College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Communication Journalism Bachelor of Arts… · Journalism...
Transcript of College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Communication Journalism Bachelor of Arts… · Journalism...
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Communication
Journalism
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science
March 18, 2016
Jimmie Manning, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Communication
Communication Undergraduate Program Director
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 2
1. Student Learning Outcomes
A. Understand and apply principles of ethics and law appropriate for professional
practice.
B. Understand the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping
communications.
C. Understand and apply concepts and theories in the use of presentation of images and
information.
D. Conduct research appropriate to the communication professions in which they work.
E. Understand the diversity of groups in a global society relationship with
communications.
F. Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for audiences they serve.
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 3
2. Program-by-Baccalaureate Learning Outcomes Matrix
Baccalaureate Learning Outcomes Program
Student
Learning
Outcome
A. Global
interconnections
and
interdependencies
B.
Intercultural
competencies
C. Analyze
human life
and natural
world inter-
connections
D.
Critical,
creative,
and inter-
dependent
thought
E.
Communicate
clearly and
effectively
F.
Collab-
orate
with
others
G.
Quantitative
and
qualitative
reasoning
H. Apply
knowledge/
skills
creatively
A. Ethics
and law
M
M
B. History
S
M
C.
Concepts/
theories
M
M
S
S
M
M
S
D.
Research
M
M
S
S
S
S
E.
Diversity
S
S
M
S
S
F. Writing
S S S S
S
Overall S M S S S M S
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 4
3. Curriculum Map
Student Learning Outcome
Course A. Ethics and
Law
B. History C. Concepts/
theories
D. Research E. Diversity F. Writing
JOUR 200 B B B
JOUR 480 P D D
Skills block
(4 classes)
D D D D D D
Advanced
skills block (2
classes)
P P P
Issues block
(4 classes)
P P P P
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 5
4. Assessment Methods
Assessment Methods-by-Outcomes Matrix
Assessment
Method
A. Ethics
and Law
B. History C. Concepts/
theories
D. Research E. Diversity F. Writing
Law,
Vocabulary,
and Style Pre-
Test
S, D
S, D
S, D
Journalism
Major Focus
Groups
F, I
F, I
F, I
F, I
F, I
F, I
Internship
Portfolio
Assessment
S, D
S, D
S, D
S, D
Writing-
Intensive
Course
Assessment
S, I
S, I
S, I
S, I
S, I
S, I
Law,
Vocabulary,
and Style Post-
Test
S, D
S, D
S, D
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 6
Explanation of Assessment Methods
Assessment
Method
Description Student-
Level Target
Program-Level
Target
When Data
Will be
Collected
Person
Responsible
Law,
Vocabulary, and
Style Pre-Test
Students are presented with
a 15-item measure;
combines writing/style
correction items with
legal/ethics questions (see
appendix A)
Students
should be well-
prepared for
the major
Students should
average 3/15
items correct,
showing they
have a basic
understanding of
specialized
writing and/or
ethics of the field
Near the
beginning but not
past the mid-point
of each semester;
at least 25
freshmen per year
COMPS UPD
(who will
randomly
select
instructors
and attend
their classes to
administer
each
semester)
Journalism
Major Focus
Groups
Students are presented with
questions about the major’s
strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats for
their personal learning goals
as well as general questions
about the program (see
appendix B)
Reported
development of
professional
skills
Positive general
responses to the
program
At least one focus
group every fall
and spring
semester; at least
15 JOUR students
per year
COMS UPD
(works with
students to
administer
focus groups)
Internship
Portfolio
Assessment
Final portfolios containing a
reflective statement from the
student, samples of work
from the experience, and
supervisor evaluations are
evaluated by the
Undergraduate Program
Director (see appendix C for
Wilmington rubric)
Excellent
professional-
level skills
Students earn an
average of 31
(out of 35
possible) or
higher
At the close of
every semester
COMS UPD
(who
supervises
internships;
will recruit
one other
instructor to
co-evaluate)
Writing-
Intensive Course
Assessment
The final written documents
from one primarily senior-
level course will be assessed
by the Undergraduate
Program Director (see
appendix D for AAC&U
rubric)
“Capstone”
level writer
95% of the
students will
score 18/20 or
higher; 80%
16/20 or higher
At the close of
each semester; at
least 50 students
will be assessed
each year
COMPS UPD
(who will
arrange for
senior-level
class to be
assessed each
semester)
Law,
Vocabulary, and
Style Post-Test
Students are presented with
a 15-item measure;
combines writing/style
correction items with
legal/ethics questions (see
appendix A)
Students
should be well-
prepared for
professional
situations
85% of the
students will be
well-prepared
(13/15) at senior
level
At the close of
each semester; at
least 25
graduating JOUR
seniors
COMPS UPD
(who will
randomly
select
instructors
and attend
their classes to
administer
each
semester)
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 7
Appendix D: Style and Ethics/Law Quiz
Read the sentences and decide whether they are correct or not. If the sentence is correct, place an X in the
blank next to correct. If you find errors within the sentence, place an X next to incorrect and make edits to
the printed sentence. You have ten minutes to complete this exercise.
