chapman university...chapman university annual learning outcomes assessment report 2013-2014 degree...

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

Annual Learning Outcomes Assessment Report 2013-2014

Degree Program Information

Academic Degree Program (Major)

Psychology

Degree (BS, BA, BFA, MFA, MBA, etc.)

B.A.

Department/ School Crean College of Health and Behavioral

Sciences

Number of students currently enrolled (as majors) In the program

411

Contact Person

Name (Person coordinating program’s assessment effort)

Steven Schandler Ph.D.

Title Professor of Psychology (tenured)

E-mail address [email protected]

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

Learning Outcome #1 I. Process: Student Learning Outcome Description

SLO 1: KNOWLEDGE OF CORE PSYCHOLOGICAL

FIELDS

A. Identify the current and historical core content of and

what is known therein.

B. Differentiate the various areas of Psychology and identify

what is known in each.

C. In a chosen topic area in Psychology demonstrate clear

understanding of operational definitions in that area and use

those to clarify what is and what is not presently known, and

what is the certainty of each type of knowledge.

D. In a chosen topic area in Psychology, integrate what is

presently known to explicate the status of this area of

knowledge, design further inquiry and conclude the present

and possible future impact of this knowledge on society.

E. Evaluate research skills as adequate for a career in

science.

F. Develop an understanding of Psychology sufficient to

develop and support the pursuit of post-graduate and/or

professional goals.

Supports University Theme (Some or

all of the program’s learning outcomes

must support at least two of the university’s

strategic themes.)

Themes: Internationalization, Personalized Education, Faculty/Student Research, Interdisciplinarity, or Student Writing

Describe how the theme is supported by the learning outcome.

1. This is a core element of the educational process. It

supports literally every stated University Theme.

2. Outcomes E and F particularly emphasize the use of

Personalized Education and Student Research.

Supports WASC Core Competency (Please indicate whether this outcome

1. Objectives A and B meet WASC core competencies of

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY supports any of WASC’s core competencies) • Oral Communication • Written communication • Information Literacy • Quantitative Reasoning • Critical Thinking

information literacy and written communication.

2. Objective C meets WASC core competency of

quantitative reasoning

3. Objectives C, D and E meet WASC core competencies of

critical thinking, information literacy, and written and oral

communication.

4. Objective F meets WASC core competency of critical

thinking.

Where is the outcome published for students? • Syllabi (list course numbers)

• Website • Handbook

1. Information regarding the Psychology program and each

course learning objectives is available from the Chapman

University Learning Outcomes Assessment website at:

http://www.chapman.edu/academics/learning-at-

chapman/_files/assessment-report-

pdfs/bapsychology_aloar.pdf

2. In terms of Outcomes A and B, the Psychology 496, 497

and 498 Senior Project course syllabi specify that all

graduating seniors, as part of the capstone experience,

complete the GRE Major Field Test (MFT) in Psychology

(see LOA Table 1). When the test scores are returned from

ETS, each student is given their individual scores along with

the national averages and the results are explained to all, in

terms of graduate applications and career planning. The need

for the accumulation of course specific knowledge is

published in every one of the 39 psychology undergraduate

syllabi.

3. Outcomes C and D are presented and discussed in the

syllabi for the research methods courses (Psychology 204,

204L, and 304) and for each Senior Project course

(Psychology 496, 497, or 498). From the first course

meeting, students in each class are informed of the

expectation of these outcomes and the means of achieving

them.

4. Outcome E is specified in the syllabi for Psychology 496:

Senior Research Project and Psychology 497: Senior Thesis.

5. Outcome F is addressed early in the Psychology Major

core curriculum and continuously through matriculation.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY Early in their pursuit of the major, student must decide: a) Is

the Psychology Major correct for them?; and, if so, then b)

How will they use their education to pursue personal and

professional objectives after completion of their

undergraduate studies. To assist the addressing of these

questions, Outcome F is addressed during regular meetings

with the student's academic advisor and through a student

planning workshop presented prior to registration each

semester sponsored by our chapter of the Honors Society in

Psychology (Psi Chi). The Psychology Program office

maintains an extensive literature library of materials from the

American Psychological Association about the major and

about post-graduate academic and career planning.

Evidence of Learning • capstone project

• presentation • performance • course-embedded exam • assignment • standardized test • portfolio

1. The Psychology MFT assesses Outcome A with the

general psychology knowledge overall score based on a

national comparison with all students taking the test in the

academic year. Outcome B is assessed by the level of

knowledge in the major areas of Psychology: 1) Learning /

Cognition, 2) Perception / Physiological, 3)

Clinical/Abnormal / Personality, and 4) Developmental /

Social in the same manner as the overall score is determined.

