Final Reports for Spring 2011 SLOAT Courses

ACC 102Rachel Pernia, Business

AFE 083Troy Hamilton, Center for Academic Foundations

AFM 083Violeta De Pierola & Arturo Vera, Center for Academic Foundations

ART 100Barbara Pogue, Humanities

BIO 100Ezdehar Abu-Hatab & Lynn Wilson, Biology & Chemistry

BIO 121Jill Stein, Biology & Chemistry

BUS 101Nathan Himelstein, Business

ENG 096Eileen DeFreece, Humanities

ENG 101Richard Bogart, Humanities

ENG 102Patricia Bartinique & Kevin Hayes, Humanities

ENR 100Alkis Dimopoulos, ETCS

ESL 080Milena Rubinstein, Bilingual Studies

HST 101David Berry & Margaret Stevens, Humanities

MTH 086Shohreh Andresky & Ines Figueiras, Mathematics & Physics

MTH 100Carlos Castillo & Soraida Romero, Mathematics & Physics

OPH 127Charles Harrison, Nursing & Allied Health

PTA 202Tom Donofrio, Nursing & Allied Health

RDG 096Margaret Botney & Sean O’Connell, Humanities

RTC 106John Marfo, Nursing & Allied Health

RTC 203Mary Ellen Carpenter, Nursing & Allied Health

SOC 101Akil Khalfani, Social Sciences

SOC 111Arzelia Said, Social Sciences

Members of the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Team (SLOAT) at ECC are assigned the task of determining the level of student mastery of various SLOs (i.e., Course Goals and all associated MPOs, General Education Goals if applicable, and Program Goals if applicable) specific to their SLOAT course. This book is a compilation of the Spring 2011 SLOAT Final Reports, which each contain course-specific findings. These final reports, along with other SLOAT course assessment documents, may be found on the ECC SLO Assessment website which is maintained by Professor Ron Bannon, Mathematics & Physics.

Abstract – 1

PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING (ACC 102)

SLOAT SPRING 2011 REPORT

SUBMITTED BY RACHEL PERNIA

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this assessment study is to investigate and document the level of student mastery of the various desired learning outcomes of Principles of Managerial Accounting (ACC 102). ACC 102 is the second semester of a two-semester course sequence covering principles of accounting. The prerequisite for this course is successful completion (i.e., with a grade of C or better) of Principles of Financial Accounting (ACC 101). Thus, the courses should preferably be taken sequentially to increase the students’ chance of success in ACC 102.

The ACC 101 – 102 course sequence is a requirement for Accounting and Business Administration majors (both AAS and AS degrees). Approximately 8 sections, which each contained 30 to 35 students, were offered in the Spring 2011; 6 of these 8 sections (or roughly 75% of the ACC 102 enrollment) were used to collect data for this assessment study. Faculty and administrative support for evaluating this course in terms of student learning outcomes was very strong and such efforts made were well appreciated.

ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

The ACC 102 faculty blueprinted 25 multiple-choice questions (see ACC 102 – Appendix A) to the following six Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs), which are related to the stated two Course Goals:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the specific practice of using equity financing of operations.

1.1describe and illustrate the characteristics of stock, classes of stock, and entries for issuing stock;

1.2describe and illustrate the accounting for cash dividends and stock dividends; and

1.3describe and illustrate the reporting of stockholders’ equity.

  1. Prepare specific financial reports and analyses.

2.1analyze the cash flow activities reported in the statement of cash flows;

2.2prepare a statement of cash flows using the direct method; and

2.3describe basic financial statement analytical methods.

There were approximately 3 to 6 multiple-choice questions selected for and blueprinted to each MPO. The percentage of students who answered each MPO-specific series of multiple-choice questions correctly was then averaged to calculate a final average score for each MPO. This MPO-final average score would then summarily represent the level of student mastery of this desired student learning objective.

The assessment timeline included the 6th and/or 7th week of the Spring 2011 semester (i.e., February 28 – March 11) when testing was conducted in six (6) ACC 102 sections. These sections, which were comprised of 172 enrolled students, included three (3) full-time faculty sections (3 main campus day classes) and 3 adjunct faculty sections (1 main campus evening, 1 main campus weekend, and 1 West Caldwell campus). Furthermore, students were asked to complete a brief survey (see ACC 102 – Appendix B) after finishing the in-class assessment test.

