How we measure our progress

Our major goal is to deliver an authentic research experience to every student we teach, with an emphasis on non-science majors and CBS transfer students. We define “authentic research” as an experience that allows students to review primary literature, select a question to pursue, propose a hypothesis, design/conduct an experiment, analyze the data, and explain their results. Our current assessment strategy is to measure students’ attitudes and confidence in science and their science process skills. Based on these results, we hope to continually improve our programming so that we can best serve our students. 

Our assessment plan currently consists of four elements

• Core Survey: Based on SURE/CURE; Professional Identity Scale/Social Theory; Team Scale; Cognitive Flexibility Scale
• Science Process Skills:TOSLS; IPSA; CAT
• Course Surveys:Course specific questions; Instructor focused questions
• Focus Groups:Identify courses' strengths and weaknesses; Understand students' experiences

RESULTS

CBS Graduating Seniors 2013

• Surveyed Students who were graduating spring semester 2013
• Survey was administered in May 2013.
• Survey questions covered a variety of subjects including: attitudes and confidence toward science, CBS experience and satisfaction, research experience, and future goals and plans.

HHMI Internship Program 2013

• Surveyed Students and Mentors after participating in the HHMI Internship Program Spring 2013.
• Survey was administered in May 2013.
• For interns, survey questions covered a variety of subject matters including: attitudes and confidence toward science, experience in the program, and relationship with mentor.
• For mentors, survey questions were regarding mentors’ perceptions of students’ confidence and ability in scientific thinking, skills, and experience in the program.

HHMI Summer Research Experience 2013

• Surveyed students who were participating in the HHMI Summer Research Experience in summer 2013.
• Pre-Survey administered in May 2013
• Post-Survey administered in August 2013
• Survey questions covered a variety of subjects including: attitudes and confidence toward science, future goals/plans, and science process skills

Transfer Student Admission and Success

• The focus of this report was to better understand who our transfer students are and how they are performing while they attend the College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota.
• This report was created on January 13, 2013.
• Data is from all fall semesters from 2007-2012.