The students are sampled in a formal ETS testing session,

and 84 graduating seniors were tested in 2012-2013.

2. As presented in LOA Tables 2, 3 and 4, the Senior

Projects Options are graded by strict rubrics specifically

structured to each respective course that serves the option,

providing highly detailed evidence for Outcomes C and D.

3. Outcome E is assessed by the nationally-developed and

normed Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy

Skills (SAILS®) instrument (Kent State University

©, 2014).

This is the first year that this instrument was been used by

the Psychology Program.

Background Note: In the previous Psychology ALOA

report, it was proposed that, beginning this 2013-2014

Academic Year, Outcome E would be assessed with the

Undergraduate Research Students Self-Assessment (URSSA)

instrument. This instrument was selected because it was

being used by other programs in Psychology’s “home” at that

time, the Schmid College of Science, and because the

instrument was capable some tailoring to specific program

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY emphases. However, for the assessment of the Psychology

Program, the instrument possesses two major limitations:

First, it only evaluates science knowledge and laboratory

research skills. Second, because the instrument is designed

for specific programs, it possesses no standardization or

national normative data. Comparisons can only be made

within the same program on data collected across years.

The Fall 2013 announcement of the move of the

Psychology Program from the Schmid College to the new

Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences in June

2014 resulted in a rethinking of the assessment of the

evaluation of research skills as adequate for a career in

science (SLO1.E.). Within the new College, Psychology is

an applied science focusing on the use of evidence derived

from the scientific method to develop interventions that both

maintain the health of society and treat individuals whose

health is compromised. This forms the basis for the current

overarching tenet of the discipline and the Chapman

Psychology curriculum which is evidence-based practice.

While the curriculum provides a basic course with laboratory

training in research methods, the upper division process,

applied and capstone courses predominantly focus on

interpreting and critiquing the recent empirical research

literature supporting current topics and trends. Therefore,

evaluations of research skills related to a career in

Psychology should focus more on the location and use of

research information rather than on its collection in the

laboratory. With the assistance of the Leatherby Library

staff, and especially Education Librarian Carolyn Radcliff

whose help is gratefully acknowledged, the SAILS®

instrument was identified. This instrument is fully

concordant with the applied science curriculum of the

Psychology Program and it possesses standardization and

normative data allowing comparisons with other programs

throughout the United States.

SAILS®

is based on the Association of College and

Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy

Competency Standards for Higher Education. The

instrument yields evaluations of undergraduate student

proficiency in the areas of:

Research strategy development

Searching basics, including Boolean operators and

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY strategies for expanding and limiting searches

Information retrieval

Basics of information evaluation

Finding tool selection and use

Basic understanding of source documentation

Basic understanding of the role of the academic library

in information literacy

Advanced searching, including the use of controlled

vocabularies

Advanced understanding of source documentation

Basic and advanced understanding of intellectual

property issues involved in the use of information

As this nationally used instrument is expressly designed to

evaluate research conceptualization and skills, its data are

directly reflective of the learning outcome.

4. Outcome F is assessed by administration of the program-

designed, Psychology Student Life Objectives and Goals

(PSLOG) survey to all Psychology Majors in the Fall

semester of their senior year (see LOA Table 5). Data

consists of the percentage of students applying for graduate

education in Psychology or an allied field is compared to the

national average of this variable as published by the

American Psychological Association and the Association for

Psychological Science. Collecting and Analyzing the Data How did you select the sample?

What was your sample size (number of students)?

Provide the percentage of the sample size as compared to the relevant population.

How did you assess the student work/data collected?

Possible Tools: rubric, exam questions, portfolio samples.

Attach all assessment tools.

1. The MFT was administered to all the students in Senior

Research and in Senior Thesis (Psychology 496, 497, n=17)

and to a selected sample of students in Senior Seminar

(Psychology 498, n=36). The use of selected sampling for

the latter was due to the greatly increased number of Fall and

Spring semester 498 course sections which would have

necessitated multiple purchases and administrations of the

MFT. This was not feasible given the lack of available test

proctors and budget constraints. However, statistical

sampling theory does indicate that a sample of 60% of a

homogenous (all Psychology Majors) populations is

sufficiently representative.

Scoring of the MFT is performed by the Educational

Testing Service, and the results are sent to the senior project

instructor in charge of test security for Outcomes A and B.

As this instrument measures both overall knowledge of

Psychology and knowledge in what are arguably the four

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY major areas of the discipline, the instrument and scores are

directly reflective of Learning Outcomes A. and B.