RESULTS OF THE ASSESSMENT TEST & DATA ANALYSIS

The results of the assessment test are given in the table below.

MPO Tested / Test Question # / % of Students Who Answered Correctly / MPO Final Average Score
1.1 / 2 / 59.30 % / 59.20 %
3 / 50.58 %
4 / 43.60 %
6 / 75.58 %
8 / 83.72 %
12 / 42.44 %
1.2 / 9 / 59.30 % / 55.43 %
10 / 33.72 %
11 / 73.26 %
1.3 / 1 / 68.02 % / 59.59 %
5 / 50.58 %
7 / 69.77 %
13 / 50.00 %
2.1 / 14 / 77.33 % / 49.22 %
15 / 41.28 %
16 / 29.07 %
2.2 / 17 / 65.70 % / 68.60 %
18 / 54.65 %
19 / 85.47 %
2.3 / 20 / 67.44 % / 60.17 %
21 / 67.44 %
22 / 45.93 %
23 / 55.23 %
24 / 64.53 %
25 / 60.47 %

Based on results of the assessment (seen in the table above) and defining student achievement of an MPO as when the MPO Final Average Score is 70% or more (i.e., 70% or more of student responses to all questions blueprinted to this MPO were correct), none of the MPOs was fully achieved by students in this study. However, if performance on individual test questions is taken into account, it is apparent that some level of MPO student achievement was obtained since correct student responses to 5 blueprinted questions (i.e., question #s 6, 8, 11, 14, and 19) exceeded 70%. It is also important to consider that students seem to have least mastered the following learning objectives, which earned MPO-final average scores of 55.43% and 49.22% respectively:

MPO 1.2 describe and illustrate the accounting for cash dividends and stock dividends

MPO 2.1 analyze the cash flow activities reported in the statement of cash flows

It should be noted that this was the first test given in the semester for several of the ACC 102 classes in the SLOAT cohort. It is often the case that the first test of the semester tends to have lower grades, until the students become familiar with the instructor’s testing methods. Also, material included on the first test of ACC 102 is heavily based on concepts learned in Principles of Financial Accounting (ACC 101), and some students require more review of those concepts before they master the material of this course (i.e., ACC 102).

Also, because several classes and their respective instructors were involved in this study, there may have been variances as to how the assessment test was administered from class to class in terms of available time, study aides and other factors. The next study will address these possible variances by specifying a set of common test-administration guidelines to be carefully followed by all sections in the SLOAT cohort.

RESULTS OF THE STUDENT SURVEY

Students in the study cohort were also asked to complete a brief survey to give us an idea of the amount of time they spend studying as well as other factors that affect their preparation for the class and performance on tests. The student survey results are summarized below.

  1. What grade are you currently earning in ACC 102 so far this semester?

A 11.3% B 31.6% C 39.0% D 16.5% F 1.5%

  1. How much time in total did you study for this test?

Less than two hours (< 2 hrs) 18.1% Between two and four hours (2 – 4 hrs) 30.6%

Between four and six hours (4 – 6 hrs)21.5% More than six hours (> 6 hrs) 29.9%

  1. Did you seek any of the additional help options listed below? Please circle all that apply.

Tutoring 31% Help from the Professor during Office Hours 15%

Study with Classmates 54%

  1. If you did not seek additional help, why have you not done so?

I do not need it 12.5% I am too busy 55% I don’t find the tutors helpful 3.7%

I am embarrassed to get help 5% Other ______24%

  1. Do you have the required textbook – Principles of Financial Accounting II: Managerial – ACC 102 – for this course?

Yes 97% No 3%

  1. How many times have you been absent from class?

Zero or one 66.9% Two or three 27.3% More than three 5.7%

  1. How much of the assigned homework have you completed?

More than 75% (> 75%) 73.9% Between 50% and 75% (50% – 75%) 17.9%

Between 25% and 50% (25% – 50%) 6.7% Less than 25% (< 25%) 1.5%

  1. Have you used an online homework package to complete the homework?

Yes 27.6% No 72.4%

  1. If you have used an online homework package to complete your homework, do you feel it helped you achieve a higher grade in the class?

Definitely 27.3% Maybe 24.2% No 7% Not Applicable 41.4%

  1. How long ago did you complete ACC 101 – Principles of Financial Accounting I?

Last semester (Fall 2010) 76.1%

Two semesters/terms ago (Spring 2010/Summer 2010) 14.6%

Before 2 semesters/terms ago – when? 9.3%

  1. What was your grade in ACC 101 – Principles of Financial Accounting I?

A 33.6% B 41% C 25.4% D 0% F 0%

  1. Are you an Accounting major?

Yes 34% No 66%

In summary, the results of the student survey indicate the following:

  • At least 70% of students reported studying less than 6 hours for this test. 6 hours is not enough time to ensure mastery of the material.
  • 55% of students reported that they did not seek additional help, even though the test results indicated they did not fully understand the material.
  • 27% of students reported using the online homework software to complete their assignments. They felt it definitely helped them achieve a higher grade.

SUMMARY

The results of the ACC 102 assessment study established a baseline to use for future assessment studies for this course. It raised the awareness of instructors as to the level of student mastery of the required material, and it identified student learning content areas of strength and concern where additional focus is required. This assessment provides us with information to fine tune our instruction and to better prepare future assessment studies of ACC 102. In addition, this report has been distributed to accounting faculty and is being discussed as we plan our approach to teaching ACC 102 for Fall 2011.

PLAN OF ACTION (INTERVENTION)

Based on discussions involving the Chairperson of the Business Division and the Accounting faculty of the results of this assessment study, our plan of action is as follows:

  • ACC 102 students will be given early in the semester a multiple-choice test on the Principles of Financial Accounting (i.e., ACC 101) basic concepts.
  • Students who score 70% or less on this review exam will be encouraged to do the following:
  • attend a series of ‘Review of ACC 101 Basics’ workshops at the Learning Center; and
  • complete and submit an ACC 101 practice problem.

After the intervention described above is implemented early in the Fall 2011 semester to determine and address student learning areas of weakness, an assessment study similar to the one conducted in Spring 2011 will be repeated. The results of the Fall 2011 assessment study will be compared to the baseline Spring 2011 student learning outcomes assessment data (i.e., MPO final average scores) to determine whether the implemented interventions improved the level of student achievement of the MPOs in ACC 102.

ACC 102 – 1

AFE 083 Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (SLO)

Spring 2011 Final Report

prepared by Troy Hamilton, CAF

Introduction

Academic Foundations English 083 (AFE 083) is a non-general-education coursethat focuses on writing, reading and study skills. This course is designed to emphasize fluency, the writing process, sentence structure, editing and revision, paragraph and essay development, the comprehension and analysis of texts, and effective study habits and skills. The reading skills will be applied to selections of fiction and non-fiction including essays reflecting the various rhetorical modes. Study skills instruction includes emphasis on listening, note taking, following directions, understanding texts, goal setting, time management, and test taking. Special emphasis will be placed on helping students to overcome the anxieties of testing, reading, writing and studying. The following are the listed course goals for AFE 083:

  1. Write a five-paragraph essay.
  2. Utilize proper research techniques necessary to write a fully-cited research paper using Modern Language Association (MLA) style format.

Purpose

This assessment of student learning outcomes (SLOs) conducted by Troy Hamilton seeks to help the other Center for Academic Foundations English instructors to better understand exactly what topics/skills students are mastering in the course. More than just engaging in information gathering, the desired intention of this study is to analyze and understand student progress for the purpose of modifying and refining how they are being taught. The hope and expectation is that each instructor, after the data is shared, will be encouraged to alter and/or modify their teaching approach to meet the needs of their individual students.

Methodology

The primary purpose of the student learning outcomes (SLO) study conducted in Spring 2011 for AFE 083 was to assess course goal 1 as was done in Fall 2010. Each of the five instructors who participated in this necessary assessment analyzed students’ essays to evaluate, among other things, how well the students were able to develop and sustain their arguments throughout the essay. Of the instructors participating in data collection for this study, two are full-time and three are part-time adjunct instructors.

  1. The sample population of students selected to participate in the assessment were twenty- five, in total, from Sections 002, 003, LS3, OAC and DE1 (5 students from each sections). Instructors were asked to identify the first five students listed on their class roster to be part of the study. This approach helped to prevent instructors from purposefully selecting their best students to be part of the assessment cohort.
  2. The essays chosen for the assessment were the last essays the students were required to write before they sat for the midterm exam and final exam.
  3. The checklist rubric that was used to score the essays is given below.

Essex County College (SLOAT)

Outcomes Assessment Survey

AFE 083/Spring 2011

English Assignment Survey

Assignment due Date______Section Number______

Assignment Topic______

For each of the following outcomes identified for inclusion in a paper assignment in AFE 083, please indicate their occurrence or lack of occurrence in your student’s writing:

  1. Does the essay include an appropriate introductory paragraph?

 Yes  SomewhatNo

  1. Is there an appropriate topic sentence with the author’s name and title of the essay?

 Yes  SomewhatNo

  1. Was a relevant thesis statement incorporated within the introductory paragraph?

 Yes  SomewhatNo

  1. Was a relevant three-point sentence established?

 Yes  SomewhatNo

  1. Were the body paragraphs well structured?

 Yes  SomewhatNo

  1. Were the body paragraphs related to each other in a logical structure that supported the thesis?

 Yes  SomewhatNo

  1. Was proper in-text citation used?

 Yes  SomewhatNo

  1. Did the paper contain an appropriate concluding paragraph?

 Yes  SomewhatNo

  1. Did the paper include an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage?

 Yes  SomewhatNo

Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs) related to course goals 1 are as follows:

1.1write an appropriate introductory paragraph;

1.2compose an appropriate topic sentence;

1.3construct a clear thesis statement;

1.4establish a three-point sentence;

1.5compose an appropriate topic sentence for each body paragraph;

1.6utilize in-text citation;

1.7write a concluding sentence for each body paragraph;

1.8write an appropriate concluding paragraph; and

1.9use correct grammar and syntax throughout the essay

Student achievement of MPOs 1.1 through 1.3 provides evidence of how well students are able to develop an appropriate introductory paragraph, whereas achievement of MPOs 1.4 through 1.7 and 1.9 and MPO 1.8 were used to assess the body paragraph and conclusion paragraph respectively.

Assessment Results for the Midterm Exam:

50% of the students in the cohort were able to develop an appropriate introductory paragraph (i.e., achieved MPOs 1.1. – 1.3) before the midterm exam (both the midterm and final exams were designed by the Humanities Division). The first three questions on the checklist rubric were formulated to assess the introductory paragraph.

52% of the students were able to develop an appropriate body paragraph utilizing MLA in-text citation (i.e., achieved MPOs 1.4 – 1.7 and 1.9) before the midterm exam. Questions 4 through 7 and 9 on the checklist rubric were formulated to assess the body paragraphs.

49% of the students were able to develop an appropriate concluding paragraph before the midterm exam. Question 8 on the checklist rubric was designed to assess student ability to develop an appropriate concluding paragraph.

Diagram 1

These findings, as displayed in Diagram1, indicate that by the Spring 2011 midterm exam, only 50% (introductory paragraph), 52% (body paragraphs) and 49% (concluding paragraph) of the sampled students attained the corresponding Measurable Performance Objectives (MPOs). For this study, if 70% of the students are able to accomplish a given objective, it is considered ‘achieved.’ In this particular study conducted prior to midterm, none of the MPOs were achieved. This implies that by the eighth week of the semester students were not performing/writing at the expected, desired level. It seems that, based on anecdotal information gathered in discussions with students after the midterm assessment, a number of factors contributed to their lack of achievement. Some of the factors reported by students were external, such as employment, financial difficulties, and child rearing. It is safe to conclude that these factors prohibited students from attending class regularly, which directly impacted their academic performance. In spite of this and based on the study findings, it is clear that AFE English instructors and Supplemental Instructors (SIs) need to come up with more effective pedagogical strategies in an effort to enhance their students’ performance to preferably exceed 70% MPO achievability before the midterm exam.

Assessment Results for the Final Exam:

By the time the final exam was administered, MPOs 1.1 through 1.9 were better accomplished by the AFE students than before the midterm exam, which is certainly a good thing. However, several of the MPOs were still not quite achieved (as determined by the 70% benchmark).

69% of students were able to develop an appropriate introductory paragraph before the final exam, which is a considerable improvement from the midterm assessment (50%).

71% of students were able to develop appropriate body paragraphs correctly utilizing MLA in-text citation before the finalexam,which is a considerable improvement from the midterm assessment (52%).

68% of the students were able to develop an appropriate concluding paragraph before the final exam,which is a considerable improvement from the midterm assessment (49%).