四色AV

Goal and Outcomes

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QEP Goal

The overarching goal of the QEP will be to improve academic performance in gateway science courses. 四色AV will monitor two measures to assess the overall success of the QEP goal:

• Student success rates in BIOL 1014 and 1020
• Student success rates in subsequent science course

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QEP Learning Objectives

The learning objectives for the QEP can be broken into two broad categories: critical thinking skills and discipline-specific knowledge. The student learning outcomes for critical thinking will align with those indicated by scores on the Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT). The QEP implementation committee developed a mnemonic to reflect the student learning outcomes for discipline-specific knoweldge:听Formulate,Observe,听Communicate,听Use, and听Synthesize. Together, these outcomes will demonstrate a development of critical thinking skills as well as content-specific knowledge.

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听Student Learning Outcomes for Critical Thinking (as defined by the CAT, (https://www.tntech.edu/cat/about/skills):

• Separate factual information from inferences
• Understand the limitations of correlational data
• Evaluate evidence and identify appropriate conclusions
• Identify alternative interpretations for data or observations
• Identify new information that supports/contradicts a hypothesis
• Explain how new information can change a problem
• Separate relevant information from irrelevant information
• Integrate information to solve problems
• Learn and apply new information
• Communicate ideas effectively

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Student Learning Outcomes for Content Knowledge:

• Formulate听a coherent understanding of the relationship between tissues, organs, and organ systems from a structural and functional perspective (BIOL 1014), and听Formulate听a coherent understanding of the characteristics of living things and describe how these are expressed at the cellular and sub-cellular level (BIOL 1020).
• Observe听the natural world and explain the importance of the scientific method to understanding natural phenomenon (BIOL 1014/1020).
• Communicate听anatomical terminology to identify and describe locations of major organs of each system studied (BIOL 1014), and articulate scientific data and ideas, including the use of written, oral, and electronic media to diverse audiences (BIOL 1020).
• Use听the basic components of models and explain how models can be used to address biological questions and use appropriate information to solve biological problems (BIOL 1014/1020).
• Synthesize听information to develop a conceptual understanding of biological processes and methods (BIOL 1014/1020), and听Synthesize听scientific data and information to develop hypotheses (BIOL 1020).

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