2. Outcomes C and D are scored using the senior project

grading rubric. For purposes of score reliability, Psychology

496 research projects are independently scored by a

committee of three Psychology Program faculty. For

Psychology 496 (Individual Research, n=2), Psychology 497

(Thesis, n=15) and 498 (Senior Seminar in Psychological

Topics, n=72). Select sections of the grading rubric are

separately scored by the senior project instructor and a

trained graduate student course assistant. These sections are

Hypothesis, Operational Definitions, Organization,

Reference Quality, and APA format. As the senior capstone

project is directly reflective of the student’s ability to

formulate a question of controversy in the field; answer that

question by locating, analyzing and integrating the

information from the field’s literature; and formally present

the results both orally and in writing; the capstone data are

directly linked to these learning outcomes.

3. Outcome E is measured by the students' proficiency score

on the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy

Skills (SAILS®) instrument. The assessment is completed by

the student online, and a score report is provided to the test

administrator by instrument publisher. (SAILS®) was

administered to all seniors completing Psychology 497:

Senior Thesis (n=15) during Spring 2014. Senior Thesis was

selected because, of any of the capstone options, this one-

year course demands from the most academically-

accomplished and academic career-oriented Psychology

Majors the most precise, efficient and sustained literature

research skills in producing the thesis. For this first

administration, a randomly selected sample of students

enrolled in Psychology 498: Senior Seminar in Psychological

Topics (n=27) also completed the instrument. Though this is

a one-semester course, the final project is an advanced

annotated review of literature on specific topic. Further,

students enrolled in 498 represent the academic performance

most reflective of the majority of Psychology Majors.

The score report consists of item-by-item performance for

each student together with an overall proficiency percentile

score for the group and a list of overall scores from 50 other

United States institutions similar to Chapman. According to

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY the instrument publisher, a score at or above the 70

th

percentile demonstrates proficiency in information literacy

reflected by:

Research strategy development

Searching basics, including Boolean operators and

strategies for expanding and limiting searches

Information retrieval

Basics of information evaluation

Finding tool selection and use

Basic understanding of source documentation

Basic understanding of the role of the academic library

in information literacy

A score at or above the 85th

percentile further includes

mastery of:

Advanced searching, including the use of controlled

vocabularies

Advanced understanding of source documentation

Basic and advanced understanding of intellectual

property issues involved in the use of information

Students scoring “well-above” the 85th

percentile can also

demonstrate:

Advanced information evaluation

4. Outcome F is scored by the percentage of Psychology

seniors applying to graduate school for further education in

this major or allied areas. These percentages are compared

to previous year’s seniors as well as to national averages.

This is the method of assessing this objective recommended

for use by American Psychological Association and the

Association for Psychological Science. Expected Levels of Achievement

What was your target(s) for student performance for this outcome? (This should tie to the methods in which you assessed the students and collected and analyzed data in the section above.)

1. Regarding Outcomes A and B: The content of the

Psychology Major is designed to fully conform to the

curricular content of the American Psychological Association

Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major Version

2.0 (August, 2013). Not unexpectedly, the GRE Major Field

Test in Psychology is designed to measure the four key

content areas of the curriculum indicated in the APA

guidelines. Since publication of the most recent 2006 MFT

scale norms in 2006 for U.S. public and private institutions

(n=7,557), Chapman Psychology graduating seniors have for

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY every year achieved mean MFT scores above the national

averages for overall scores and all four subtest areas (see

LOA Table 1). These findings were expected to continue for

2013-2014.

2. Assessment criteria for the capstone Senior Project

Options are presented in LOA Tables 2, 3, and 4. Outcome

C is assessed for students completing the Option 1:

Individual Research Project (LOA Table 2) by scores in the

column specifying "Problem", "Reference Quality" and

"Reference Coverage". The achievement criterion is a score

of 9.0 or higher (90th percentile).

For students completing Senior Project Option 2: Thesis

(LOA Table 3) assessment of Outcome C is presented in

scores for the "Hypothesis", "Operational Definitions",

"Reference Quality", and "Reference Coverage". The

assessment criterion is a score of 9.0 or higher (90th

percentile).

Outcome C assessment of students completing the one

semester Senior Project Option 3: Senior Seminar in special

topics in Psychology and completing a similar first semester

of the two- semester Option 2: Thesis (LOA Table 3) is

based on scores in "Hypothesis", "Operational Definitions",

"Reference Quality" and "Reference Coverage". The

expected level of achievement for the first three areas is

8.5/10. Relative to the other Senior Project options, this is a

lower criterion reflecting the review/developmental nature of

the project rather than the definitive test of a hypothesis. The

expected level of achievement for "Reference Coverage" is

4.5/5.0. The category is given less value than in the other

option because the number of reference annotations allowed

is limited.

