SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
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Assessment : 2013 - 2014 : Educational Programs :
Mass Communication BA
Mass Communication BA
3 Goals 3 Objectives 3 Indicators 3 Criteria 3 Findings 3 Actions
| GOAL: Writing Skills Development |
| Objective |
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| MCOM graduates will demonstrate appropriate writing skills with emphasis given to grammar, structure, organization, clarity, fluency, and style. |
| Indicator |
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Students in MCOM 1332 will be tested to assess development of their writing skills. The initial test will be an Online Grammar-Spelling-Punctuation Module administered at the beginning of the term. The test will be administered again at the close of the semester. Tenure faculty working in conjunction with the SHSU's Instructional Technology Department created the test in 2013. |
| Criterion |
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| Students will show significant improvement in basic writing skills. At least 80% of students in MCOM 1332 will score 75 or better (out of 100) on the online writing skills exam administered at the end of the semester. Tenured faculty who have taught this class decided that a grade of 75 was an acceptable level of writing skills for this introductory class. |
| Finding |
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| Eight out of 25 students (32%) passed (75 out of 100) the writing skills exam at the beginning of the semester. Twenty-four out of 25 students (96%) passed the writing skills exam at the end of the semester. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| The introduction of the online spelling-grammar-punctuation test was successful in this section of MCOM 1332 and offered valuable assessment data. The test will be introduced into all sections of MCOM 1332 in the Fall of 2014. |
| GOAL: Knowledge Of Media Law & Ethics |
| Objective |
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| MCOM graduates will demonstrate a working knowledge of legal concepts and theories (First Amendment, copyright, privacy, libel, etc.) as they apply to emerging legal matters specific to the practice of journalism, radio, television, film and public relations. |
| Indicator |
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| All students in MCOM 4371 took a Pre/Post Diagnositic Exam. The exam tested students on general principles related to the First Amendment, copyright, privacy and libel with new emphasis on the digital environs. |
| Criterion |
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| Compared to the Pre-test, students in MCOM 4371 will show significant improvement in their scores on the Post-test and 80% will score 75 or better (out of 100). |
| Finding |
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On the Pre-test 7% percent of the students in MCOM 4371 scored 75 or better (out of 100). On the Post-test 90% of the students scored 75 or better (out of 100). Class average score on Pre-Test was 40 (out of 100) and class average score for Post-test was 80 (out of 100). Several questions on the Post-test (regarding Privacy & Privacy in the digital realm) presented problems for some students |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| MCOM will continue to assess this advanced major-specific core class. Additional lectures, assignments, screenings & Blackboard postings on Privacy in the digital environs will be introducted in the Fall version of this class. |
| GOAL: Development Of Video Production Skills |
| Objective |
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| The MCOM Department will graduate students who are proficient with video production equipment and familiar with general, hands-on professional production skills. |
| Indicator |
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| Final video projects by students in MCOM 2371 will be assessed by instructor in regards to specific production skills (framing, editing, lighting). |
| Criterion |
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| At least 80% of the students -- in one section of MCOM 2371 -- will score 75 or better (out of 100) on assessment of skill-sets. The instructor in this section of MCOM 2371 rated a video project in terms of framing, editing and lighting skills on a sliding scale (from Unacceptable to Professionally Competent). Production faculty decided that this level of performance measure on the skills test would be appropriate. |
| Finding |
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| 100% of students in MCOM 2371 scored 75 or better (out of 100) on the skills test. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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| A newly hired tenure-track faculty member will be assigned to two sections of MCOM 2371 and she will inherit assessment duties. Production faculty will fashion an updated, more demanding measurement of student skill-sets. |
| Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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The new Diagnostic Exam in MCOM 4371 was implemented the first day of class in Fall 2013 and the Post-Test will be administered at semester's end. Due to the ever-changing nature of the digital environment and the parallel developments in mass media law, this Diagnistic Test will be updated every year.
The Online Grammar-Spelling Module developed for MCOM 1332 is being Beta-tested in three sections of the class and the department hopes to have this test as a required feature of all sections of MCOM 1332 by Spring 2014 or -- depending on Beta-test results -- Fall 2014. Both MCOM 1332 and MCOM 4371 are important classes in the department's Core Curriculum. Assessment of these two classes will continue -- with updated Diagnostics for MCOM 4371 and adjustments to MCOM 1332 as required after this semester's Beta-test. The new faculty member teaching both sections of MCOM 2271 has submitted his assessment instrument to the Chair and will employ that instrument in the Fall 2013 Semester. With appropriate adjustments, the department will have this instrument available for any graduate students who might teach sections of this course in the 2013-14 Fall-Spring academic year. |
| Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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The Pre/Post Test in MCOM 4371 was implemented with additional questions related to Privacy and the digital realm. Additional class content related to that topic was introduced in lectures, screenings and Blackboard postings.
The Online Grammar-Spelling-Punctuation Module was Beta-tested in three sections of MCOM 1332. The Beta test was successful. Assessment of MCOM 4371 and MCOM 1332 continued and adjustments were made to the assessment instruments. Regarding MCOM 2271, the assessment instrument designed by the faculty member teaching the class was adopted and implemented. |
| Plan for Continuous Improvement |
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The Pre/Post Test Diagnositic Exam in MCOM 4371 will again be employed in Fall 2014 and additional questions will be added to the instrument that will assess knowledge of Privacy in the digital realm. Additional content on this topic will be introduced into lectures, screenings, assignments and Blackboard postings. The Online Grammar-Spelling-Punctuation Module was successfully Beta-tested and will be introduced into all sections of MCOM 1332. Several new faculty members will be teaching sections of MCOM 1332. These faculty will be briefed on the use of the Module.
Regarding MCOM 2371 assessment, the instrument employed last year needs to be updated and enhanced to more accurately measure student skill sets. It is likely that this metric needs to be more demanding and/or sensitive in terms of measuring framing, editing, lighting skills. A newly hired tenure track faculty member will meet with production faculty to adapt this metric and will employ a new test in Fall 2014. The MCOM Curriculum Committe working with the Chair will consider adding another MCOM Core Class to the curriculum. If an additional class is added, MCOM will consider expanding the number of Core Classes that we assess in this annual report. |