Assessment of Student Learning in the Animal Science- Ag Education Division Academic Year

Transcription

1 Assessment of Student in the Animal Science- Ag Education Division Academic Year Part 1- Animal Science and Ag Education Program Outcome Assessment Students majoring in Animal Science or Agricultural Education are expected to meet the following learning outcomes upon completion of their degrees. 1. Students will be able to effectively communicate in oral and written form. 2. Students will be able to gather, assimilate, and process information to reach sound logical conclusions. 3. Students will be able to apply economic principles of accounting, marketing and budgeting to agricultural enterprises. 4. Students will be able to exhibit required knowledge and skills consistent with their chose field of study. ( Technical Competence) 5. outcomes specific to livestock area options( and ) a. Students will be knowledgeable in the areas of modern livestock husbandry and management practices. 6. outcomes specific to transfer options a. Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge in the areas of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and oral/written communication along with a basic understanding of agriculture consistent with standards set for baccalaureate degrees. Assessment of Animal Science and Ag Education program outcomes includes the following tools. 1. Course Competency a. Technical Knowledge is measured in several key courses. 2. Capstone Course/ Project a. Students who are in the or Program Areas take the AGR 2943-Farm and Ranch Capstone. Students design business plans encompassing details of the operation. 3. Internship Employer Surveys a. The results from these surveys provide feedback on outcome of technical competence from the employer perspective.

2 Part 2-Course Competency Summary for Assessing Animal Science and Ag Education Courses Course competency is important assessment tool for student learning for the following program outcomes: 1. Students will be able to exhibit required knowledge and skills consistent with their chose field of study. ( Technical Competence) 2. outcomes specific to livestock area options( and ) a. Students will be knowledgeable in the areas of modern livestock husbandry and management practices. 3. outcomes specific to transfer options b. Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge in the areas of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and oral/written communication along with a basic understanding of agriculture consistent with standards set for baccalaureate degrees. # of Students % of Course ASI 1253 Nutrition ASI 1303 Animal ASI 2303 Range ASI 2353 Breeding ASI 2384 Large Animal Diseases and Pharmacology ASI 2774 Beef Production % 94.2% 92% 92% 90% 96% For the most part, students are meeting the outcomes in these courses that provide essential knowledge and skills for them to be productive in the. We have determined that the lack of complete passage rate is the attendance of classes. Many of the students which were not successful correlated to the attendance of the courses listed above. The notable deficiencies we find are centered on understanding of diseases and comprehending treatment measures. Lack of scientific background prior to taking the courses does cause some lack of understanding to be successful on various learning outcomes.

3 ASI 2262 Nutrition ASI 2433 I ASI 2443 II ASI 1442 I ASI 2442 II ASI 2612 Repro # of Students % of Course 88.8% 85.7% 85.7% 80% 100% 100% The students in the focus are lower enrollment than that of the thus seeing some lower percentages of Student learning outcomes being met. The focus has some similar challenges with student attendance to maintain the higher levels of Student outcomes being met. We have focused on student attendance and retention in these courses as well as recruitment of students for the option. Ag Education AED 1101 Early Field Experience AED 1103 Ag Education, Journalism, Leadership Careers AED 1233 Planning Leadership and Experiential Programs AED 2103 Youth Programs AED 2503 # of students % of Course 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% With this being a new option in Agricultural Production Systems Division in the Fall of 2013, the numbers were beginning to increase in enrollment in the courses and the courses. Students were excelling in the Student and reaching high achievement levels as they focused towards a career in Agricultural Education. The students gained valuable hands on experience from the Early Field Experience course through the course.

4 Part 3 Capstone Project Assessment Summary Rubric Assessment Scale: 1 = Unsatisfactory, 2 = Needs growth, 3 = Satisfactory, 4 = Outstanding Number of Projects Evaluated Program Outcome 1) Written Communication ) Gather and assimilate information ) Analyze, interpret and apply information ) Apply economic principles to ag enterprises ) Humane livestock management ) waste and facility management ) husbandry practices ) Cultural practices are sustainable Most of the students do a satisfactory job when compiling their capstone report. We do need some additional work when it comes to grammar and sentence structure. There are some challenges from that aspect. The technical knowledge and skill brought forth in these projects is at an attainable and satisfactory rating. The students apply prior knowledge gained from Technical courses as well as Business courses prior to compiling the business plan. Only the and students compile a business plan as the Ag Education students are not required to take the course. Those students compile a portfolio of documents of Unit Plans and lesson plans for classroom instruction. Part 4- Internship Evaluations Students must complete a 12-week internship as part of their education in the areas of and. Many of the students complete it during the summer, but we have several who start it at the beginning of the Second 8 weeks of the Spring Semester. The student can still take a few courses with the opportunity to gain real world experience working for various types of operations. The student must keep a journal of daily activities as well as plan a presentation to be completed the following Fall Semester. After completion of the internship, evaluation forms are sent to the employers to ask questions of them concerning the student preparation for the job.

5 Internship Employer Survey Results for and Students Scale: 5 = excellent, 4 = Above average, 3 = Average, 2 = Below Average, 1 = Very Poor Appearance Dependability/Supervision Cooperation/Attitude Respect/Personality Communication Attendance/Punctuality Quality of Work/Safety Supervisory Ability/Leadership Technical Knowledge Overall Employability Rating Total Number of Students Evaluated We see continued growth in the students especially after the internships. They mature during the internship program which is what we are striving to see, but also see that the students have added skills from the learning opportunity. The ratings continue to be strong from the employers. We are looking at an intern survey as well in regards to their learning experience and place of employment. From these instruments, we hope to gather valuable information about the employer site from the student in regards to sending interns to the locations in the years to come. Conclusion With these three assessment tools, we can see how effective our education is from the program outcomes to the technical competency and feedback from industry professionals as to the preparation of the NCTA students for the industry. The information and knowledge gained assists us in making curriculum changes as needed, but for the most part, we are building quality students to fit what the industry is looking for in employees.