Student Achievement Assessment Committee

Learning Outcomes:
At the completion of the Master’s degree studies in Family and Consumer Sciences in the Food and Nutrition Program, students will have mastered the following F&N program learning outcomes:
1. Discuss and integrate requirements, bioavailability, and metabolism of macronutnents and micronutrients and their relationships in health and disease.
2. Describe the pathophysiology and role of nutrition and food constituents in the prevention and treatment of major disease states.
3. Use theories of nutrition education and behavior change to design, implement, and evaluate a community nutrition program.
4. Participate in the legislative process to influence nutrition policy.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of research design, methods, and statistical analysis.
6. Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
Annual Report
1. Learning (or Service) Outcomes assessed this year:
a. Demonstrate knowledge of research design, methods, and statistical analysis.
b. Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
2. Assessment Methods and Procedures:
To determine whether the F&N graduate students have met the outcome measures of demonstrated ability to critically evaluate research, and conduct literature searches and other means of gathering peer-reviewed research publications, the students write research papers and give a formal oral presentation on their chosen topic for F&N 609, Micronutrients Throughout the Life Span and F&N 610, Macronutrients for Human Nutrition. The students also must complete a thesis. They are encouraged to present their thesis research findings at professional meetings and to submit a manuscript for publication in a professional journal.
3. Inferences from Assessments:
Students have performed satisfactorily to above satisfactory on research papers, assignments, research literature critiques, class discussions, and oral presentations in F&N 609 and F&N 610. Since 1995, 39 students have completed theses as part of the requirements for a MFCS with a specialization in Food and Nutrition. There have been 37 student presentations of thesis research at professional meetings between 1995 and 2003. Thesis outcome products have also resulted in publications in peer-reviewed journals.
4. Actions Taken/Program Improvements:
F&N faculty member, Dawn Hentges and the Dietetic Internship/Didactic Program in Dietetics (DI/DPD) program director, Chris Haar recently received a $3920 grant from the Assessment Grant Subcommittee of the Student Achievement Assessment Committee at BGSU to develop rubrics to assess the learning outcomes associated with the program’s integrated learning experiences and for preserving those experiences in digital format. A rubric for oral presentations in F&N 609 and F&N 610 and case study presentations has been developed and will be pilot tested next year.
In addition to the course instructor, term papers and oral presentations in F&N 609 and F&N 610 will be evaluated by a team of food and nutrition professionals external to BGSU (eg. dietetic internship preceptors andlor advisory committee members) beginning AY 2004-05. Use of the external review team will be valuable 1) to the students by providing interaction with professionals working in various areas of food and nutrition and 2) to the faculty by providing feedback on the scope and depth of these learning activities and suggestions for curriculum development. Training in the use of the rubrics will be provided to the reviewers. A digital video camera has been purchased. Recording the students’ presentations digitally will permit the external reviewers to evaluate these activities if they are unable to come to campus during class time.
Students will be encouraged to use new communication technologies in oral presentations and written assignments.