APPENDIX VIII
Program Assessment: Pilot EYE Courses
Analysis of Fall 2006 Semester
Office of Academic Assessment
University of Southern Maine
Spring 2007
Fall 2006: EYE Course Enrollments and Descriptions
EYE Courses Number Enrolled
EYE 101: Portrait of a Space 25
EYE 102: Sustainability, Culture, and the Environment 37
EYE 103: Shopping: American Consumerism 43
EYE 104: Disasters in the Natural World 44
Total = 149 Students
Course Descriptions
EYE 101 (F/I): Portrait of a Space
This interdisciplinary course explores the nature of urban green space with particular attention to Deering Oaks Park. Students will engage in field work, as well as other forms of research and creative expression, to develop “portraits” of the park using visual imagery, analytical and creative writing, GIS technology, and digital media.
EYE 102 (J/I): Sustainability, Culture, and the Environment
Why did the Mayan and Easter Island societies fail? Why do other societies continue on? What does all of this have to do with the United States? Is there an “Inconvenient Truth” in our future? Come and explore the historical, cultural and environmental challenges of Sustainability. Your future depends on it.
EYE 103 (J/I): Shopping: American Consumerism
This course explores the complex relationship between ordinary consumer practices like shopping, watching TV, and traveling and the history, culture, and economy of America. What, we might ask are the ripple effects of simple acts like buying a burger or putting on make-up? What is the relationship between consumption and formations of national, ethnic, sexual, and gender identities? And what about the underside of American consumption: poverty amid plenty? The course is an interdisciplinary exploration, bringing in the perspectives of history, philosophy, cultural studies, political economy and the natural sciences to answer these and related questions about shopping and American consumerism.
EYE 104 (F/H): Disasters in the Natural World
Its true that disasters are big business at the box office, but what are the ramifications within the social, political, and environmental systems in which they occur? By examining the Rwanda massacres, the Mexico City Earthquake, and Hurricane Katrina and the reactions of individuals, artist, communities, and nations, this course demonstrates how these disasters affect us all.
Demographic Information of Fall 2006 EYE Students
Gender: Males 50 (34%)
Females 99 (66%)
Class Level: Freshmen 128 (86%)
All others 21 (14%)
Enrollment Full-time 147 (98%)
Status Part-time 2 (2%)
College CAS 29 (19%)
CON 37 (25%)
SAS 5 (4%)
BUS 2 (1%)
UND 65 (44%)
CND 11 (7%)
Table 1: EYE Course Grades
Fall 2006 semester Successful grades Unsuccessful grades Other grades
(A-C) (D-F) (I, L, W)
Total N N % N % N %
All EYE courses: 149 109 73% 23 15% 17 11%
Table 2: Semester GPA’s
EYE Course Grades Fall ‘06 Semester GPA
N mean SD
Received Successful EYE grades: 109 3.04 0.59
Received Unsuccessful/Other EYE grades: 40 1.16 0.89
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All EYE Students 149 2.54 1.06
Table 3
Breakdown of English Course Taken with EYE Course, and Grade Point Averages
English Course Taken w/EYE course
(N=109) Passed EYE course(A-C grade) Fall ’06 GPA
N mean SD
Enrolled in ENG 100 39 3.24 0.83
Enrolled in ENG 009 37 3.01 0.74
No ENG course 33 2.75 0.68
Table 4
Comparison of Semester GPA’s of EYE Freshmen and a Sample of Other USM Freshmen
Grade Analysis Fall ‘06 Semester GPA
GPA of EYE Freshmen GPA of Other Freshmen
N mean SD N mean SD
Met English Proficiency
upon entry to USM 65 2.55 1.13 168 2.59 1.19
Did not meet English
proficiency upon entry
to USM 63 2.48 1.09 159 2.46 1.15
Table 5
EYE Assessment Survey Responses: Achievement of the Outcomes
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EYE Outcomes Student Rating
* Number of Student Responses =82 Agree Disagree
Based upon EYE 101, 103, 104 course data % %
- I have learned something that changed
the way I understand an issue or concept. 93 7 - I examined the strengths and weaknesses
of my own views on topics or issues related
to human cultures and the natural world. 87 13 - I have learned to challenge myself in
areas that are unfamiliar by asking and
exploring questions. 85 13 - I tried to better understand someone else’s
views by imagining how an issue looks
from his or her perspective. 88 12 - I can differentiate the perspectives of
different disciplinary approaches to
human cultures and the natural world. 87 10 - I can apply terminology that is