1. They had 12 cows, one bull and 16 pigs.
______ Correct
______ Incorrect
2. The U.S. unemployment rate was 9.6% in August 2010.
______ Correct
______ Incorrect
3. At the assembly, former President of the student body, Jesse James, handed over the
microphone to his successor, Shawna Stevenson.
______ Correct
______ Incorrect
4. Gerlina Evans asks her students to call her Dr. Evans since she earned her Ph.D.
______ Correct
______ Incorrect
5. McCarran Boulevard will be closed from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m.
______ Correct
______ Incorrect
6. Tiffany and Company makes fine silver jewelry.
______ Correct
______ Incorrect
7. The school board approved the 7:30 a.m. start time.
______ Correct
______ Incorrect
8. Buffalos roam Custer State Park near Rapid City, SD.
______ Correct
______ Incorrect
9. Sophmores were pitted against each other in Class Wars.
______ Correct
______ Incorrect
10. Teachers handed out their syllabi on the first day of school.
_____ Correct
______ Incorrect
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 8
Journalism Ethics Quiz
Please mark the answer that provides the best action in the situation considering both ethics and
the law. For each item there is one best answer. You have five minutes to complete the
exercise.
1. You are editor of The Student Times. You and your newspaper staff have spent the last two
months working on a story about drug use at your university. You've interviewed more than two
dozen sources, including students and parents, school officials, doctors, social workers and drug
rehabilitation counselors. The story is well-researched and well-written. It suggests that drug use
is more common among students at your school than many community members may think.
Alarmed by the findings -- and concerned about how the community will react -- your university
president has censored the story and steadfastly refused to back down. What should you do?
a. Consider publishing the story on your own either in an independent, or "underground"
newspaper or on a private, off-campus website.
b. Appeal the principal's decision to the university board of trustees.
c. Publish and distribute a press release about the censorship to local media and other
interested groups.
d. All of the above.
2. You are editor of your high school student newspaper, The Student Times. Jennifer, a classmate
you trust, just walked into the newsroom to tell you that for the last few months her math teacher
has been making inappropriate, sexually suggestive comments to her after class. Unfortunately,
she says there were no witnesses to any of their exchanges. She has not reported the incidents to
anyone else. You believe that sexual harassment is a serious problem that really needs to be
addressed. Which of the following options do you consider the best?
a. Because you believe Jennifer to be an honest person, you publish a story reporting
her claims without any further investigation.
b. You do not attempt to cover the story or the issue of sexual harassment at all. It's
just too risky.
c. You publish a story about the issue of sexual harassment generally using Jennifer's
accusation as an example. But you do not use either Jennifer or the teacher's names in the
story and are careful to avoid including any other information that might identify them
(you refer to them as only "a student" and "a teacher").
d. You contact the math teacher prior to publication and give him a chance to deny
and respond to the charges, but otherwise publish Jennifer's accusations as she relayed
them to you.
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 9
3. Keisha Jones, the energetic news photographer for The City Times, has been busy at work. As
part of her proposed "Day in the Life of Jefferson City" photo essay, she's snapped dozens of
photos. In which of the following situations, if any, could Keisha's actions have constituted an
unwarranted invasion of privacy?
a. A school's top counselor is known as the "Stealth Counselor" because few students ever
actually see him. Sneaking past his secretary and down a hallway, Keisha was able to
quietly open the counselor's closed door and, without being detected, snap a picture of
him working in front of his computer.
b. In the parking lot before work, Keisha snapped a photo of Roman and Julie
engaged in a "heated" public display of affection in front of Roman's car.
c. From the sidewalk in front of a local courthouse, Keisha happened to glance into the
employee lounge window where she saw a judge puffing away on a cigarette, a violation
of the state's "Smoke-Free Buildings" law. Though her camera was in her backpack,
Keisha was able to dig it out in time to click a clear photo of the judge taking one last
puff.
d. All of the above.
