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Strategy: Because
the typical BS/BA student cohort is
relatively small, the Physics Department
is able to assesses attainment of its Learning
Objectives using individual
faculty evaluation of each student's
progress. This is done through Touchstone
Courses, a Capstone Course,
and Exit interviews. The
department has also used Informal
Feedback and External Reviews to
effectively assess and improve its
programs. Details are below.
The assessment data
are evaluated by the faculty as a
whole during the annual Faculty
Retreat; action items are created as
appropriate.
Touchstone
courses: The Physics
Department
performs
longitudinal
assessment
of learning
objectives
via five
"touchstone"
courses
which span
several
semesters of
work.
These courses
are PHYS 3870
(Intermediate
Lab), PHYS
3880 (Advanced
Lab), PHYS
3600
(Electromagnetism
I), PHYS 4600
(Electromagnetism
II), and PHYS
4900 (Research
in Physics).
These courses
build
heavily
on
the learning
objectives and
so provide
an
excellent
point for
assessment of
progress.
Physics
4900 (described
in more detail
below) is the
capstone
experience
and
so provides a
final
evaluation of
attainment of
learning
objective. At
the conclusion
of each
of the courses
listed below faculty
members assess
each
students
progress on
the physics
Learning
Objectives
using a
standardized rubric.
The faculty
evaluations of
learning
objectives are
submitted to
the
departmental
assessment
committee for
analysis and
archive.
The
learning objectives
these
courses
address are as
follows.
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3870
|
3880
|
3600
|
4600
|
4900
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Physics Knowledge
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
Problem Solving and
Mathematical Analysis
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
Laboratory Skills
|
x
|
x
|
|
|
x
|
Computer Skills
|
x
|
x
|
|
|
x
|
Research
|
x
|
x
|
|
|
x
|
Communication
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
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Capstone Assessment:
All physics majors are
required to take the course Research
in Physics (PHYS
4900), normally at the end of
their degree program. In this course the student
teams with a faculty
mentor and they execute a
research project in
physics. A written
and oral presentation on
the outcomes of this
project are
required.
These projects have
resulted
in scientific
publications and
frequently
get presented at
professional conferences.
The
written
presentations
are collected
here.
This
course
initiates
the student
into the
world of the
professional
physicist.
As such, to
brings
to bear all the learning
objectives
acquired by the
student in a
real-world
context.
For
this reason
this capstone
experience
provides an
ideal
programmatic
assessment
tool. The
attainment
of each
Learning Objective
is
evaluated according
to a
standard rubric
for each
student
and the
results are archived
and analyzed
by
the
departmental
assessment
committee.
Exit
interviews.
This tool assesses
all Learning
Objectives.
The department head interviews each graduating
senior with the goal
of gleaning what worked and
what didn't work in the
physics
program.
The
interview is based
upon a questionnaire
that
the
student
reviews/completes
prior
to the
interview. The
questionnaire
inquires
about
the
goals the
student has
for his/her
physics
degree,
the various
strengths
and weaknesses
of
the physics
program
relative to
supporting
these goals,
and the
student's
self-assessment
of the degree
to which the
Physics
Department
Learning objectives
have been
implemented.
A copy of the
interview questionnaire
can be found here.
The students
provide
feedback
regarding the
USU Physics
program in
the areas of:
curriculum, course
quality,
laboratory
quality,
infrastructure,
advising and
overall
satisfaction.
Students
are
explicitly
asked to
comment on
their perceptions
of
attainment of
all learning objectives.
The College
of Science
also
conducts its own
exit interview.
Three
of the
questions on
the College
of Science
are
directly
relevant to
our Learning
Objectives.
The
responses from
both
interviews
which concern
learning
objectives are
scored and the
data used to
detect trends.
Informal feedback
from students, teachers, and other
stakeholders.
This assessment tool addresses
progress toward all Learning
Objectives.
A variety of formal and informal
interactions with students and faculty
feature in this most traditional of
assessment schemes. These interactions
include faculty meetings, faculty
retreats, interaction with our
physics student advisor, regular
faculty-graduate student meetings,
etc. A good number of improvements in
our program have arisen through this
mechanism.
External Reviews. Periodically the department's programs are reviewed by physicists from
other
institutions.
The most recent
review took place
in 2017.
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