ASSESSMENT REPORT
FOR
Bachelor of Arts with a major in Mathematics with Grades 8th -12th
Certification (BA)
Instructional Degree Program
Spring 2004
Assessment Period Covered
June 17, 2004
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 Mathematical and Physical Sciences 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 demonstrate their mastery of formulating
and solving problems in various areas of mathematics.
2. Students will be able to communicate mathematics in well-structured
sentences.
3. Students will be able to develop a variety of examples to illustrate mathematical concepts, to present several ways of solving a problem, and to illustrate applications of mathematical ideas to real situations.
ASSESSMENT REPORT
FOR
Bachelor of Arts with a major in Mathematics with Grades 8th -12th
Certification (BA)
Instructional Degree Program
Spring 2004
Assessment Period Covered
June 17, 2004
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 demonstrate their mastery of formulating and solving problems in various areas of mathematics.
First Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
_1a._ Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for
Success:
Graduating students will be required to take part in a pilot study program
towards the end of their final semester of studies by taking the Major
Fields Test in mathematics by ETS; 50% of the students taking the standardized
examination will score at or above the National 50th percentile.
_1a._ Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
Four students graduated, and three of them took the Major Field Test
with scores 141, 154 and 141 respectively.
_1a._ Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
The current national distribution data has not been released. According
to the past practice, the above scores are below the national 50th
percentile. To improve the result, we will offer a one-credit review
section for graduating students.
Second Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
_1b._ Means of Program Assessment & Criteria
for Success:
Exit survey will be conducted with graduating seniors. The survey
will include questions asking the students’ perception of their own
achievement pertaining to the intended outcomes; each response will
be in a scale of 0 to 4, and average of 3.0 points or better for the
responses to the relevant questions will be considered satisfactory.
_1b._ Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
Students are not quite comfortable solving problems unfamiliar to them.
They also responded that they are not comfortable using mathematical
software such as Mathematica and Geometer’s Sketch pad, which are powerful
problem solving tools.
_1b._ Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
To develop students’ problem solving ability, we recommend that each
mathematics instructor incorporates some problem solving projects in
the courses. We will create a database for such projects to facilitate
exchange of ideas and information between instructors. We also recommend
that some of the projects have an element of experiment and/or exploration.
As for computing, we’d like to have a computer laboratory within the
department with a lab monitor/technician so that students and faculty
can easily access to computing facility at any time.
Third Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
_1c._ Means of Program Assessment & Criteria
for Success:
Final exams of each of the 3000-4000 level courses will be reviewed
by the instructor with respect to the students’ problem solving skill,
and each exam paper will be given a point in a scale of 0 to 4. The
class average of 2.5 point is considered satisfactory. Instructor will
look at students’ ability (1) to find a correct strategy to solve the
problem, and (2) to carry out the strategy and solve the problem correctly.
_1c._ Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
The average point was 2.1 in 4-point scale.
_1c._ Use of Results to Improve Instructional
Program:
To develop students’ problem solving ability, we recommend that each
mathematics instructor incorporates some problem solving projects in
the courses. We will create a database for such projects to facilitate
exchange of ideas and information between instructors. We also recommend
that some of the projects have an element of experiment and/or exploration.
ASSESSMENT REPORT
FOR
Bachelor of Arts with a major in Mathematics with Grades 8th -12th
Certification (BA)
Instructional Degree Program
Spring 2004
Assessment Period Covered
June 17, 2004
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.
__2__Students will be able to communicate mathematics in well-structured sentences.
First Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
_2a._ Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Graduating students will be required to take part in a pilot study program
towards the end of their final semester of studies by taking the Major
Fields Test in mathematics by ETS; 50% of the students taking the standardized
examination will score at or above the National 50th percentile.
_2a._ Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
Four students graduated, and three of them took the Major Field Test
with scores 141, 154 and 141 respectively.
_2a._ Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
The current national distribution data has not been released. According
to the past practice, the above scores are below the national 50th
percentile. To improve the result, we will offer a one-credit review
section for graduating students.
Second Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
_2b._ Means of Program Assessment & Criteria
for Success:
Exit survey will be conducted with graduating seniors. The survey will
include questions asking the students’ perception of their own achievement
pertaining to the intended outcomes; each response will be in a scale
of 0 to 4, and average of 3.0 points or better for the responses to
the relevant questions will be considered satisfactory.