3. Assessment criteria for the Psychology Program Capstone

Senior Project Options are presented in LOA Tables 2, 3, and

4. Outcome D is assessed for students completing the Option

1: Individual Research Project (see LOA Table 2) by scores

in the columns specifying "Results" and "Discussion". The

expected level of achievement is a score of at least 9.0/10.0.

This expectation was met for 2013-2014.

For students completing Options 2: Thesis, Outcome D

assessment is found in LOA Table 3 in the column

specifying "Logic" and "Conclusion". The expected level of

achievement is a score of at least 9.0/10.0. This expectation

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY was exceeded for 2013-2014.

The assessment of Outcome D for students completing

Option 3: Senior Seminar is found in the "Annotation

Quality" column of LOA Table 4. The expected level of

achievement in this category is a score of 16.0/20.0. This

expectation was exceeded for 2013-2014. Relative to the

other Senior Project options, this is a lower criterion

percentile level reflecting the review/developmental nature of

the project rather than the definitive test of a hypothesis.

4. Assessment of Outcome E began during this, 2013-2014

Academic Year using a selected administration of the

Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills

(SAILS®) instrument. With no previous information

available regarding the literacy proficiency of Chapman

Psychology Majors, two general predictions were made: a)

Psychology Program Senior Project students would show an

overall proficiency score substantially higher than the

national norm. The rationale for this predictions is based on

the Psychology Program’s unique requirement that all majors

(rather than the usual select group of honors students) must

complete a substantive literature-based research project for

their capstone; b) Due to the relatively higher literacy

research demands of the two-semester thesis course, students

enrolled in Senior Thesis (Psychology 497) would show

higher proficiency scores than students enrolled in the one-

semester Senior Seminar (Psychology 498).

5. Outcome F is assessed using Psychology Student Life

Objectives and Goals (PSLOG) survey data (LOA Table 5)

of the percentage of graduating seniors applying to graduate

school in Psychology and allied areas such as school

psychology, social work, etc. and the percentage of

graduating seniors who are undecided about their career

objective. According to the American Psychological

Association, the national average for psychology students

pursuing graduate education immediately after completion of

the bachelor degree is 10-11%. Further, a national average

of 30% of psychology students is undecided about their post-

graduation career plans. Locally, the data are a bit more

optimistic. Information from surrounding institutions in the

area (CSU Long Beach, Fullerton and San Marcos; UC

Irvine and Riverside; USC) is that at least 20% of graduating

Psychology students pursue graduate education immediately

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY upon graduation. The Psychology faculty expectation It is

expected that Psychology Program graduating seniors will

better these national and local findings (i.e., more seeking

graduate education; fewer undecided about a career path).

The rationale for this expectation is based on the relatively

high levels of academic and career counseling emphasized

and provided by the Psychology Faculty both within the

content of all Psychology courses and during face-to-face

student advising. Graduate school and career planning are

also promoted by multiple workshops sponsored throughout

the academic year by our chapter of the Honors Society in

Psychology (Psi Chi).

As for specific expectations, PSLOG data from 2012-2013

showed more than half of graduating Psychology seniors

were either accepted or planning to apply to graduate

programs. Fewer than 13% were undecided about their

career path. It was expected that at least similar findings

would occur for Psychology seniors graduating in 2014.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY


SLO 2: CRITICAL REASONING

A. Identify historical and current major issues of discussion

and analysis in Psychology.

B. Demonstrate ability to construct and critically analyze

complex arguments, and distinguish good reasoning from

bad.

C. Evaluate lay and professional literature related to

psychological issues and distinguish appropriate and valid

information from specious and flawed information.

D. Organize and construct a formal critique of a major

psychological issue.




strategic themes.)



1. Personalized Education

2. Student Research

3. Student Writing

Supports WASC Core Competency (Please indicate whether this outcome supports any of WASC’s core competencies.) • Oral Communication • Written communication • Information Literacy • Quantitative Reasoning • Critical Thinking

1. Objectives A, B, C and D meet WASC core competencies

of critical thinking, information literacy, and written and oral

communication.









CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY 2. Psychology 201- Critical Thinking. Psychology is the

only university major to require a specific core course in

critical thinking early in the student's matriculation through

the major. In its 27th year of being offered every semester,

the purpose and goals of the course Psychology 202: Critical

Thinking is stated generally in the University Catalog and

specifically in the course syllabus.

