School
of
Computer Information Systems
ANNUAL ASSESSMENT REPORT
2006
Guiding Questions
1.
List the student learning outcomes for your unit.
A student who graduates from the School of
Computer Information Systems should be able to possess the following, click to
view the assessment of each outcome:
1. Practical knowledge of various
productivity software packages
2. Practical knowledge of various
programming languages
3. Knowledge of information systems
development methods and techniques
4. Knowledge of data
communications and local area networks
5. Teamwork problem-solving skills
Please see the following supporting documentation specific to our unit:
Student Learning Outcomes: See Supporting Documentation
in Appendix A
Learning outcomes assessment can be found
at the following website address:
www.uamont.edu/cis/2006assessment/appendix a/mission-goals-objectives.doc
Course Objectives
& Content: See supporting documentation in Appendix B
Course Objectives & Content: click to link to the webpage
2. Demonstrate how
your unit’s specific student learning outcomes (goals) are linked to the
mission of UAM. Please use your enumerated list from Question 1 to complete the
section to the right.
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|
UAM |
Unit Learning Outcomes |
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 |
The mission the The University seeks to
enhance and share knowledge, to preserve and promote the intellectual content
of society, and to educate people for critical thought. The University provides
learning experiences that enable students to synthesize knowledge,
communicate effectively, use knowledge and technology with intelligence and
responsibility, and act creatively within their own and other cultures. The University strives for excellence in all its endeavors. Educational opportunities encompass the liberal arts, basic and applied sciences, selected professions, and vocational/ technical preparation. These opportunities are founded in a strong program of general education and are fulfilled through contemporary disciplinary curricula, certification programs, and vocational/technical education or workforce training. The University assures opportunities in higher education for both traditional and non-traditional students and strives to provide an environment that fosters individual achievement and personal development. |
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3. Provide specific
evidence of the ways that your unit communicates student learning outcomes to
prospective and current students (Examples: website, catalog, syllabi, brochures).
See supporting
documentation in Appendix C:
See supporting
documentation in Appendix D:
See supporting
documentation in Appendix F:
Plan of Action:
Update CIS display board to include
the Student Learning Outcomes. The
Student Learning Outcomes will be listed on the Student Information site – a
sub-page of the School’s home page.
4. Provide specific
evidence of how your unit assesses whether students have achieved your unit’s
student learning outcomes. (Examples: pre/post tests, post tests, capstone
courses, surveys, graduation rates, etc.)
Address historical patterns or trends.
See supporting
documentation in Appendix G:
To answer this question, we begin by utilizing our capstone course, CIS 4633 Application Software Development Project, for all graduating seniors. The following is a result of the survey:
The overall scores range from a low score of 2.35 (Analyze Objectively) to a high score of 2.12 (Listen/Observe Perceptively), placing all general education skills in the Moderately High level of preparedness.
The 2006 averages are all better than the 2005 data. In fact, the 2006 scores are all better than previous years. An interesting note of this year was that a large number of students were members of the Alpha Chi Honor Society and/or possessed high GPA’s.
Based on the results from the past three years, the general education curriculum is adequately preparing students for success in the CIS major.
See supporting
documentation in Appendix A:
The Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) Summaries for CIS:
Please note that you will find in Appendix A that each SLO is explained in detail concerning the method of assessment and the findings for each outcome. Please click on each link to see the full report.
1. Practical knowledge of various
productivity software packages
2. Practical knowledge of various
programming languages
3. Knowledge of information systems
development methods and techniques
4. Knowledge of data
communications and local area networks
5. Teamwork problem-solving skills
In summary, each SLO indicates that CIS students have achieved the unit’s student learning outcomes
See supporting
documentation in Appendix H:
Many of the comments seem to indicate that we should “raise the bar” in our program. The request for harder courses, more advanced programming and networking classes, and more required CIS classes were mentioned. Related to “raising the bar” is the suggestion that the lower level, CIS 1013 Intro to Computer course was not needed. (Special Note - Of the 16 students completing this Senior Project class, five (5) were in Alpha Chi.)
Also, the quality of computers in the teaching labs was a positive while the quality and quantity of computers in the CIS Lounge was not.
With regards to the statistical
data, you will note that historical data is included for your viewing dating
back to 2003. We have also included a
comparison chart for the years 2003-2006.
5. Provide evidence
of the measures of student performance that your unit collects and analyzes
regularly (Examples: retention rates/pass rate for classes, teacher made tests,
research papers, recitals, field experiences, etc.). Give specific examples of how analyses of
student performance have been used to improve unit decisions.
The School of CIS analyzes student performances in courses, which leads to further:
See supporting
documentation in Appendix N:
6. Provide specific
evidence of how your unit utilizes information, other than student performance,
to determine necessary unit decisions. Describe how your unit analyzes and
selects a course of action. Attach documentation that supports your
determination. (Examples: senior
surveys, alumni surveys, professional meetings, minutes from faculty or
committee meetings, etc.)
See supporting
documentation in Appendix H:
Many of the comments seem to indicate that we should “raise the bar” in our program. The request for harder courses, more advanced programming and networking classes, and more required CIS classes were mentioned. Related to “raising the bar” is the suggestion that the lower level, CIS 1013 Intro to Computer course was not needed.
Due to historically students requesting the removal of CIS 1013 Intro to Computers, we are presently looking into replacing this course with PC Maintenance for our majors.
See supporting
documentation in Appendix K:
Alumni surveys indicated that as a student they would have benefited from the following courses in their curricula: Internet Security, Java, Microsoft or Oracle certification prep courses, internships, web design, and knowledge of computer techniques such as the breaking down of the physical computer.
Due to the wide range of fields in the CIS area, like other institutions you cannot offer a wide array of courses to satisfy everyone. However, as a response to past surveys, we have added Security, Java, C#, Advanced Web Development, and PC Maintenance & Hardware to our curriculum as electives for our students.
See supporting
documentation in Appendix I:
7. Based on your
answers to Questions 5 and 6 regarding student learning outcomes, prioritize your
unit’s future course of action. Include plans for what will be done, by whom,
to what extent, and how often.
The School of CIS plans the following future courses of action regarding analyses of information obtained from Questions 5 and 6:
8. Specifically describe how your unit is making
student learning accessible, including, if applicable, alternative modes of
instruction (CIV, WebCT, weekend,
The School of CIS has incorporated the following to enhance learning accessibility by our students:
Students’ ability to receive free copies of Microsoft software that are utilized in their homework assignments has improved the students’ ability to work on assignments at home. This has led to assignments being turned in on due dates, since students no longer have to wait for availability of computers in the classrooms.
See Supporting documentation in Appendix L
Students enrolled in eligible Computer
Information Systems courses requested 231 software checkouts during the 2006
calendar year.
See supporting
documentation in Appendix L for alternative learning course offerings:
· Course Offerings: - click to view this document
o Class offerings at College of Technology campuses
o Non-traditional class times:
§ Night Classes
§ Monday and Wednesday 2:10 – 3:30
Follow-Up on Plan of
action:
9. Specifically describe how your unit involves
students directly in the assessment process.
The School of CIS uses end-of-term student evaluations, senior exit surveys, and alumni surveys to directly involve our students in the assessment process.
See supporting
documentation in Appendix H:
Students are directly involved in this process through filling out the survey and the comments they choose to share with the School.
See supporting
documentation in Appendix K:
Graduated students are directly involved in this process through filling out the survey and the comments they choose to share with the School.
See supporting
documentation in Appendix M:
