LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICAL, INFORMATION AND COMPUTER SCIENCES

 

COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJOR

 

Outcome #1 (Teach): Graduates will have a coherent and broad-based knowledge of the discipline of computing.

 

Means of assessment: Require students to take the ETS Major Field Test in Computer Science as the mid-term exam for the capstone course, Computer Science 481, Senior Seminar in Computer Science. 

 

Criteria of success: 50% of our students achieve above the 25th percentile on the exam.

 

Outcome #2 (Shape): Students will be prepared to give an oral technical presentation and a written summary of a topic in their field.

 

Means of Assessment: Each student will be required to give a 20-minute oral presentation and a four page written summary of a topic in their field as a part of their participation in the Senior Seminar in Computer Science.  The audience for this talk will include department faculty, fellow students and possibly some alumni. The students will be given the evaluation criteria in advance of their presentation and will be rated by the faculty using a rubric with a scale of 1 (outstanding) to 3 (unsatisfactory) in the following areas:

·         Overall Content:

o        Technical information

o        Depth of information

o        Command of background material

·         Oral Presentation:

o        Organization

o        Use of presentation tools

o        Notation

o        Exposition

o        Ability to field questions fro m the audience

·         Written Summary:

o        Organization

o        Grammar and spelling

o        Notation

o        Clarity of writing

o        Bibliography and other supporting documentation

 

Criteria of Success: 80% of the students should have an average score of at least 2 in each of the major areas.

 


Outcome #3 (Send): Computer Science graduates will be adequately prepared for entry into graduate school or jobs in the computing profession.

 

Means of assessment: Alumni will be surveyed every five years. They will be asked at least the following questions:

1.      If you have a job in Computer Science: On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being outstanding and 5 being poor, how well do you think that the undergraduate Computer Science curriculum at PLNU prepared you for your work in the field?

2.      If you are going to graduate school or went to graduate school: On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being outstanding and 5 being poor, how well do you think that the undergraduate Computer Science curriculum at PLNU prepared you for graduate school?

 

Criteria of success: An average response of 2 for each question. 

 


MATHEMATICS MAJOR

 

Outcome #1 (Teach): Graduates will have a coherent and broad-based knowledge of the discipline of Mathematics.

 

Means of assessment: Require students to take the ETS Major Field Test in Mathematics as the mid-term exam for the capstone course, Mathematics 481, Senior Seminar in Mathematics. 

 

Criteria of success: 50% of our students achieve above the 25th percentile on the exam.

 

Outcome #2 (Shape): Students will be prepared to give an oral technical presentation and a written summary of a topic in their field.

 

Means of Assessment: Each student will be required to give a 20-minute oral presentation and a four page written summary of a topic in their field as a part of their participation in the Senior Seminar in Mathematics.  The audience for this talk will include department faculty, fellow students and possibly some alumni. The students will be given the evaluation criteria in advance of their presentation and will be rated by the faculty using a rubric with a scale of 1 (outstanding) to 3 (unsatisfactory) in the following areas:

·         Overall Content:

o        Technical information

o        Depth of information

o        Command of background material

·         Oral Presentation:

o        Organization

o        Use of presentation tools

o        Notation

o        Exposition

o        Ability to field questions from the audience

·         Written Summary:

o        Organization

o        Grammar and spelling

o        Notation

o        Clarity of writing

o        Bibliography and other supporting documentation

 

Criteria of Success: 80% of the students should have an average score of at least 2 in each of the major areas.

 


Outcome #3 (Send): Mathematics graduates will be adequately prepared for graduate study, teaching and careers using Mathematics.

 

Means of assessment: Alumni will be surveyed every five years. They will be asked at least the following questions:

1.      If you have a job in industry: On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being outstanding and 5 being poor, how well do you think that the undergraduate Mathematics curriculum at PLNU prepared you for your work in the field?

2.      If you are going to graduate school or went to graduate school: On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being outstanding and 5 being poor, how well do you think that the undergraduate Mathematics curriculum at PLNU prepared you for graduate school?

3.      If you are in a teaching credential program or working as a teacher: On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being outstanding and 5 being poor, how well do you think that the undergraduate Mathematics curriculum at PLNU prepared you for teaching?

 

Criteria of success: An average response of 2 for each question. 

 


INFORMATION SYSTEMS MAJOR

 

Outcome #1 (Teach): Graduates will have a coherent and broad-based knowledge of the discipline of Information Systems.

 

Means of assessment: Require students to take the ETS Major Field Test in Computer Science as the mid-term exam in IS 481, Senior Seminar in Information Systems. 

 

Criteria of success: 50% of our students achieve above the 25th percentile on the exam.

 

Outcome #2 (Shape): Students will be prepared to give a written summary of a topic in their field.

 

Means of Assessment: Each student will be required to give a 20-minute oral presentation and a four page written summary of a topic in their field as a part of their participation in the Senior Seminar in Information Systems.  The audience for this talk will include department faculty, fellow students and possibly some alumni. The students will be given the evaluation criteria in advance of their presentation and will be rated by the faculty using a rubric with a scale of 1 (outstanding) to 3 (unsatisfactory) in the following areas:

·         Overall Content:

o        Technical information

o        Depth of information

o        Command of background material

·         Oral Presentation:

o        Organization

o        Use of presentation tools

o        Notation

o        Exposition

o        Ability to field questions from the audience

·         Written Summary:

o        Organization

o        Grammar and spelling

o        Notation

o        Clarity of writing

o        Bibliography and other supporting documentation

 

Criteria of Success: 80% of the students should have an average score of at least 2 in each of the two main areas.

 

Outcome #3 (Send): Management Information Systems graduates will be adequately prepared for entry into the information systems profession.

 

Means of assessment: Alumni will be surveyed every five years. They will be asked at least the following question:

1.      If you have a job in computer science: On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being outstanding and 5 being poor, how well do you think that the undergraduate Management Information Systems curriculum at PLNU prepared you for your work in the field?

 

Criteria of success: An average response of 2.