Check for Understanding

This assessment focuses on supporting students retaking ALT 100: Academic Literacy Through Integrated Reading and Writing, a foundational course that prepares students for English 101. These students, having previously failed or withdrawn, faced a range of academic and personal barriers, including time management challenges, low confidence, limited access to technology, and gaps in literacy skills.

Subjectively, it is believed students are more successful in MAT 151 ONLINE if they can process the information over 16 weeks versus 8 or 5 weeks.  After analyzing the data objectively, students enrolled in Bobbi Mohr's MAT 151 ONLINE courses from Spring 25 to Spring 24, using the same MOER course structure, yield the highest average success rates in 5 week courses.  The collective student success rate average for 5 week classes was 75.4%.

With OPIE data from AY 22-23, MAT instructors have implemented instructional best strategies to improve student retention rates from Fall 23 to Fall 24.  To contribute to the EMCC Strategic Goal of increase college retention and persistence by reducing the within semester withdrawal rate from 16% to 14% by 2026, MAT instructors have implemented and documented (monthly) instructional best practices, as well as reported (monthly) the number of students retained in their courses.

Does additional prerequisite instructional time for the same instructional content have an effect up success in BIO201?  Do one of the four prerequisite options (BIO156 and BIO181 4 credit hours, BIO156XT and BIO181XT 5 credit hours) lead to better success in BIO201?  BIO, in conjunction with OPIE studied the results of student success when completing BIO201 and testing which of the four prerequisite options best prepared students for success.  The results of BIO201 were compared for students who successfully completed one of the four prerequisites.

An independent honors student completed a project in ACC212 that the subsequent semester was piloted as a group assignment for an in-person course. The project provided the real-world application of producing a product and calculating and analyzing the associated production costs. An update to this CATS will be provided with a comparison of the student population who completed the group project versus those who did not upon completion of the Spring 2025 semester.

The purpose of this assessment is to explore the potential benefits of reintroducing Lab Write-Ups in science courses at EMCC as a means to enhance students’ science literacy. Lab Write-Ups provide an opportunity for students to share their data collection experiences, interpret results, and engage in scientific reading and writing. They also allow students to incorporate findings into their understanding of the natural world.

This CATs explores the use of a game-based learning activity, modeled after Taboo©, to boost student engagement, communication skills, and conceptual understanding across disciplines. Students worked in pairs to describe and guess course-specific terms without using certain "taboo" words, reinforcing complex concepts while improving verbal and listening abilities. Mixed-methods assessments revealed increased engagement, deeper understanding, and enhanced skills critical for STEM, healthcare, humanities, and social sciences.

Traditional classroom level assessments does not always perform the way instructors intend it to, as it is highly subjective and internalize instructor biases. Traditional grading systems pit students and instructors against each other by making grades a commodity that students must negotiate with the instructor, instead of building trusting relationships that allow for students to learn from their mistakes, take risks, and be creative.

CAPS PLO assessment to measure CAPS student learning at the program level.  

Students teach peers how to schedule Spanish tutoring sessions to practice conversation via Cranium and Brainfuse.

Café Mariposa is an open pedagogy and experiential learning project. Students engage with the content and the campus community in a relaxed atmosphere where they can build Spanish vocabulary, and hone listening and interpersonal communication skills.

The ET (embedded tutoring) program was not sustained after the 22-23 academic school year.  Student surveys from Spring 22 report 62% of respondents say having an embedded tutor helped them feel comfortable asking for help; 60% of respondents report having an embedded tutor deepened their understanding of course topics and concepts; 49% of respondents report the embedded tutor improved their critical thinking skills.

I created a series of discussion assignments for my BIO201 courses titled Anatomy of a Superhero for the purpose of prompting students to think about human anatomy and physiology from a different perspective and to help reinforce the principles of normal human anatomy and physiology.