appropriate to an understanding of
human cultures and the natural world. 80 18 - I recognize the interrelationships
between human cultures and can
explain the differences and similarities. 82 18
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Table 6
EYE Assessment Survey Responses: Student Engagement
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NSSE Survey Items All EYE USM Freshmen
(% of students who reported ‘often or very often’ on each item) Fall 2006 NSSE 2006
% %
a. Asked questions in class or contributed
to class discussions 56 53
b. Worked on a paper or project that required
integrating ideas or information from
various sources 88 72
c. Included diverse or different perspectives
in class discussions or writing assignments 72 56
d. Put together ideas or concepts from different
courses when completing assignments or
during class discussions 61 45
e. Participated in a community-based project
(i.e. service learning) as part of a regular
course 23 6
f. Discussed grades or assignments with an
instructor 44 40
g. Receive prompt written or oral feedback
from faculty on your academic performance. 76 50
h. Worked with faculty members on activities
other than coursework 10 5
i. Had serious conversations with students of
a different race or ethnicity than your own 26 32
j. Had serious conversation with students who
are very different in terms of their religious
beliefs, political opinions, or personal values 26 50
k. Used e-mail to communicate with the instructors. 65 66
l. Discussed ideas from readings or classes with
the faculty members outside of class. 26 15
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Table 7
EYE Assessment Survey Responses: Emphasized at USM
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Emphasized in Course Work All EYE USM Freshmen
(% of students who reported ‘quite a bit or very much’) Fall 2006 NSSE 2006
% %
a. Memorizing facts, ideas, or methods from
your courses and readings so you can
repeat them in the same form. 33 56
b. Analyzing the basic elements of an idea,
experience, or theory, such as examining
a particular case or situation in depth. 78 74
c. Synthesizing and organizing ideas, information,
or experiences into new, more complex
interpretations and relationships. 67 56
d. Making judgments about the value of
information, arguments, or methods,
such as examining how others gathered
and interpreted data and assessing the
soundness of their conclusions. 61 61
e. Applying theories or concepts to
practical problems or in new situations. 66 63
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All EYE USM Freshmen
Emphasized at USM Fall 2006 NSSE 2006
(% of students who reported ‘often or very often’) % %
a. Spending significant amounts of studying. 68 68
b. Providing the academic support I needed. 71 66
c. Encouraging contact among diverse students. 35 36
d. Providing the social support I need. 52 30
e. Attending campus events and activities. 56 43
f. Using computers in academic work. 83 81
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Summary of Findings
· Overall, 73% of EYE students successfully (A-C grades) passed the EYE course (N=109), and approximately 27% (N=40) received unsuccessful grades (D-F) or other (I, L, W) grades. See Table 1.
· Those students who successfully passed their EYE course had an average fall semester GPA above 3.00. See Table 2.
· EYE students who enrolled in an English course (ENG 009 or 100) concurrently with their EYE course had higher GPA’s (on average) than students who did not take an English course. See Table 3.
· There were no significant differences in semester GPA among the EYE entering freshmen and other USM entering freshmen (represented sample of freshmen not taking EYE courses). See Table 4.
· Approximately 55% (N=82) of the EYE students completed an end-of-semester assessment survey. Over 80% of these students reported a high level of agreement on achieving each of the EYE program outcomes. See Table 5.
· EYE students answered a sample of questions (taken from the NSSE 2006 Survey) about their level of engagement during the first semester at USM. On several items regarding classroom activities and faculty interaction, EYE students reported a slightly higher level of engagement compared to a sample of other USM freshmen. See Table 6.
· EYE students reported that USM “often or very often” emphasizes providing academic and social support, and attending campus activities. See Table 7.