3. Senior Project Capstone. The syllabus of every

Psychology senior project capstone course (Psychology 496,

497, 498) also states that Critical Thinking is the essential

component evaluated in the development of the project

question/hypothesis, the evaluation of related literature, and

logical interpretation of findings.



Objectives A – D:

1. Psychology 201- Critical Thinking. Evidence is collected

from instructors of the course Psychology 201: Critical

Thinking. This is a lower-division, required course in the

Psychology Major Core. The course is has a strict

enrollment cap and employs a seminar format. Essay

examinations assess the student’s identification and

understanding of critical thinking and reasoning principles,

types, processes, and strengths and limitations. Through

several directed assignments, the student also develops

literature-supported arguments either in support of or in

refutation of current controversial theories of human

behavior. The arguments are presented in both written form

and in the form of verbal participation in course discussions

and debates.

2. Senior Project Capstone. Complete data from the Senior

Project capstone courses are provided by the respective

instructors (refer to LOA Tables 2, 3, 4). For Psychology

496: Senior Research Project (LOA Table 2) the critical

thinking component consists of an evaluation of the

"Problem", "Organization", "Method", and "Discussion"

categories. For Psychology 497: Senior Thesis (LOA Table

4) the critical thinking component consists of an evaluation

of the “Hypothesis”, “Logic”, “Organization”, and

“Conclusion” categories. For Psychology 498: Special

Topics in Psychology: Literature Research and Critique

(LOA Table 5) the critical thinking component consists of an

evaluation of the “Hypothesis”, “Organization”, and

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY “Annotation” categories.

Collecting and Analyzing the Data How did you select the sample?




Possible Tools: rubric, exam questions, portfolio samples Attach all assessment tools.

Objectives A – D:

1. Psychology 201- Critical Thinking. Nine sections of

Psychology 201: Critical Thinking were offered during

Academic 2013-2014. Total student enrollment was 193.

Critical Thinking is evaluated by overall course grades;

grades on selected critical reasoning assignments; student

course evaluations; and discussions with the course

instructors. The evaluation of data from a critical thinking

course is considered the most direct method of assessing

achievement of the Psychology Program’s critical thinking

learning outcome objective. That the course content is based

on nationally promulgated curricula for teaching and

assessing critical thinking and reasoning further validates the

direct connection between the course data and this Student

Learning Outcome.

2. Senior Project Capstone. Performance in Psychology

Senior Project courses (Psychology 496, n=1; Psychology

497, n=15; Psychology 498, n=72) is evaluated by collecting

and averaging the data from each of the categories specified

in Evidence of Learning.

Expected Levels of Achievement


Objectives A – D:

1. Psychology 201- Critical Thinking. Psychology majors

must pass Psychology 201: Critical Thinking with average

overall performance on examinations and critical reasoning

assignments above the 80th

percentile. Included in this

criterion is the demonstration of understanding of the

principal critical thinking skills used to evaluate scientific

and nonscientific evidence and the use of these skills to

support or challenge, through written and verbal expression,

current theories in the discipline.

2. Senior Project Capstone. Within the senior project

options (Psychology 496, 497, 498), the development of an

operationalized question/hypothesis; the selection and critical

review of relevant literature; and the logical interpretation of

findings and presentation of a conclusion account for 50% of

the project grade. All senior project students are expected to

achieve at least the 80th percentile in these areas.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY


SLO 3: WRITING

A. Identify the writing format of the American Psychological

Association (APA).

B. Recognize when writing is and is not in conformance with APA

format.

C. Demonstrate ability to write in APA format and critique the

written format used by others.

D. State and operationally define a formal hypothesis and produce

a written thesis/research report that applies knowledge of critical

reasoning, accurately interprets behavioral science and related

sources, and communicates in writing a balanced account and

definitive conclusion of whether hypothesis is proven or not

proven. Supports University Theme (Some or



strategic themes.)



1. Student Writing

2. Personalized Education

Supports WASC Core Competency (Please indicate whether this outcome supports any of WASC’s core competencies) • Oral Communication • Written communication • Information Literacy • Quantitative Reasoning • Critical Thinking

1. Objectives A, B, C meet WASC core competencies of

information literacy and written communication.

2. Objective D meets WASC core competencies of critical

thinking, information literacy, and written and oral

communication.









CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY 2. As specified in the course syllabi, every Psychology

course, including the elective individual study, internship,

and fieldwork practicum courses, requires the production of

written work in the publication format of the American

Psychological Association. The work takes the form of

literature reviews and critiques, topic-focused term papers,

and/or laboratory or field journals.

