Each semester all ECN instructor at EMCC administer the ECN common final exam, a multiple choice test based on our courses learning outcomes, in addition to a course-specific final. Instructors collect the frequency distribution of student responses, and results are aggregated to look for discipline-wide strenghts and weaknesses. We then create Learning Outcomes Improvement Plans (LOIPs) to identify ways to changes in pedagogy/curriculum to address weaker areas. These LOIPs are then completed once the data is analyzed for the subsequent semester to see if student's results improved. Sometimes results don't improve, and new strategies need to be developed, and sometimes results improve greatly. For example, by using mini-whiteboards to practice the impact of changes to net exports on the economy (ECN211), students results drastically improved from 44% to 77% responses correct. Aggregated results and my LOIPs are attached.
Comments
How cool that the one shared strategy you talked about (mini-whiteboards) was a prior CATS submission! Of course, this CATS has it all: discomfort with the status quo, collaborative efforts to come up with innovative strategies, and the closed loop. This CATS submission shows the true power of CATS! Great job, Erik and all the ECN instructors!
In reply to How cool that the one shared strategy you talked about by Peter Turner
Thanks Pete, this process is a bit laborious but a rich source of information for us in guiding curricula changes.
In reply to How cool that the one shared strategy you talked about by Peter Turner
Thanks Pete, this process is a bit laborious but a rich source of information for us in guiding curricula changes.
Erik, I have struggled with the logistics of common finals. That is, having my adjuncts provide accurate results is one struggle. Do you get everyone together and grade together? I like the structure of your review of the data and plans to address. The analysis is very in-depth and easy to follow - well, sort of, not sure about "government imposed price floors"
Just Econglish, Bronwen. Due to the fact that it is a multiple choice test (not ideal I know, but objective at least), I just send out a spreadsheet where they input their students' aggregrate results and email me back. I then compile all the section together and look for overall mastery. That is the basis of the creation of our individual Learning Outcomes Improvement Plans.
I feel it would be good to have a similar final exam to make sure that all classes are at least covering ALL the learning outcomes that everyone should have been able to have students understand.
Jazmine Hall