Program Assessment: EYE Courses
Analysis of Fall 2007 Semester
Office of Academic Assessment
University of Southern Maine
Spring 2008
Fall 2007: EYE Course Enrollments
EYE Courses Number Enrolled
EYE 101: Portrait of a Space 11
EYE 102: Sustainability, Culture, and the Environment 85
EYE 103: Shopping: American Consumerism 40
EYE 104: Disasters in the Natural World 39
EYE 105: Life is a Matrix 4
EYE 106: Race Matters 28
EYE 107: HIV-AIDS 25
EYE 109: Gender, Representation, Resistance 38
EYE 110: Literature and Medicine 23
EYE 113: The Pleasure of Eating/Animals 19
Total = 312 Students
EYE Students: Breakdown by College
College Fall 2007
N %
CAS 120 39%
CONHP 35 11%
ASET 4 1%
BUS 7 2%
UND 118 38%
CND 28 9%
Table 1: EYE Course Grades Overall
Fall 2007 semester Successful grades Unsuccessful grades Other grades
(A-C) (D-F) (I, L, W)
Total N % N % N %
All EYE Courses 312 239 77% 32 10% 41 13%
Table 2: Fall 2007 Semester GPA’s
EYE Course Grades Fall ‘07 Semester GPA
N mean SD
Received Successful EYE grades: 239 2.86 0.74
Received Unsuccessful/Other EYE grades: 73 0.86 0.93
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All EYE Students 312 2.39 1.16
Table 3: Spring 2008 Semester GPA’s
EYE Course Grades Spring ‘08 Semester GPA
N mean SD
Received Successful EYE grades: (not available yet)
Received Unsuccessful/Other EYE grades:
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All EYE Students
Table 4: Numbers Retained for EYE Fall 2007 Students
EYE Students Fall 07 Spring 08 Fall 08
N N N
Fall 2007 EYE Cohort 312 306 167 (pre-registered)
Table 5
EYE Assessment Survey Responses: Achievement of the Outcomes
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EYE Outcomes Student Rating
* Number of Student Responses =238 Agree/Strongly Agree
N %
- I have learned something that changed
the way I understand an issue or concept. 231 97 - I examined the strengths and weaknesses
of my own views on topics or issues related
to human cultures and the natural world. 225 95 - I have learned to challenge myself in
areas that are unfamiliar by asking and
exploring questions. 214 90 - I tried to better understand someone else’s
views by imagining how an issue looks
from his or her perspective. 220 92 - I can describe and explain the inter-
relationships between human cultures and
natural environments. 217 91 - I can describe and explain how the inter-
relationships between cultures and natural
environments are different in different 221 93
cultural contexts and different time periods.
- I can apply the knowledge and perspectives
I’ve learned about the inter-relationships
between cultures and natural environments to 218 92
new and unfamiliar examples.
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Table 6
EYE Assessment Survey Responses: Student Engagement
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NSSE Survey Items All EYE USM Freshmen
(% of students who reported ‘often or very often’ on each item) Fall 2007 NSSE 2007
% %
l. Asked questions in class or contributed
to class discussions 61 61
m. Worked on a paper or project that required
integrating ideas or information from
various sources 84 74
n. Included diverse or different perspectives
in class discussions or writing assignments 75 56
o. Put together ideas or concepts from different
courses when completing assignments or
during class discussions 58 48
p. Participated in a community-based project
(i.e. service learning) as part of a regular
course 32 7
q. Discussed grades or assignments with an
instructor 40 44
r. Receive prompt written or oral feedback
from faculty on your academic performance. 64 54
s. Worked with faculty members on activities
other than coursework 23 7
t. Had serious conversations with students of
a different race or ethnicity than your own 37 27
u. Had serious conversation with students who
are very different in terms of their religious
beliefs, political opinions, or personal values 47 43
v. Used e-mail to communicate with the instructors. 64 75
l. Discussed ideas from readings or classes with
the faculty members outside of class. 26 15
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Table 7
EYE Assessment Survey Responses: Paper/Project
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Additional Items Fall 2007
(% of students who reported ‘often or very often’ on each item) %
m. Read and discussed materials and worked on 61
a paper/project related to the inter-relationship
between human cultures and the natural world.
n. Read and discussed materials and worked on a 58
paper/project related to how the inter-relationship
between culture and environment is similar and
different in different cultures and different historical
periods.
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Table 8
EYE Assessment Survey Responses: Emphasized at USM
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All EYE USM Freshmen
Emphasized at USM Fall 2007 NSSE 2007
(% of students who reported ‘often or very often’) % %
g. Spending significant amounts of studying. 61 72
h. Providing the academic support I needed. 63 65
i. Encouraging contact among diverse students. 41 33
j. Providing the social support I need. 52 26
k. Attending campus events and activities. 52 42
l. Using computers in academic work. 75 79
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Table 9
EYE Assessment Survey Responses: Emphasized in Course Work
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Emphasized in Course Work All EYE USM Freshmen
(% of students who reported ‘quite a bit or very much’) Fall 2007 NSSE 2007
% %
f. Memorizing facts, ideas, or methods from
your courses and readings so you can
repeat them in the same form. 37 55