3. As specified in the course syllabi, the mandatory senior

capstone courses for students majoring in Psychology require

the successful production of either a complete research report

and manuscript (Psychology 496); the production of a 50-70

page thesis using the literature and pilot studies to test an

operationally defined hypothesis (Psychology 497); or a

comprehensive annotated literature review and critical

analysis of a topic in psychology and/or related areas

(Psychology 498).

4. As specified in the University Course Catalog, graduation

with Psychology Program honors requires completion of

independent research. Further, program advisors and

workshops presented by the University's chapter of the

International Honors Society in Psychology (Psi Chi),

encourage all Psychology students seeking post-

baccalaureate academic education to complete and present

research at local, regional, and national venues. Presentation

of this research requires the writing of abstracts, presentation

papers, and publications.



Objectives A – C:

1. As presented in LOA Table 6, the first element of

evidence is that 100% of the offered 100-400 level courses

have graded written components. Beginning in the first,

introductory psychology course, submitted written work

must be formatted APA style or it is not accepted.

Objective D:

1. A. Capstone Course Writing: Evaluation Criteria for

Senior Research Project (Psychology 496). Research

manuscript guidelines of the American Psychological

Association.

a. Problem: Development of the problem to be addressed by

the research project using literature and logic; statement of

hypothesis; contribution of the proposed test of the

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY hypothesis(ses) to the discipline and to society.

b. Detail: Use of specific data, constructs and studies in the

development of the problem; degree to which the empirical

studies are analyzed and presented to support testing of the

research hypothesis. Operational definitions of all

components of hypothesis. Inclusion of key definitions

necessary to comprehend reviewed articles.

c. Organization: Structure of the research project; use of

major and subsections to effectively present the research

problem, hypothesis, method, and the interpretation and

implications of the findings.

d. Method: Presentation of subjects, apparatus and

procedures in sufficient detail and with sufficient rationale to

allow comprehension and replication of the research project.

Adherence to all applicable ethical standards for the

conducting of the research project.

e. Results: Presentation of methods for collecting and

analyzing the research data. Selection and use of correct

statistical analysis(ses). Presentation of outcomes using both

descriptive and, if warranted, inferential statistics.

f. Discussion: Clarity of the conclusion derived from the

analysis of the data. Discussion of study strengths and

limitations. Discussion of impact of the findings on the

discipline and on society. Presentation of proposal for future

studies.

g. Reference Quality: Quality of the sources used in the

thesis (including recency of references and journal quality).

h. Reference Coverage: Degree to which the thesis

references address the problem and the hypothesis.

i. Care of Preparation: Absence of grammatical and

typographical errors.

j. APA Style: Conformance to the publication standards of

the American Psychological Association.

1. B. Capstone Course Writing: Written Evaluation Criteria

for Senior Thesis (Psychology 497):

a. Hypothesis: Development of the problem to be addressed

by the thesis hypothesis; statement of hypothesis;

contribution of the proposed test of the hypothesis(ses) to the

discipline and to society.

b. Definitions: Operational definitions of all components of

hypothesis. Inclusion of key definitions necessary to

comprehend reviewed articles.

c. Logic: Development of the problem to be addressed by the

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY hypothesis; test of the hypothesis using empirical literature;

manner in which the literature findings are used to support or

refute the hypothesis.

d. Conclusion: Clarity of the conclusion derived from the

analysis of the literature; impact of the findings on the

discipline and on society; proposal for future studies.

e. Detail: Use of specific data, constructs and studies in the

development of the problem; degree to which the empirical

studies are analyzed and presented to support or refute the

hypothesis.

f. Organization: Structure of the thesis; use of major and

subsections to effectively present the thesis problem,

hypothesis, analysis of the literature, and the interpretation

and implications of the findings.



h. Reference Coverage: Degree to which the thesis


i. Care of Preparation: Absence of grammatical and

typographical errors.

j. APA Style: Conformance to the publication standards of


1. C. Capstone Course Writing: Evaluation Criteria for

Senior Seminar in Psychological Topics (Psychology 498):

a. Hypothesis: Development of the problem to be addressed

by the thesis hypothesis; statement of hypothesis;

contribution of the proposed test of the hypothesis(ses) to the

discipline and to society.

b. Operational Definitions: Operational definitions of all

components of hypothesis. Inclusion of key definitions

necessary to comprehend reviewed articles.

c. Organization: Structure of the thesis; use of major and

subsections to effectively present the thesis problem,

hypothesis, analysis of the literature, and the interpretation

and implications of the findings.

d. Annotation Quality: Selection and summary of relevant

research that effectively addresses the project hypothesis or

question. Use of specific data, constructs and studies in the

development of the problem; degree to which the selected

studies are analyzed and presented to address the hypothesis

or the question.



CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY h. Reference Coverage: Degree to which the thesis


i. APA Style: Conformance to the publication standards of


j. Care of Preparation: Absence of grammatical and

typographical errors. Use of proper headings and page

breaks.

3. Evidence for quality of research writing is based on the

number of abstracts and subsequent posters, oral

presentations, and papers accepted at local, regional, and

national/international venues. This information is presented

in LOA Table 7.






Objective A – C:

1. The rubrics for scoring written coursework are course-

dependent and presented in each course syllabi. Overarching

is the degree of concordance between submitted written

coursework and APA publication standards. Some

instructors grade the submitted written work on the degree of

concordance. Other instructors will not accept/grade written

work that is not fully concordant with APA standards.

Objective D:

1. Senior project written work is scored independently by at

least two and up to four Psychology professors using the

100-point rubrics presented in LOA Tables 2-4.

2. Research abstracts are evaluated by the faculty member

supervising the student's research. The faculty member will

not allow a research abstract, report, and/or manuscript to be

submitted unless the writing is sufficient to at least support

an expectancy of serious review and acceptance.



Objective A – C:

1. On average, the Psychology course written components

account for 20% of total course grade. It is expected that

students will achieve at least "C" performance in this area.

Objective D:

1. For all Psychology senior project capstone courses the

final written project accounts for at least 60% of the final

course grade. Written projects completed during

development of the final project account for at least 30% of

the final course grade. Therefore, with the exception of a

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY 10% oral presentation component, the senior project grade is

largely based on the written component. It is expected that

all seniors will earn at least a "B" grade in their senior project

course.

2. It is expected that every student completing Individual

Research (Psychology 499), the Senior Project Research and

Thesis Options (Psychology 496 and 497, respectively) and

those seniors seeking an "A" grade in Senior Seminar in

Psychological Topics (Psychology 498) will submit an

abstract to and present at the Schmid College of Science and

Technology Student Research Conference. For students

pursuing doctoral-level graduate work, it is expected that

they will also submit an abstract to and present at least one

regional or national professional conference.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY


SLO 4: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

A. Identify and/or observe the role of personal and cultural

diversity on the behavior of an individual and recognize the

necessity and advantages of this information and its impact

on individuals and societies.

B. Distinguish the key behavioral factors associated with

personal and cultural diversity and construct an intervention

to assess the contribution of these factors to maximize

behavioral effectiveness or to treat behavioral dysfunction.

C. Produce a capstone project that investigates cultural and

diversity differences in the student chosen topic, if they exist,

and that proposes differences in conceptualization or

intervention when needed.




strategic themes.)



As specified in the catalogue, Chapman University has a

major commitment to the theme of globalization and the

global citizen.

Supports WASC Core Competency (Please indicate whether this outcome supports any of WASC’s core competencies) • Oral Communication • Written communication • Information Literacy • Quantitative Reasoning • Critical Thinking



1. Information regarding the Psychology program and the

learning objectives of each course is available from the

Chapman University Learning Outcomes Assessment

website at:



CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY pdfs/bapsychology_aloar.pdf

2. In terms of Outcome A, there are cross-cultural and

diversity issues addressed in every Psychology course

syllabus. Primary and peer academic advising and special

workshops sponsored by the Program’s Chapter of the

International Honors Society in Psychology (Psi Chi)

encourage majors to study Psychology abroad for an even

more thorough exposure to the world-wide similarities and

differences in psychological issues.

3. In terms of Outcome B, the Psychology Curriculum

presented in the University course catalog and in the

Psychology Program Sheet published on the program

website, specify that majors must complete either

Psychology 328: Abnormal Psychology or Psychology 330:

Child Abnormal Psychology as part of their process course

requirements. These courses contain sections that explicitly

address the diagnosis and treatment of persons with diverse

personal and cultural backgrounds. Psychology Majors are

encouraged to take a least one of the Psychology cross-

cultural and/or diversity classes that are also part of the

General Education Global Citizen Cluster. The specific

courses are Psychology 341: Cross-Cultural Psychology;

Psychology 344: Psychology of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual

Experience; and Psychology 355: Diversity in Marital and

Family Relationships. For these courses, an understanding of

global and/or diversity issues in Psychology is the major

theme of the course content with emphasis placed on

directing students to incorporate diversity and/or global

issues into their capstone project.

