The Physics and Astronomy department 2015-16 annual assessment report to the College of Science and Mathematics for the Office of Academic Assessment and Program Review.

Abstract

The department revised its PSLOs (included) and administered a national exit test in physics (ETS) to 15 seniors for direct assessment of revised SLOs 1 & 2.b. CSUN students scored above the national mean score (151.5/200 to 150.4/200), ranking in the 53rd percentile, an improvement over the 39th percentile in 2014-15. Thirteen of the same students also took the national gateway physics test in their junior year, ranking in the 44.7th percentile. Further analysis reveals that students who participated in a loop-closing Peer Learning Facilitators program (n=5) ranked in the 79th percentile on the national exit exam, while the remaining 10 scored in the 39th percentile, indicating that the PLF program is efficacious. A new research projects course designed to serve as a capstone course for the assessment of all PSLOs, PHYS 497, was developed and approved, closing the loop on past-years' assessment activities. In addition, a rubric (included) scored assessment of student presentations in PHYS 465 (experimental physics) is described, with results, generally scoring below 60% being described as "not satisfactory. New instruments for the assessment of PHYS are planned for development in AY 2016-17, as well as plans to make the ETS count towards student grades in PHYS 497 and the development of targets for the analysis of the ETS and junior-level gateway tests, are projected.