Assessment Report

CHEM 1120 – Spring 2007 

Instructor: Doug Harris 

Course  Description: For nonscience majors. Continued coverage of organic chemistry, along with introduction to biochemistry. Prerequisite: CHEM 1110. 

Enrollment: 86 

Assessment method: Use student centered learning strategies in the chemistry classroom. 

Outcomes Data: In an effort to determine what students are learning on a daily basis, a series of learning checks (non-graded formative assessment checks that occur during each lecture) have been developed within the PowerPoint lecture slides. Students are encouraged to work with each other and direct questions to the instructor in order to successfully answer these learning checks. Questions 8 and 9 of the Utah State University Teacher/Course Evaluation form specifically address the topics of how the students feel about the opportunities of asking questions/expressing comments in class and most closely relate to the learning check formative assessment technique.  

Question # Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor Very Poor
8. Opportunity to ask questions: 75% 19% 4% No fair responses received 2% No very poor responses received
9. Opportunity for students to make comments and express opinions was: 73% 19% 6% No fair responses received 2% No very poor responses received
 

Summary: The largest percentage of the class has indicated that the course provides an excellent lecture environment that is conducive to the asking of questions and expressing comments and/or opinions. 

Student evaluations indicated an overall quality of the course rating of 5.0 out of 6.0. This is higher than the department and college of science averages of 4.8, each. These same evaluations further indicated an instructor effectiveness score of 5.1 out of 6.0. Again, this average is higher than the department and college of science averages of 4.8 and 4.9, respectively.