a clearly articulated Assessment Plan to determine achievement of its learning outcomes. The process by which we will assess the quality of our graduates will include the following methods:
· Midterm and final examinations in each course that demonstrate students’ mastery of relevant content—research data, theoretical schools of thought, philosophical/ethical perspectives
· Hands-on projects based on laboratory and/or field research that demonstrate students’ mastery of analytical, critical thinking, and knowledge acquisition skills, including ethnography, paleontology, remote sensing, GIS, excavation and dating, and participatory action research
· Term research papers based on library research that demonstrates students’ literacy including a critical review of the literature, interpretation of published data, ability to formulate/propose a new research question in line with the available body of knowledge, and written communication skills
· Oral presentations in class and at local and national conferences that demonstrate students’ competency in disseminating information orally to peers, sharing study results and analysis with a critical audience, and in “owning” the knowledge that they have gained through secondary or primary research
· Field Schools in anthropology and geography respectively that demonstrate students’ competency in field assignments and the development of field manuals in which they exhibit their learning experiences. Students in anthropology field schools demonstrate skills in ethnographic, archaeological, linguistic, and biological methods through field projects that include field notes, diaries, and final written and oral reports. Students in physical geography demonstrate skills in geomorphology, climate, and biogeography, and students in human geography demonstrate skills in urban, economic, environmental, and human/cultural processes. Field projects include teaching manuals posted on the inter-net, oral presentations, and detailed written reports on primary data. Field schools also assess organizational, presentation, and oral communications skills as our students present their reports in the Department’s weekly Speaker’s Forum.
· Praxis initiatives that demonstrate students’ ability to integrate data, socially responsible research methods, discipline-specific theories, ethical principles, and culturally competent action in the investigation, analysis, and solution to social problems.
· Honors/Senior Thesis that demonstrate graduating seniors’ ability to produce original, innovative, and creative work through integration of methods, data, and theories in the design and execution of primary research, including writing of a prospectus/prospectus, collection, organization, and analysis of data, writing a paper, and presenting the findings.
·
Capstone course in which
graduating seniors demonstrate their culminating knowledge and proficiency of
the discipline in papers, essay examinations, and oral presentations that
address (1) historical and philosophical foundations of the discipline; (2)
traditional and contemporary theoretical schools of thought; (3) a field study;
(4) contemporary intellectual and methodological debates in the discipline; and
(5) writing and presenting original research.
·
Comprehensive Examinations
that exhibit graduate students’ knowledge of theories, methods, and topic
typically submitted in the form of the first three chapters of the M.A. thesis
(Literature Review on topic, Theoretical Framework, Research Design). Students in the applied track submit an
internship/practicum paper that demonstrates their knowledge in theory, method,
and topic, as well as in a professional skill set according to their area of
specialization.
· Internship that demonstrates students’ competency in professional/practical skills in their area of concentration. Learning outcomes relative to an internship will be assessed by a written evaluation of the student’s work that the field supervisor and the faculty liaison will conduct. Following completion of an internship the student will submit a written report on her/his work to be evaluated further by a committee of faculty and be graded accordingly.
· Practicum that demonstrates the competency of students in the non-thesis track to conduct a research and development (R & D) project on a real world problem that requires investigation, analysis, and applications.
·
Masters Thesis that
demonstrate students competency in all the components of
research—conceptualization, planning, design, implementation, data analysis,
and publication of findings on a critical question or problem. The majority of students conduct empirical
research.
·
Graduate Portfolio that
will exhibit students’ body of work during their tenure in the graduate program
including, but not limited to take-home essay examinations, research proposals,
thesis/practicum research papers, internship reports, visual and special
evidence of completed projects, and annotated bibliographies. Graduating MA
students will submit their portfolio three weeks before graduation requirements
are due. The portfolio will provide
concrete evidence of learning outcomes, and will recommend the student highly
in her/his search for employment.