4. In terms of Outcome C, for the 2013-2014 Academic

Year Psychology majors completing the Senior Project

capstone courses of Psychology 497: Senior Thesis and

Psychology 498: Senior Seminar in Special Topics are

required by the syllabi to include cross-cultural and diversity

research in any chosen topic that has such research in

existence. Evidence of Learning • capstone project

• presentation • performance • course-embedded exam

1. Outcome A: In the Spring of 2009, the University

requested that all academic programs initiate assessment of

global education in their majors. In the 2009-2010 Academic

Year an assessment survey (see LOA Table 8) was added to

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY • assignment • standardized test • portfolio

the Psychology Assessment Program that solicited from

every senior their global studies/diversity experience and

their opinion of whether their global studies/diversity

experience added to the student’s 1) General Education and

2) Education in the Psychology Major. The instrument also

obtains student ratings on a 7-point Likert scale with "7"

indicating that their global studies/diversity experience

substantially added to their General Education and

Psychology studies.

2. Data for Outcomes B and C are collected from the

capstone courses Psychology 497a/b: Senior Thesis and

Psychology 498: Special Topics. This assessment began this

this year (Academic 2013-2014). Relative to their chosen

topic, the student must provide evidence of their search of

the literature for cross-cultural and diversity research.






This is an end of matriculation assessment. Therefore, the

2013-2014 sample was all Psychology seniors enrolled in

Senior Thesis (Psychology 497, n=15) and Senior Seminar

(Psychology 498, n=72). This sample of 87 students

constituted 89% of all graduating Psychology seniors (n=96).

The remaining 11% of Psychology seniors will complete

their projects during the Summer of 2014.

1. To assess Outcome A, the data are scored as the number

(and therefore percentage) of students who indicate they have

gone overseas for an educational experience as well as the

number of unit completed overseas, while enrolled at

Chapman University.

Beginning in the 2010-2011 Academic Year additional

Outcome A data were collected consisting of the student’s

assessment of the impact of global studies/diversity

experience on their General Education and their education in

Psychology. Statistical analysis, when required, consists of

one-way analysis of variance with a posteriori comparisons.

2. Beginning Academic 2013-2014, data for Outcomes B

and C are collected from the theses submitted from students

in the one-year duration Psychology 497: Senior Thesis and

from the topic review and analysis papers submitted by

students in the Psychology 498: Special Topics course. All

students were evaluated on whether they had completed the

diversity/cross-cultural course cluster of Psychology 341,

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY 344 and 355. Referring to LOA Tables 3 and 4, a

"Diversity" category is added to the Senior Project Option 2:

Thesis and Option 3: Special Topic Seminar assessment

templates. Thesis topics and completed theses are reviewed

for focus on diverse populations and/or global, diverse

cultural perspectives. Criteria were at least one specific

section in thesis introduction identified as discussing

diversity and/or cultural issues and at least 30% of reviewed

empirical studies in the results using diverse and/or cross-

cultural subject populations. The 30% content criterion

derives from a similar criterion applied by the American

Psychological Association to articles submitted for

publication in the Association’s sponsored journals.



1. In terms of Outcome A, it is expected that the Psychology

program will place in the top half of Chapman University in

the percentage of students taking advantage of study abroad

programs. It is also expected that the self-evaluation of

impact will be above a mean of 5.0 on a 7-point Likert type

scale of impact of the study abroad experience on the

student’s 1) General education; and 2) Education in

Psychology.

2. In terms of Outcome B, we investigated if there is a

difference in topic choice by students completing the Senior

Project capstone courses who have and have not taken one or

more of the Psychology 341, 344 and/or 355 courses. It is

expected that students who have taken a course in the

Psychology Global Studies/Diversity cluster will be more

likely to choose a senior project topic with cross-cultural or

diversity implications than those who have not. Further, the

likeliness of pursuing a Psychology senior project topic rich

in diverse and/or cross-cultural content will be directly

related to the number of courses taken from the Psychology

341, 344, 355 cluster.

3. In terms of Outcome B and C, the Psychology senior

project instructors evaluate every senior project relative to

whether the topic specifically addresses an empirically-

verified cross-cultural and/or diversity issue. The

expectation is that at least 50% of the Senior Thesis and

Senior Seminar topics will explicitly and empirically address

a cross-cultural and/or diversity issue. This criterion was

derived from discussions of expectations for the

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY undergraduate Psychology curriculum presented by the

American Psychological Association.

chapman university...chapman university annual learning outcomes assessment report 2013-2014 degree...

Documents