Fifth Year Maintenance Report - University of Minnesota

TABLE 3. BBA PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS ASSESSMENT
Learning Goals
Measurement/
Methodology
Date Last
Measured
BBA Program Learning Goals Assessment
Results
Changes needed in the assessment
measurement
Other changes
needed (program,
course)
How changes were
implemented
CATEGORY: DEVELOP AND ENHANCE CORE SKILLS
1. Communicate
ideas effectively
in written
& oral form
Message writing pre-test/posttest,
measured along nine key
dimensions of writing skills in
FMIS 3141 (Business Communications).
Oral skills –
Fall 2005
Written
skills –
Spring 2006
In eight items, the posttest
results are higher
than pre-test results (the
one that went down
slightly was for ―correctness
in names, dates, figures,
and other facts.‖).
Continue to administer a message-writing
pre-test/post-test.
Eliminate the current writing mechanics
test. Instead, develop a
10-item multiple choice test that
could be administered separately
as a pre-test and be incorporated
into the final exam as a post-test.
Some of the items could address
writing mechanics; others could
address important content elements
of written, oral and interpersonal
communication. Begin
to research methods by which
oral communication could be assessed
apart from questions included
in a multiple choice test.
Continue to include
grammar/punctuation
(writing mechanics)
as course element;
review commonly
made errors
early in course; integrate
review of and
exercises using these
and other elements
throughout the
course; continue to
evaluate students’
work for content,
structure, and mechanics.
A new assessment
instrument has been
developed by the faculty
teaching Business
Communication.
The new instrument
was utilized in Fall
Semester 2008 and
results will be made
available early in
Spring Semester
2009. There is ongoing
monitoring and
discussion among faculty
teaching Business
Communication
regarding both content
and assessment
instrument. These
discussions did not
occur prior to assessment
activities
associated with Assurance
of Learning
standards.
5-minute oral presentations in
FMIS 3141 (Business Communications).
Assessment tool
used was an 11-criteria instrument.
Spring 2008
No student’s presentation
was evaluated as unacceptable.
9 of the 11 criteria
were deemed to be
satisfactorily met (more
than 70% rated acceptable).
However, 2 criteria
were rated unsatisfactory.
The first was the criteria
for ―Transitions‖ (simply
stated, students moved
from slide to slide in PowerPoint
without using
oral transitions). The
second was the criteria for
―Confidence‖ (hands
__
20
It was recommended that ―Attitude‖
be added as a criterion in
the next round of oral communication
assessments.
―Transitions‖ should
be given more time
for discussion in both
the written and oral
communication segments
of FMIS 3141.
A discussion with
students should occur
about the way in
which individual factors
contribute to the
overall perceived
level of ―Confidence‖
and more detailed
feedback should be
The discussion with
students about the
way in which individual
factors contribute
to the overall perceived
levels of ―Confidence‖
occurred in
Fall 2008.