Data-Based Decisions

2022-23 Goals for the Assessment Committee

The 2022-23 History Department Assessment Committee focused on seven goals in consultation with Department Head, Ravi Gupta, this year.

  1. Create a simplified internal assessment rubric for HIST 3000: Historical Research Methods and HIST 4990: Senior Capstone
  2. Assess a sample of assignments from HIST 3000 and HIST 4990 from Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 using these new assessment rubrics.
  3. Analyze this data and prepare an assessment report for discussion by the department in early February 2023.
  4. Solicit and use departmental feedback based upon this presented data to prepare a list of recommended improvements to the History major.
  5. Create a new exit survey for History and History Teaching majors.
  6. Compile assessment scores, exit surveys, and other materials into a single document with a narrative.
  7. Upload all of our assessment documents onto the departmental website.

The committee successfully met these goals.

Assessment Committee Members

  • Julia Gossard- Assessment Committee Chair
  • Clayton Brown- Member
  • Nichelle Frank- Member
  • Bob Mueller- Member (Fall 2022 only)

HIST 3000 & HIST 4990 Assessment (Goals 1-3) Narrative:

Recent instructors of HIST 3000 and 4990 provided the committee with access to their syllabi and rubrics. We reviewed the current rubrics that HIST 3000 and HIST 4990 instructors use in their own classes. Some instructors in HIST 3000 assign a proposal as the cumulative assessment whereas others assign a research paper as the cumulative assessment. This means there are (at least) two different rubrics being used to assess different assignments. The committee wants to ensure instructor pedagogical autonomy in HIST 3000, allowing instructors to choose the final, cumulative assessment that they think is most appropriate. HIST 4990 instructors all assign the same cumulative assessment: the capstone paper. Yet, we recognized that there were some small but noticeable differences in the rubrics being used in HIST 4990.

Through this discussion we agreed that we needed to create two standardized assessment rubrics that would be used for internal assessment only for HIST 3000 and HIST 4990 that reflected the learning objectives of both classes. These rubrics are streamlined for use by instructors doing assessment. They are not intended for student use or for grading. But, they do reflect grading categories and criteria that instructors are using in their own classes.

For each of the rubrics we created, we determined that students should have proficiency in:

  • Historical Thinking (argumentation/thesis statement)
  • Historical Knowledge (historiography)
  • Historical Evidence (primary source engagement)
  • Writing Mechanics & Presentation

These align with the learning objectives stated in HIST 3000 and HIST 4990. In our discussion, we noticed that some instructors do not engage with historiography at all. This is something to discuss with HIST 3000 instructors and the faculty.

Each member of the committee signed off on the newly created assessment rubrics to evaluate essays and assignments from 2021-2022. Each committee member evaluated 5-6 assignments from HIST 3000 and 5-6 assignments from HIST 4990.

Internal HIST 3000 Rubric
Internal HIST 4990 Rubric

Departmental Discussion & Data Analysis

In presenting this data to the History Department at the February 2023 Department Meeting, colleagues agreed that we were meeting objectives in most categories of analysis. No concerns were raised with the creation of a simplified rubric for internal evaluation processes. Many understood the need for a shorter, more efficient system of internal assessment.

In examining the data, several important points were raised in discussion that we will highlight below:

  • HIST 3000 not meeting objectives with “Historical Thinking” (structuring a thesis) is likely a result of students being novice historians and may be acceptable.
    • The department recognizes that this is an appropriate point for students to be at in HIST 3000. It demonstrates the need and purpose of HIST 3000, introducing students to the development of historical argumentation.
  • Historiography: There is clearly a need to discuss historiography at different points in the history major to help students in both HIST 3000 and HIST 4990 better address historiography. A productive discussion was had about what the purpose of our historiography education was for students. Although we are not expecting students to develop deep historiographical knowledge of a field or topic (as they would in an MA or PhD program), understanding that history is an interpretive discipline that changes over time is a necessary goal. We are asking students to demonstrate familiarity with different historians’ interpretations as well as different schools of thought (cultural history, social history, environmental history, the annales school, etc.). While we hope to see this integrated into all levels of the curriculum, the faculty discussed this is most appropriate in HIST 3000, upper-division courses, as well as HIST 4990. This will be an on-going goal of faculty to consider how to bring more historiography into different levels of the curriculum.
  • 80% Threshold: In discussing the assessment data, a faculty member asked where we should be aiming to be on each evaluative criterion. Should we be aiming for a 10/10 on each evaluative criteria, or is there another threshold we should aim for? The faculty agreed that a “meets expectations” or 8/10 or 80% threshold is appropriate for assessment purposes. This allows us an ability to demonstrate we are meeting objectives but also room to consistently grow.
    • Related to this issue, we discussed that while we can continually work to improve our learning objectives, teaching strategies, and curriculum to support student progress, there is also a responsibility of students to become invested in their own education. Instructors can follow all best practices, but students own actions and performance are also part of the equation.
  • Areas of strength: Our faculty and our students have demonstrated good strength in the development of historical evidence, especially primary source analysis. This is due to our faculty regularly choosing to assign more primary versus secondary sources, especially in lower-division courses. It was noted in discussion, too, that many of faculty regularly have their students visit USU Special Collections and online primary source digital repositories. Additionally, we excel in helping students develop their writing skills and instructional mechanics as evidenced in both rubrics.

In all, the data demonstrated that we are meeting our department objectives and expectations. While there is always room to grow and improve, we are happy with the ability of our students and faculty to demonstrate innovation, resiliency, and growth, especially in a post-covid educational landscape.

The conversation, though, did bring a few key issues into better focus that will need continual development and attention:

  • Learning Objectives: Our stated learning objectives need to better align with actual classroom practices as well as the internal assessment rubrics. It has been some time since we updated these learning objectives. Some of the learning objectives could better reflect what history educators are actually doing in their classrooms. While the current learning objectives are “tuned” to the 2016 AHA Tuning Project, it is time to re-evaluate and refine these practices. We will continue to consider the “best practices” that the AHA and others in higher learning outline.
  • Degree Purpose: Along with adjusting learning objectives, the department will need to have conversations about what the purpose of a history degree is in the 2020s and beyond. The History Department’s website needs to provide a bit more guidance to students in terms of career preparation and what a history degree can provide to students. While there are many statements available from professional organizations such as the AHA and OAH, many of these statements are generalized and hollow. We need to provide a clear message to students, helping them (and other stakeholders) understand how we are preparing students for the eventual job market. While a small number of our students will still pursue graduate studies in history and related fields, this should not be the only end-goal of receiving a bachelor’s degree in history. We need to think more broadly about the benefits and skills that a history degree can provide to a wide range of students with different career desires. A committee headed by Dr. Rebecca Andersen has already started some of this with career preparation modules in development for use in our classrooms. This is an excellent first step. More discussion and articulation is needed, especially to pre-majors and students in our survey courses.
  • Assignment Variety: One of the key strengths of the Department of History is the variety of assignments and assessments that faculty incorporate into their classrooms. While many faculty still assign traditional essays, a notable number of history faculty are regularly engaged in new and interesting class projects such as museum exhibits, documentary films, digital timelines, podcasts, and role-play games. Provost Smith has encouraged faculty to continue to innovate, focusing on high-impact, transferrable skills in the college classroom. Many of our faculty are already involved in these kinds of assignments. We should make the wide variety of assignments (along with what “portable intellectual abilities” they provide) clearer on our website and in student-facing communications.
  • Minors vs. Majors: Another area of assessment that we are interested in understanding better are our minors. We would like to know more about why students choose to minor instead of major or double major in history.

Action Items & Goals for 2023-2024

For next academic year, the Assessment Committee should:

  • Align departmental learning objectives and learning outcomes to new internal assessment rubrics.
    • Our current departmental learning objectives and learning outcomes need to be reassessed. These terms are being used interchangeably, but they are not interchangeable ideas.
  • Assess HIST 4990 Digital Oral Assignments.
  • Employ the new exit survey.
  • Create a new entry survey.
  • Discuss and create a statement of purposefor the history undergraduate degree.
  • Survey minors on their decision to minor vs. major in history.
  • Identify other levels of the History major curriculum to assess.