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Assessment : 2012 - 2013 : Educational Programs :
Health MA

5 Goals    5 Objectives    5 Indicators    5 Criteria    5 Findings    6 Actions


GOAL: Leadership Skills In Health Promotion

Objective  
Apply Leadership Skills
MA Health students will be able to identify the qualities of effective leaders and managers in public and community health.

 


Indicator  
Leadership Skills  
Reading, viewing, and writing assignments in HLTH 5363 – Leadership in Health Promotion will require students to identify and analyze common leadership skills for health promotion.

Criterion  
Leadership Skills  
Students must score at least 90 percent on the portion of the course assignments that require them to identify, explain, and apply health promotion leadership skills.  Specific assignments include a summary/reflection of the importance of the leadership skills presented in the video The Leadership Assignment and the summary and application of their personal leadership skills identified through the activity Your Leadership Legacy.

This is a new goal for us this year in the Health MA.  We are eager to establish baseline data.

Finding  
Leadership Skill Application  
Seven MA Health students were enrolled in HLTH 5363 – Leadership in Health Promotion in SS I 2013.  Six of those seven students (86%) scored at least 90 percent on the course assignments that require identification, explanation, and application of leadership skills.

Actions for Objective:

Action  
Aplication Of Leadership Skills  
The Graduate Health Program faculty feel this goal is important for the professional development of their students; therefore, the criteria established for the goal will remain constant for the 2013-2014 academic year.




GOAL: Ethical Issues In Public Health

Objective  
Identify Controversial Ethical Issues In Public Health
Health MA students will identify multiple influences, perspectives, and impact of ethical issues in public health.

 


Indicator  
Ethical Issues  
Reading, viewing, and writing assignments in HLTH 5338 – Consumer Health Education will require students to identify factors which influence personal positions and beliefs and explain multiple viewpoints of various controversial and ethical issues facing today’s public health educator.

 

Criterion  
Ethical Issues  
Students must score at least 90 percent on the portion of the course assignments that require them to identify factors which influence personal positions and beliefs and explain multiple viewpoints of various controversial and ethical issues facing today’s public health educator. Specific assignments include assigned readings and position papers on Health Care Rationing and Right to Die Issues.

This goal, too, is a new goal for the Health MA.  Baseline data will be important to chart improvement.
 

Finding  
Ethical Issues In Pulic Health  
Fourteen MA Health students were enrolled in HLTH 5338 – Consumer Health in Spring 2013.  Ten of those fourteen students (71%) adequately identified factors which influence personal positions and beliefs and thoroughly explained multiple viewpoints of ethical issues in public health.

Actions for Objective:

Action  
Ethical Issues On Health  
The Graduate Health Program faculty were disappointed with the findings of this goal. The faculty will include additional subject content and activities  focusing on ethical issues in the public health sector during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Action  
Ethical Issues In Public Health  
The Graduate Health Program faculty were disappointed with the findings of this goal. The faculty will include additional subject content and activities  focusing on ethical issues in the public health sector during the 2013-2014 academic year.




GOAL: Research Enhancement Skills

Objective  
Research Enhancement Skills
MA Health graduate students will be competent in the research skills of survey development, data collection, statistical protocols, and data analysis.


Indicator  
Research Enhancement Skills  
A common embedded portion of the HLTH 5374 and HLTH 5375 classes is to enhance the research skills of the students. These skills include: survey methodology, survey development, statistical protocols, data collection techniques, and analysis of data.

 

Criterion  
Research Proposal  
Students must score at least 85 percent on the embedded portion of the graduate course assignments in HLTH 5374 and HLTH 5375 that focus on the enhancement of research related skills. Students must score at least 85% correct on writing a research proposal.

During 2011-2012, we were slightly weaker in the area of quantitative data collection and have implemented interventions to strengthen this area.

 

Finding  
Research Skill Enhancement  
Fourteen students were enrolled in HLTH 5374 during the Fall, 2012 semester and 15 students were enrolled in HLTH 5375 during the Spring, 2013 semester.  HLTH 5374 students were required to write a Research Proposal and HLTH 5375 students were reuired to complete a Data Collection Project and submit an Executive Summary.  With regard to the Research Proposals, 93% (13/14) scored 85% or above.  In addition, students completed extensive quantitative and qualitative data collection projects.  With regard to the Data Collection Project and Executive Summaries, 100% scored 85% or above.

Actions for Objective:

Action  
Research Enhancement Skills  
The Graduate Health Program faculty were pleased with the result of this goal. The faculty feel this goal is important for the development of research skills for their students; therefore, the criteria established for the goal will remain constant for the 2013-2014 academic year.



GOAL: Analysis And Application Of Health Theories And Models

Objective  
Health Theories And Models
MA Health graduate students will be competent in the analysis and application of theories and models in the field of health behavior change and planning.