4. You just received a three-sentence e-mail from the editor of a nearby public university who tells
you the president has censored an article on teenage pregnancy from her newspaper because he
felt the topic was "inappropriate." The editor believes the president's actions were a violation of
her First Amendment rights. Is she correct?
a. No. The president's stated goal of protecting students from inappropriate material would
likely be deemed "reasonable" under the Supreme Court's Hazelwood standard and the
censorship allowed to stand.
b. Yes. The Supreme Court's Tinker decision makes clear that the First Amendment
protects the right of student editors at public universities to publish such articles and --
assuming the stories are accurate, contain no unlawful material (libel, obscenity, etc.) and
would not substantially disrupt normal school activities -- the president has no authority
censor them.
c. It doesn't matter. Students shouldn't waste time defending their press freedom. The editor
should end any effort to cover the story.
d. You need more information before you respond.
5. Pick out the media law "myth"" from among the following:
a. The law prohibits news media from publishing the name or photo of a minor
accused of criminal conduct.
b. The law prohibits news media from publishing the name or photo of a minor
student online without parental consent.
c. High school-aged students cannot -- acting on their own, without their parents –
validly consent to the publication of a story that could otherwise invade their privacy (for
example, a 17-year-old pregnant student cannot consent to an interview about her
experience without her parents' permission).
d. All of the above.
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 10
Appendix B: Journalism Major Focus Group Protocol
The following questions should be asked. Interviews should be done by a fellow student and
every question below must be asked (although there can also be follow up questions).
Thank you all so much for agreeing to join me for this focus group today. Now, as we mentioned
when we recruited you to take part, the reason we are doing this is to help gather feedback about
your communication education and how it can be improved or, if you are happy with the way
things are, how we can make sure that things stay the same. You will notice that I am recording
this session, but please know that this recording will not be shared with any other students. The
only person who will hear it is [name of current Communication Undergraduate Program
Director] who will listen to responses, take notes or type out specific helpful quotes, and who
will analyze all of the interviews to make a report for faculty members. Then the recording will
be destroyed. Even though your specific words might be used, your name will never be
associated with them. If you mention a professor by name, that will not be used either – so please
do not worry about hurting anyone’s feelings. I hope know this makes you feel free to be as
honest as you like. We just want to know how you feel and to help make your experience here
worthwhile.
TURN ON RECORDER
So with that in mind, I will start with some general questions. First:
1. What are the strengths of the Communication department at NIU?
2. Thanks. Now what do you see as the weaknesses of the Communication department at
NIU?
3. Great. Now I want you to think about opportunities. That is, what do you see as
possibilities that this department could embrace?
4. Alright. And now I want you to think about threats. That is, what things could hurt our
department or threaten the quality of your education. Tell me about those threats.
Thanks! We’re about half way done now. These next questions are more specific. Please feel
free to be as honest as you want to be. This information will be so helpful to making the
department better, and your name will not be attached to your answers in any way. So to begin:
5. How much do you value the education you get as a student in this department? Do you
find studying (pick which applies or both for mixed groups: communication or
journalism) is worthwhile?
6. Okay – so, regardless of your answers to that last question, what do you think we can do
better?
7. Thanks! Next question: Who do you believe are the people that define this department?
And is that a good or a bad thing? (Possible follow-ups: Who is the department chair?
Who do you go to with problems? Who is charged with developing the curriculum?)
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 11
8. Alright. Two more to go. Next: What do you think about the classes we offer here?
Specifically, what is your feedback regarding both requirements and course availability?
9. Okay. And last question: What does it mean to be a communication major? That is, if
someone were to ask you what communication people do, what would you say?
That’s it! We are all done. Thank you so much for taking part in this focus group. This
information will be collected from several other groups, and then the department undergraduate
director will look for themes and present those to the faculty and administrators so they can help
to improve your education and the department climate. Thanks so much for your time!
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 12
Appendix C: Internship Rubric
B.A./B.S. Journalism
Assessment Plan – 13
Appendix D: Writing Rubric