1. Program Outcomes Assessed

 

Outcome B: An ability to analyze a problem, and identify and define the computing requirements appropriate to its solution

Outcome C: An ability to design, implement, and evaluate a computer-based system, process, component, or program to meet desired needs

Outcome D: An ability to function effectively on teams to accomplish a common goal

 

2. Courses Assessed

 

Outcome B, C and D were assessed at the Advanced Level in CS 151 in all sections taught (Sections 1 and 2).

 

3. Data Collected

 

Assessment of Outcome B was conducted in CS 151 Sections 1 and 2 and the results are:

Performance Indicator	1	2	3
	beginning	satisfactory	exemplary
Identify required classes/interfaces and their relationships for a given problem description. Depict the corresponding class diagram (assessed with an exam question)	Most of required classes and relationships are missing. Fail to produce the corresponding class diagram	Identified most of required classes and relationships. Depicted a class diagram with a few errors.	Correctly identified required classes/interfaces and their relationships. Correctly depicted the corresponding class diagram
Number of Students	25	35	34
For a given problem description, select a design pattern suitable to solve the problem. Draw the class diagram that depicts the selected design pattern. (assessed with an exam question)	Selected a wrong design pattern	Selected a correct design pattern and drew the corresponding class diagram with a few errors	Selected a correct design pattern and drew the corresponding class diagram correctly
Number of Students	31	17	45

 

Assessment of Outcome C was conducted in CS 151 Sections 1 and 2 and the results are:

Performance Indicator	1	2	3
	beginning	satisfactory	exemplary
Design and implement a reusable program using polymorphism concept. Show the program works for different objects according to polymorphism (assessed with an exam question)	Does not know how to apply polymorphism concept to the problem	Produced a correct reusable program, but failed to show that it runs for different objects according to polymorphism	Produced a correct reusable program and successfully showed that it runs for different objects according to polymorphism
Number of Students	9	12	73
Design and implement a program based on the MVC model. Show the model, view, and controller parts of the program works as expected (assessed with an exam question)	Does not know how to use the MVC model	Produced a working program based on the MVC model with a few errors in assigning responsibilities to model, view and/or controller parts of the program	Produced a working program based on the MVC model and successfully showed the model, view, and controller parts of the program work as expected
Number of Students	31	19	43

 

Assessment of Outcome D was conducted in CS 151 Sections 1 and 2 and the results are:

Performance Indicator	1	2	3
	beginning	satisfactory	exemplary
Teamwork (assessed with a team project survey)	Team did not collaborate well.	Team collaborated well with only a few occurrences of communication breakdowns.	Team collaborated well.
Number of Students	8	34	52
Contribution (assessed with a team project survey)	Contribution of each member is not balanced at all. Some team members worked independently without regarding the goal of the project.	Some team members contributed more to certain deliverables, but the contribution of each member eventually balanced out through the entire project.	Each team member made equal contribution throughout the project.
Number of Students	9	53	32
Functionality (assessed with a team project)	Program does not run and/or does not satisfy most of the requirements.	Program runs and satisfied most of the requirements.	Program runs and satisfied all of the requirements.
Number of Teams	2	4	25

 

 

4. Analysis and Recommendation

 

Overall, the students did well in the Program Outcomes assessed. However, there are three areas of concern.

26.6% of the students did not achieve at least a satisfactory level in Performance Indicator 1 of Outcome B.

33.3% of the students did not achieve at least a satisfactory level in Performance Indicator 2 of Outcome B.

33.3% of the students did not achieve at least a satisfactory level in Performance Indicator 2 of Outcome C.

For Performance Indicator 1 of Outcome B, the instructor notes that weak students do not seem to benefit from general solutions for the entire class. They need specific corrections on their work. Therefore, the instructor recommends that, instead of marking errors in their class diagrams and asking them to find correct answers from the posted solution, teach weak students individually how to fix errors by writing down specific solutions on their class diagrams.

For Performance Indicator 2 of Outcome B, the instructor notes that there are two parts of learning design patters: to choose a right pattern in the context of a problem and to apply the chosen pattern to solve the problem. This rubric assesses the first part, choosing a right pattern. Since suitable patterns were suggested in the assignments, students didn't seem to have much practice for selecting right patterns by themselves. The recommendation is therefore to design assignments through which students can practice for selecting a right pattern in the context of a problem.

For Performance Indicator 2 of Outcome C, the instructor notes that this rubric was assessed through the midterm which was done right after the concept was introduced. Students needed more practice for applying patterns correctly to solve a problem. When the rubric was assessed through the team project, which was done at the end of the semester, their performance was improved greatly. Here is the data collected from the team project.

Out of 31 project teams
- beginning 2 teams (6.5%)
- satisfactory 5 teams (16%)
- exemplary 24 teams (75%)

The instructor interviewed every student who participated in the project in order to assess their ability to use the MVC pattern. The students who belong to the exemplary group exactly articulated the roles of model, view, and controller, and also correctly knew the application of the MVC model to the project.

In this semester, the instructor notes that students studied 2 to 3 examples per pattern in class, and solved 5 to 6 exam questions regarding patterns. Also, 2 programming assignments and 1 project involving the use of MVC and Strategy patterns were assigned. Students understood a pattern more concretely when they actually implemented it in their program, by the time the final assessment was done. The recommendation is to continue this practice.