32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

32 Years of Assessment at UMass Boston:History, Philosophy and Structures

Neal Bruss & Mark Pawlak, General Education Committee

32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

General Education at UMass Boston

In 2002, a new general education program was put in place with the following principles as its foundation

▸ Critical analysis and logical thought▸ Verbal and quantitative reasoning▸ Human diversity▸ Principal approaches to knowledge

Core elements include

▸ Writing--English Composition I & II

▸ First Year & Intermediate Seminar

▸ Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning

▸ Distribution courses in several areas

▸ Writing Proficiency Requirement

▸ Capstone in major

32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

Assessing Student Learning in Quantitative Reasoning:

A Dynamic, Evolving Process

Mark PawlakDirector, Academic Support and Quantitative Reasoning Programs

Chair, Quantitative Reasoning Assessment Committee University of Massachusetts Boston

32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

The Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning Requirement

▸ All students must “demonstrate competence in mathematics/quantitative reasoning.”

▸ B.S. students must take Calculus I (a traditional Calculus course)

▸ B.A. students have several choices:

– Test into PreCalculus or Calculus

– Take Statistics (taught by Math, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, etc.)

– Take College Algebra

– Take a Quantitative Reasoning course

▸ Each semester, approximately 200 - 250 students choose a QR course.

32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

Quantitative Reasoning Courses

Math 114Q▸ Mathematics offers the primary QR

course▸ This is the lowest-level course Math

offers▸ Prerequisite: (outdated) placement test▸ All sections are taught in a computer lab▸ QR faculty are primarily adjuncts (90%)▸ Class size is small (20 - 23 students)▸ Many students come out of

developmental math courses and are math phobic; have weak skills; hate math

▸ All topics are motivated using real world data, course follows an investigations pedagogy

▸ Technology is used as a tool and as way of seeing patterns.

QR Course Guidelines

▸ Required topics are:descriptive statisticslinear modelsexponential models or

probabilityuse of technology (graphing calculators or computers)

▸ Students learning outcomes:engage in critical reading and

analysisspeak, listen and write

effectivelyuse technology to further

learningwork independently and collaborativelyreason logically and

quantitatively

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Quantitative Reasoning Assessment Committee (QuAC)

▸ A sub-committee of the Faculty Council General Education Committee

▸ Cross-disciplinary membership

▸ Reviews and recommends new QR courses

▸ Ensures that intended capabilities are addressed in current QR courses

▸ Assesses teaching and student learning in current QR courses

▸ Monitors student compliance with QR requirement

▸ Reviews compliance with QR requirement across colleges (since 2004)

32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

Three Phases of QR Assessment at UMass Boston

▸ I. Pilot Phase (1998-2000): Curriculum development & course modification via student questionnaire & faculty debriefing

▸ II. Implementation: (2000-2003): Evaluation of faculty & teaching using student portfolios.

▸ III. Current:(2003-ongoing): Assessment of student learning using common final exam and student questionnaire.

32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

Student self-assessment

Self-reflection:▸ Students complete an “automathography” at the

beginning of the semester and a reflection at the end of the semester – this is viewed only by the instructor

Course assessment and evaluation:▸ Student questionnaire given to all students

▸ Demographic data▸ Self-assessment of technical skills and QR skills▸ Attempts to measure attitudinal change

▸ Administered online with support from the mathematics department

▸ Faculty log in to view their students’ responses and course-wide responses.

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Sample Questions – Student Questionnaire

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Faculty self-assessment

▸ QR faculty meet each semester to “de-brief”▸ Discussions include

▸ What worked▸ What didn’t work▸ Issues of support and training▸ Student learning outcomes and course objectives▸ Assessment information▸ Resources and information

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Portfolio reading

▸ Each semester, new faculty and selected veteran faculty submit a sample of portfolios of student work.

▸ Portfolios include student “automathography” and end of semester reflection; evidence of data analysis; written work; final exam

▸ The QR Assessment Committee reads the portfolios and gives feedback to the individual faculty.

▸ Results are used to enhance faculty training and development.(Note: In recent years portfolio reading has been abandoned for lack of resources to support it)

32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

Holistic grading of common final exam problems

▸ QR faculty agree on a set of problems that will appear on all finals across sections

▸ Generally 5-6 problems, covering main student learning outcomes

▸ After semester grades have been submitted a sample of finals from each section is graded holistically

▸ Initially, holistic grading was done by QuAC members▸ Inspired by a PKAL conference on assessment, QR

faculty now participate in the holistic grading▸ End of semester QR faculty debriefing and holistic

exam grading are now combined.

32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

Common Final Exam sample problem

1. An article about the US Postal Service in the New York Times on December 4, 2011 stated that

First-class mail — items like bills and letters that require a 44-cent stamp — fell 6.6 percent in 2010 alone, continuing a five-year-long plunge. Last year … there were 9.3 billion pounds of ‘standard mail’ — the low-cost postage category available to mass advertisers — but only 3.7 billion of first-class mail.www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/sunday-review/the-junking-of-the-postal-service.html)a. A graphic next to the article said that standard mail in 2010 amounted to 30.3 pounds for every adult and child in the US. Verify this 30.3 pounds per person figure.b. How many pounds of first class mail did the Post Office deliver in 2009?c. First class mail mostly consists of bills, credit card statements, personal letters and greeting cards. First class postage is 44 cents for the first ounce and 20 cents for each additional ounce. Estimate the total cost of the postage on first class mail in 2010.

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Scoring Rubric – sample question

2 = full understanding; 1 = partial understanding; 0 = little or no understanding

mean median

Demonstrated ability to identify and extract relevant data from complex verbal text and apply it to problems.

1.4 2.0

Able to verify textual claims through an appropriate set of calculations.

1.0 1.0

Accurately performed backward percentage calculation to determine a prior year value.

0.9 1.0

Performed a complex calculation involving estimation and multiple unit conversions.

1.0 1.0

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Phase III Outcomes:What we have learned

▸ Students appreciate how math (algebra) can be meaningful in the real world

▸ Students gain proficiency in using Excel and value it for use in future coursework & employment

▸ Student writing about data is more descriptive than analytic

▸ Faculty uniformly address QR topics and competencies with varied emphasis

▸ Some mathematics topics remain challenges for teaching and learning

32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

Assessing QR Assessment

Lessons

▸ Importance of continual evolution and refinement of instruments and methods

▸ Adequate resources for faculty release time & administrative support are needed to conduct assessment; collect and analyze data

▸ Importance of faculty involved in modifying course/program based on results of assessment

Challenges

▸ Timely compilation of common final exam

▸ Tardy or negligent administration of questionnaire

▸ Compiling questionnaire data; timely feedback to faculty

▸ Conducting timely holistic grading; assessing results and discussing with faculty

▸ Faculty buy-in to course and program modifications based on assessment

32 Yeas of Assessment at UMass Boston | February 9, 2012

Resources

▸ The National Numeracy Network:  http://serc.carleton.edu/nnn/index.html

▸ SIGMAA on Quantitative Literacy:  http://sigmaa.maa.org/ql/

▸ Common Sense Mathematics (UMass Boston)http://quantitativereasoning.net/

See also: ▸ “Quantitative Reasoning at the University of Massachusetts Boston,”

M. Mast and M. Pawlak, in Current Practices in Quantitative Literacy, edited by R. Gillman, MAA publications, 2006

Contacts:▸ mark.pawlak@umb.edu▸ maura.mast@umb.edu