ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology (BS)
Instructional Degree Program

Fall 2003
Assessment Period Covered

28 October 2003
Date Submitted

Expanded Statement of Institutional Purpose Linkage:
Institutional Mission Reference:
Texas A&M International University, a Member of The Texas A&M University System, is committed to the preparation of students for leadership roles in their chosen profession and in increasingly complex, culturally diverse state, national, and global society … Through instruction, faculty and student research, and public service, Texas A&M International University is a strategic point of delivery for well-defined programs and services that improve the quality of life for citizens of the border region, the State of Texas, and national and international communities.

College/University Goal(s) Supported:
The faculty and administrators of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department
of Biology and Chemistry are committed to providing a scholarly environment in which
students prepare for productive lives in a dynamic world and in a changing global and
technologically advancing environment.

Intended Educational (Student) Outcomes:
1. Students will: a) Demonstrate an understanding of  the “Mechanisms of Evolution,” b) Apply principles of “Adaptation”.

2. Students will:  a) Show understanding of aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration, b) Demonstrate knowledge of the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.

3. Students will:  Demonstrate basic comprehension of DNA structure, Mendelian genetics, cell structure & function and enzymes.

 ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology (BS)
Instructional Degree Program

Fall 2003
Assessment Period Covered

28 October 2003
Date Submitted

Intended Educational (Student) Outcome:
NOTE: There should be one form for each intended outcome listed.  The intended outcome should be restated in the box immediately below and the intended outcome number entered in the blank spaces.

1. Students will: a) Demonstrate an understanding of the “Mechanisms of Evolution” and b) Apply the principles of “Adaptation”.

First Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
1a. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Students will score an overall mean of 70% on embedded questions on the comprehensive final exam (In both subjective and objective sections) for  BIOL 3406.  (Evolution), which runs during the Fall semester.

1a. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
Scores on embedded questions on the final exam: Adaptation- 67%; Mechanisms- 42%

1a. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
To address the deficient score, faculty assigned to Evolutionary Mechanisms will illustrate their lectures with more in class examples and assign out of class work to the students that reinforce learning these mechanisms.

ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology (BS)
Instructional Degree Program

Fall 2003
Assessment Period Covered

28 October 2003
Date Submitted

Intended Educational (Student) Outcome:
NOTE: There should be one form for each intended outcome listed.  Intended outcome should be restated in the box immediately below and the intended outcome number entered in the blank spaces.

2. Students will:  a) Show understanding of aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration, b) Demonstrate knowledge of the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.

First Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
2a. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Students will score an overall mean of 70% on embedded questions on the comprehensive final exam for BIOL 3412 (Cell Biology), which runs during theFall Semester.

2a. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
The mean score on the embedded questions in the final exam for BIOL 3412 are: 84% on cellular respiration and 83% on cells.

2a. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
Students performed well on these sections, so the faculty do not recommend modifications to the course or to the program objectives at this time.

ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR

Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology (BS)
Instructional Degree Program

Fall 2003
Assessment Period Covered

28 October 2003
Date Submitted

Intended Educational (Student) Outcome:
NOTE: There should be one form for each intended outcome listed.  Intended outcome should be restated in the box immediately below and the intended outcome number entered in the blank spaces.

3. Students will:  Demonstrate basic comprehension of DNA structure, Mendelian genetics, cell structure & function and enzymes.

First Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
3a. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Mean overall score of 70% on embedded questions in the common, comprehensive final in multiple sections of BIOL 1406 General Biology I-Unifying Concepts, Fall Semester.

3a. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
A total of 40 students took the same comprehensive final exam containing the embedded questions. The scores for each section are: 

3a. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
The low mean score was most severely affected by the scores on the “Enzymes” section of the exam.  We will add a laboratory exercise on enzymes and acquire an enzyme simulation program to allow more hands on student learning for this section.  The “DNA Structure” & “Cell Structure & Function” sections were also low, but will be addressed by more lecture time on these subjects using visual aids.

Second Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
3b. Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Students will show increased knowledge (80%) on comprehensive exam on same topics in BIOL 4170  (Biology Seminar), which runs only in the Spring Semester.

3b. Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
The faculty will collect and analyze data from this course during its administration in the Spring 2004 semester.

3b. Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
Students have not yet taken this course, so the are no available data.