Los Angeles Valley College Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Cycle Report Courses and Programs Discipline: Astronomy

Astronomy 1 and 5 Department: Earth Science Semester/Year: Spring 2011 Department Chair: %ac(uelyn &ams

Program/Course:

S ! "epresentati#e: Dr$ %oan &ac'eling Student Learning Outcome Assessed

Explain how light is used by astronomers to learn about the universe. Demonstrate how a telescope is used to interpret celestial objects.

Description of Assessment Method

a$ Descri)e the assessment tool and ho* the data *as analy+ed ,e$g$- student acti#ityru)ric elements- etc$.$ Attach ru)ric i/ applica)le$ )$ Descri)e the sampling methodology ,i$e$- ho* sampling *as done- num)er o/ students and /aculty/sta// in#ol#ed out o/ the total. c$ Descri)e ho* inter0rater relia)ility *as achie#ed

a$ A multiple0choice test *as de#eloped /or the Astronomy 1 and 5 classes$ 1or Astronomy 1- (uestions dealt *ith ho* light is analy+ed to learn a)out the uni#erse- planetary motion and relati#e si+es o/ ma2or astronomical systems$ 1or Astronomy 5 ,la)oratory.- (uestions dealt *ith /unctional parts o/ a telescope- s'y chart interpretation- and astrophotography$ Scantrons *ere used to record test responses /rom students$ An item analysis o/ responses /or each (uestion *ere e3amined to gauge *hether or not students *ere grasping the concepts4 506 *as considered an 7accepta)le8 pass rate$ )$ All students present in the classes at the end o/ the semester ,%une 2011. *ere gi#en the tests$ 195 Astronomy 1 students *ere sur#eyed92 Astronomy 5 students *ere sur#eyed$ :oth Astronomy instructors ,1al' and %andor/. participated in the process- and Dr$ %oan &ac'eling and ;i#ian <un *ere consulted$ c$ :oth Astronomy instructors 2ointly de#eloped the test and e3amined the

Assessment Results
a$ Descri)e the rele#ant /indings according to the criteria set )y the assessment tool

sur#ey results and agreed upon the interpretation o/ results$ Astronomy 1: 500556 o/ students ans*ered correctly (uestions dealing *ith motions o/ the night s'y- *hich sho*ed that o)ser#ational assignments and other acti#ities are encouraging students to loo' at the s'y and grasp the motions o/ the stars and planets$ 506 o/ students had di//iculty remem)ering details on planets)ut this could )e )ecause one o/ the (uestions ,dealing *ith planetary rings. *as #ery detailed$ =nderstanding stellar characteristics still ga#e some students di//iculty ,>00506 ans*ered the (uestion *rong.- despite a great deal o/ class time spent on this topic$ ?he /aculty is discussing using di//erent acti#ities to more acti#ely engage the students on this topic$

Astronomy 5 ,la)oratory.: <ost students understood interpreting a s'y atlas ,/ailures ranged /rom 0 to 196.$ @uestions dealing *ith <oon motions and eclipses still ga#e students di//iculty ,190506 /ailure rate.- despite pencil0and0paper e3ercises on this topic- so the /aculty are discussing coming up *ith ne* acti#ities /or the students to )etter engage them and ena)le to grasp the concepts$ 1ailure rates /or (uestions dealing *ith astrophotography *ere high ,2A0B06.- )ut could )e attri)uted to the )rie/ amount o/ time spent on this topic$ How Results were sed for a$ ?he results o/ these sur#eys *ill )e used to ad2ust the amount o/ time Course!Program "mpro#ement spent on topics that ga#e students the most di//iculty- and to search /or a$ Descri)e ho* the results are going to )e used more e//ecti#e student acti#ities that *ould engage the students more /or the impro#ement o/ teaching- learning- or and ena)le greater understanding o/ the concepts$ institutional e//ecti#eness )ased on the data )$ :oth Astronomy instructors held a meeting a/ter the data *as collected assessed$ to interpret the results and discuss alternati#e teaching methods and )$ Descri)e ho* results *ill )e shared *ith student acti#ities to increase student understanding o/ concepts$ others in the discipline/area$