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Kent State University The Verbal ACT KSU entrance scores for majors will be considered relative to V (Verbal), A (Analytic Skills), and WQ (Writing Quality), as an aid to discerning what philosophy adds to those with one or another initial capacity. Additionally, a data compilation (for current years and for the past five years) for two matrices (Matrix A, B; see below) should provide baseline comparison and clues to what elements of the major (as contrasted with other elements of the baccalaureate program) have any influence on the outcome being assessed. Opening of the newly redesigned Masters program, recent addition of four writing intensive courses to the major, further envisioned revision of the major, and coming on-line of the computer classroom are four factors we expect will affect outcome assessment measure chosen. Background data prior to these changes gives us baseline for measuring possible effects of these changes. Why measure V, A, and WQ? Because a philosophy major must take at least four history of philosophy courses, and because all of the seven history courses have been declared as writing intensive courses (WIC), and because beginning Spring 93 computer classroom writing exercises will be part of each of these course (and other philosophy courses), we will want to assess how writing quality (WQ) changes overtime as we develop these elements of the major. Though philosophy as a discipline has no subject test, recent APA publication (*Y) furnish data suggesting that undergraduate philosophy majors score above all other majors on the GRE Verbal (V) Skills test. The Adelman study cited to support the claim on philosophy's relation to V makes no reference to analytic skills. But the 1992 ETS document show Humanities ranked on Analytic Skills third of seven broad field of intended graduate major. The natural sciences and engineering rank first and second. Since Philosophy ranks higher than other humanities on verbal, si Starting Spring 1993, the plan is to take V, A, and WQ measures for not only graduating seniors but also for other declared majors. We can make them year-by-year comparisons for groups of graduating majors but also note changes on V, A, and WQ scores at different moments in a major's program. To make our outcome assessment less parochial, we aim to compare (for an estimate at least of placement) mean scores of KSU graduating philosophy majors on each of Verbal and Analytic Skills to ETS reported general means for Verbal and Analytic and ETS reported means for Humanities, and six other broad fields of intended graduate major. (See *X). KEY to Matrix A: Naming Elements of the KSU Philosophy Major: A Logic: 11009, 21002 LER, H, LER SS, LER NS: Humanities LERs, Social Sciences LERs, Natural Science LERs, respectively Matrix A. GPA in Major GPA Element ACT V LERs H LERs SS LERs NS LERs GPA Acc Phil GPA ====:====:===:=====:=====:=====:=======:======= Matrix A will be computed for each major (assigned a randomly selected code name) after graduation; then a compiled Matrix with means for the group of graduates. We envision putting sequence requirements into the major, so that, for example, at least 1 logic is taken before any history, at least 2 (1 might be concurrent) history before any 4/5 course. These sequencing demands should help as "advising" elements for majors, should strengthen and structure the major, and should help maintain and enhance class quality at the 4/5 level. Matrix B: Interrelations of GPAs for the various elements of the Philosophy major, to the measure of WQ, V, and A at various stages of the Philosophy Major. GPA A B C D Writing S1 S2 S3 Verbal S1 S2 S3 Analytic S1 S2 S3. ==:==:==:==:==: ===========: ========: ======== A Sketch of the Stages in a philosophy major (proposed only) Naming Sketched Stages of an envisioned KSU Philosophy Major S1: Stage 1??A declared major not yet having completed at least 1 (2) of the 2 required logic and at least one 2 (2) of the 3 required undergraduate philosophy courses (aside from logic) is at Stage 1 in the major. A declared major not yet eligible for History of Philosophy (WIC) courses. Introductory Stage S1: Stage 2 A declared major who has completed at least_______logic and at least_______of the other required undergraduate philosophy courses and has, thus, become eligible to register for and has registered in at least one history of philosophy course (WIC) is at S2 in the major. History of Philosophy Eligibility Stage S3: Stage 3 A declared major who has completed all lower division requirements for the major and has completed at least 2 of the 4 required history of philosophy courses. 4/5 Level Eligibility Stage We plan to construct and administer on a yearly basis to all declared majors, in addition to the tests of Verbal and Analytic Skills, (GRE-Style tests, taken from sample tests) also a KSU Short Philosophy Test KSU SPT in four areas:
This KSU SPT will be faculty composed, faculty scored, with efforts to achieve standards of intersubjective reliability on the scoring. The computer classroom will be used to administer the KSU SPT. |