Weber State University   

Geography

Results of Assessment

2001-2002 (submitted 09/26/02)

1. The Geography Department instituted last school year (2000 - 2001) an outcomes assessment procedure that identified some areas of strength and weakness in our program. We made up several procedures for self-evaluation, including exit interviews with graduating seniors, questionnaires sent out to recent graduates, the attendance of all faculty at the Spring oral presentations of projects done by students in the department’s senior seminar (each of which were critiqued by the faculty, and a multiple choice test given to the students in our senior seminar. In the school year 2001-2002 we continued with the same procedures. We also attempted to respond to student comments and to some of the results that we discovered in the testing of our seniors.

2. Although the results of our first test (given in the Spring of 2001) were somewhat inconclusive, several areas were found that we felt might be addressed. There were six questions on our assessment exam that more than half the students missed. These were all questions covering material from our upper division regional courses. It was decided that those instructors teaching upper division regional classes should insure that the concepts that had been missed on the 2001 exam should receive a little bit more attention in classes during the 2001-2002 school year. During the Spring 2002 semester a second exam was given (also to our senior seminar students, many of whom had taken an upper division regional class during the past year). The results on the 2002 test showed some improvements from the previous year, although the overall test scores were not significantly different. On three of the questions that were singled out there was improvement (.50 to .18 wrong, .85 to .54 wrong, and .50 to .27); on two there was no change; and on one there was a decline (.50 to .72 wrong). We would like to think some of the improvement was the result of our somewhat lengthier treatment in class of the subjects involved.

3. During our department faculty meeting on 26 Aug 2002 (and in subsequent informal discussions), where an analysis of the Spring 2002 exam was carried out, it was found that there were two new questions that many students got wrong and that one of them warranted increased classroom treatment. It also was determined that three of the questions having a high miss rate were ambiguous or too esoteric. We decided to replace them with three different questions that might be more appropriate. It also was decided to increase the number of questions from 35 to 40, which might include some questions from the Utah AP human geography exam.

4. Exit interviews of students completing their geography degrees revealed that all of them were highly pleased with the education they had received at WSU and that their degrees would aid them significantly in their future careers. They also appreciated personal attention given them by faculty and the opportunities that internships gave them. In exit interviews and informally during the school year, some students voiced concerns about the quality of their experience in the department. These included (a) too few upper division courses being given during the prime morning hours, (b) a leaky roof in room B1-146, (c) not enough GIS training in the department, (d) no place to sit before or in between classes, (e) poor GIS instruction being given in another department on campus, (f) not enough variety in upper division classes, (g) not enough field experiences, (h) not enough working computers in the department, and (i) few social activities for students.

5. Some of these student concerns were remedied by several fortunate personnel changes on campus (the departure of a disliked instructor in another department on campus and the hiring of one additional faculty member in the geography department). The roof leak was reported to facilities management, which responded after a search for the leak by providing the department with a sizeable bucket that could catch some of the water leaking through the roof. During the summer an effort was made to provide couches and chairs in the hallway where students could sit, rather than having them sit or lie down on the floor. Also, additional computers were obtained and are being added to the department computer lab. In addition, one additional course in advanced cartography/GIS has been added to the class schedule. This will provide students with an opportunity to further their skills in this important growing technology. Further, a one-hour field course has been added to the Spring schedule, and a new president of the geography club (who has a particular interest in planning social activities) was appointed. The first social gathering for geography students and faculty was held on the afternoon and evening of 19 September at a nearby park (which was quite well-attended).

6. On 17 September a questionnaire was mailed to all recent geography graduates seeking their reactions to their past experience at WSU and suggestions for improving the program. The results are in-progress.

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