 


Indicator  
Health Theories And Models  
A common embedded portion of the HLTH 6396 and HLTH 5333 classes is to improve the students’ knowledge, application, and analysis of health planning and behavior change theories and models that are used in the profession of Health Education.

Criterion  
Health Theories And Models  
Students must score at least 90 percent on the embedded portion of the graduate course assignments in HLTH 6396 and HLTH 5333 that focus on their knowledge, application, and analysis of health planning and behavior change theories and models that are used in the profession of Health Education.

As a result of last year's results, we have raised the criterion from 85 percent to 90 percent.
Finding  
Health Theories And Behavior Models  
Twenty-five MA Health students were enrolled in HLTH 5333 – Colloquium in Human Sexuality and HLTH 6396- Health Program Planning-Pre-internship during the 2012-2013 assessment cycle. Twenty-two students (88%) successfully demonstrated the content knowledge, application, and analysis of health planning and behavior change theories and models that are used in the profession of Health Education.

Actions for Objective:

Action  
Health Theories And Models  
The Graduate Health Program faculty were a bit disappointed with the findings of this goal. The faculty will include additional subject content and activities focusing on the value and application of health behavior model and theories during the 2013-2014 academic year.



GOAL: Professional Development And Practices

Objective  
Professional Development
MA Health students will be able to use their acquired knowledge, skills, and experience in an internship setting.   

 


Indicator  
Professional Development Mastery  
Health MA students enrolled in HLTH 6397 will be able to demonstrate professional competency in an applied setting. Students will engage in a variety of assignments including monthly blogs, weekly internship logs, and a cumulative reflection paper in order to demonstrate summary professional development. The cumulative portfolio is evaluated via a rubric established by program faculty. Students’ cumulative performance will also be evaluated by their internship site supervisor via a rubric established by program faculty.

 

Criterion  
Site Supervisor Evaluation And Professional Portfolio  
Students’ final internship evaluation from the site supervisor must reach a minimum of a 90 percent rating. Additionally, the professional portfolio and all accompanying assignments presented by the student must also attain a minimum of a 90 percent rating.

Once again, we have raised the criterion from 85 percent to 90 percent for 2012-2013 as a result of last year's findings.

Finding  
Site Supervisor Evaluation And Professional Portfolio  
Nine MA Health students were enrolled in HLTH 6397 – Health Internship during the 2012-2013 assessment cycle. Nine students (100%) successfully demonstrated the professional skills that are required to be an effective Master’s level health educator. Students were assessed through their supervisor’s evaluation and professional portfolio highlighting the internship experience.
Actions for Objective:

Action  
Internship Experience-Professional Portfolio And Supervisor Evaluation  

The Graduate Health Program faculty were pleased with the result of this goal. The faculty feel this goal is important for the professional development of their students; therefore, the criteria established for the goal will remain constant for the 2013-2014 academic year.





Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement"

After reviewing all of the findings, it was noted that the majority health graduate students met or exceeded each of the criterion established for all of the program goals. The graduate Health program faculty values the rigor of the assignments identified in the program goals and wishes to maintain these requirements and increase criteria in courses taught in the graduate Health Program. The faculty also realizes that additional criterion may need to be identified and established for the 2012-2013 academic year to enhance the learning outcomes of the students enrolled in the program. To that end, we will be retiring the portfolio assignment as an area to imiprove and choose another area on which to work for improvement. For the theories and model assignment, the criterion will be raised to 90 percent for the coming year.

 

 

Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement"

During the 2012-2013 assessment period, the Health Program faculty added the leadership skills and ethical issues objectives to the data base. Eighty-six percent performance rate is acceptable for the leadership skill objective.  Therefore, no actions are needed for this objective. Seventy-one percent performance rate is unacceptable for the ethical issues objective.  The objective will remain the same for 2013-2014 with a target of 85 percent or higher acceptable performance level. The remaining objectives focusing on the acquisition of research skills, the application of health theory and planning, and professional development skills are an important and necessary criteria for Master’s level health educators and will continue to be evaluated by the Health Program faculty.

 

Plan for Continuous Improvement

The Health Program faculty will diligently work to prepare students with the content knowledge and the skills they need to by a Master’s level health educator.  Next year, the target percentage for the leadership skills objective will be increased to 90% and will include a hypothetical public health project which requires students to identify program partners and conduct a role delineation, SWOT analysis and benefit expectation for each partner.  The target for the ethical issues objective will remain the same for 2013-2014 and an additional assignment will be added to help students understand diverse viewpoints in public health ethical issues. The target for the research and statistics and the health planning and theory objectives will remain the same for the next assessment cycle. The criteria for the professional development objective will include an additional assignment detailing the graduate intern project.

 



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