_2b._ Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
Students are not quite comfortable writing a short essay on a mathematical
topic.
_2b._ Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
We will specify some courses as “Writing Intensive Courses” that specifically
address students’ writing, and we will reorganize the degree plans and
move some of the writing intensive courses to earlier years in the degree
plans so that the students’ will have more time to develop their writing
skills. We also recommend that each mathematics instructor incorporates
some writing projects in the courses, and will create a database for
such projects to facilitate exchange of ideas and information among
instructors.
Third Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
_2c._ Means of Program Assessment & Criteria
for Success:
Final exams of each of the 3000-4000 level courses will be reviewed
by the instructor in regard to the students’ writing skill, and each
exam paper will be given a point in a scale of 0 to 4. The class average
of 2.5 point is considered satisfactory. Instructor will look at students’
ability to present solutions or proofs in a coherent and readable manner.
_2c._ Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
The average point was 2.2 in 4-point scale.
_2c._ Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
We will specify some courses as “Writing Intensive Courses” that specifically
address students’ writing, and we will reorganize the degree plans and
move some of the writing intensive courses to earlier years of the degree
plans so that the students’ will have more time to develop their writing
skills. We also recommend that each mathematics instructor incorporates
some writing projects in the courses, and we will create a database
for such projects to facilitate exchange of ideas and information among
instructors.
ASSESSMENT REPORT
FOR
Bachelor of Arts with a major in Mathematics with Grades 8th -12th
Certification (BA)
Instructional Degree Program
Spring 2004
Assessment Period Covered
June 17, 2004
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.
__3__ Students will be able to develop a variety of examples to illustrate mathematical concepts, to present several ways of solving a problem, and to illustrate applications of mathematical ideas to real situations.
First Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
_3a._ Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Preservice teachers (students) will take the Texas Examinations of Educator
Standards (TExES) in mathematics for grades 8–12. A pass rate of 70%
for a cohort of students in a particular semester on TExES Mathematics
8–12 (test 135) will be considered satisfactory.
_3a._ Summary of Assessment Data Collected: T
hree students took TExES, and two passed. The pass rate is 67%.
_3a._ Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
We will offer a variable credit TExES review course.
Second Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
_3b._ Means of Program Assessment & Criteria
for Success:
Exit survey will be conducted with graduating seniors. The survey
will include questions asking the students’ perception of their own
achievement pertaining to the intended outcomes; each response will
be in a scale of 0 to 4, and average of 3.0 points or better for the
responses to the relevant questions will be considered satisfactory.
_3b._ Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
Some questions are not included in the survey. They will be included
in the survey for the Fall 2004 semester.
_3b._ Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
The program faculty could not make recommendations for changes to the
degree program or the means of assessment at this time.
Third Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above:
_3c._ Means of Program Assessment & Criteria
for Success:
The students will be required to complete the mathematics capstone course
(MATH 4390) in the final year of their program of study. The mathematics
faculty will review jointly the evaluations of the student performance
(including the final classroom presentation) received from the course
instructor, to determine whether the students have achieved the intended
outcome. An average of 2.5 on a 4-point scale will be considered satisfactory.
_3c._ Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
The average point was 1.6 in the 4-point scale.
_3c._ Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program:
(1) To develop students’ ability to apply mathematical ideas to
real situations, we recommend that each mathematics instructor incorporates
some modeling problems or projects in the courses.
(2)To enhance students’ ability to develop a variety of examples to
illustrate mathematical concepts, we recommend that each mathematics
instructor presents a variety of examples to illustrate mathematical
concepts within the instruction of the courses. In Math 4390 we recommend
that students be required to complete a project in which they develop
a particular mathematical concept using verbal, numerical, graphical,
and symbolic representations, along with a variety of examples. This
project should include a class presentation.
(3) To develop students’ ability to present several ways of solving a problem, we recommend that each mathematics instructor incorporates the presentation in several ways of solving a problem within the instruction of the courses. In Math 4390 we recommend that students be required to complete a problem solving project which includes a class presentation in several ways of solving a particular problem.
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