·
Reflection sessions with
graduating seniors and graduating MA students would provide feedback to faculty
on the efficacy of the programs with respect to their learning. This form of an on-going assessment of
the learning outcomes is useful in ensuring student enhancement during their
tenure in the program. Reflection
sessions with students and faculty would take part once a semester for
undergraduate majors and graduate student respectively. A faculty or student facilitator of these
sessions will submit to all participants a written summary of the discussions
for further consideration in improving learning among our students.
· Entry and Exit Surveys of undergraduate majors and graduate students would provide a baseline assessment and outcome assessment of students’ knowledge. The entry survey will show the students’ level of academic preparation, degree of competency in the discipline, and the extent to which they will be independent learners or need close monitoring and coaching by the instructor of record. The Exit Survey will reveal the content of students’ learning, and the degree to which the assessment plan works.
·
Alumni Surveys are
instrumental in assessing the academic or professional development of our
alumni, especially the degree to which our programs influenced and contributed
to the actualization of their post-graduation goals.
·
Student testimonials
provide anecdotal data on students’ subjective experience and interpretation of
their learning. Such feedback when it
comes in the form of letters, notes, or e-mail messages from students to
faculty may be included in the overall assessment plan.
A Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee will be appointed to assess the efficacy of the graduate and undergraduate programs in anthropology and geography respectively. This Committee, with input from all the instructors of record, will be charged with the assessment of the Learning Outcomes Program according to the body of data that they accumulate with the methods proposed above. This analysis will be based on learning outcomes by selected assessment tools from those listed above.
· The Committees will evaluate the results from all the assessment tools to assess achievement of Analytical Skills and Critical Thinking Skills. Instructors of record will submit to the Committee related materials and data that each will have collected during the semester. Included here would be evidence of competency in quantitative and qualitative research strategies, analysis and interpretation of data, research design, honors/senior theses, and critique of humanistic and scientific writing. This evaluation will produce data on the overall performance of all students in the graduate and undergraduate programs respectively.
·
The Committee will evaluate the
results from all the assessment tools to assess achievement in Communication
Skills and Acquisition of Knowledge.
Instructors will submit data to the Committee related to Learning
Outcomes such as term papers, essay examinations, field schools, oral presentations in class or at professional conferences,
and independent field and laboratory research projects. This evaluation will produce data on the
overall productivity and performance of undergraduate majors and graduate
students respectively.
·
The Committee will evaluate the results
from all the assessment tools to assess achievement in Analysis of
Contemporary Events and Processes and Applications. Instructors will submit data to the Committee
related to Learning Outcomes such as written work from hands-on projects,
internships, practica, and Praxis initiatives that integrate method, theory,
and action in urban settings and on social problems.
·
The Committee will finally
evaluate data from assessment tools that attest to students’ overall Learning
Profile. Included here would be the
Capstone course and senior thesis for undergraduates, the graduate portfolio,
M.A. thesis, and comprehensive examinations of all M.A. students. Data from the Exit surveys and the Alumni
surveys would also be critical to this evaluation. Finally, notes from reflections session
between faculty and students, and written student testimonials would enrich the
data base with qualitative data that would add to the evaluation and analysis
of all the Learning Outcomes.
This evaluation will be designed to incorporate quantitative and qualitative methods to ensure that students are acquiring rich course content, and the degree to which course design and implementation are effective in producing Learning Outcomes. Quantitative methods, e.g., exit surveys, will provide specific measures to various learning outcomes, e.g. level of literacy in the discipline, or competency to conduct an independent study. Qualitative methods, including content analysis and text analysis of written work, the portfolio, and reflections sessions, will reveal information on the quality of learning outcomes, as well as the subjective experience of the students in each program. Data will be analyzed to assess level of attainment for each Learning Outcome, explain discrepancies in the efficacy of the assessment program, and provide guiding principles for the improvement of the Assessment Plan.
A half-day retreat will be scheduled to discuss the
results of the assessment plan that the evaluation committees will
produce. The faculty will also consider
indicators of success or failure to achieve Learning Outcomes in their own courses, will take responsibility to improve the design and
implementation of courses, and contribute to the refinement of our assessment
plan to ensure its validity, reliability, and applicability.