Data-Based Decisions

2023-24 Goals for the Assessment Committee

The 2023-24 History Department Assessment Committee focused on the following goals in consultation with Department Head, Ravi Gupta, this year.

Assess student work from HIST 3000 and 4990, scoring it according to the rubrics developed in 2022-23.
Revise departmental learning outcomes & objectives according to AAA guidelines.
Receive faculty vote to adopt new outcomes & objectives.
Provide a narrative of assessment activities.
Update assessment section on website.

The committee successfully met these goals.

Assessment Committee Members

Julia Gossard – Assessment Committee Chair
Lawrence Culver – Member
Amanda Katz – Member
Bob Mueller – Member

HIST 3000 & HIST 4990 Assessment (Goal 1) Narrative and Data Analysis:

Recent instructors of HIST 3000 and 4990 provided the committee with access to their syllabi, rubrics, final assessments, and in 4990 the oral assessments to review. We presented this data to the History Department at the February 2024 Department Meeting.

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

Increases in all areas for 4990: We saw an increase in all areas of assessment across both HIST 3000 and HIST 4990 to “exceeding expectations.” Conversation developed around the causation with some pondering the selection criteria of faculty who send in the work to be reviewed as well as a “rebound” from potential coronavirus learning loss.
Increases in all areas except historical knowledge for HIST 3000: We discussed that historical knowledge, or historiography, is a difficult concept for novice historians. We discussed ways that we might address the different schools of thought and the history of history writing in more approachable ways to students in the 1000 and 2000 level courses.
Areas of strength:
- Historical thinking (thesis/argument)
- Historical evidence (primary sources)
- Mechanics (instructions, writing, etc.)
Revised common instructions: A member of the assessment committee proposed a common set of guidelines be adopted by the department for HIST 4990’s capstone paper. This could help alleviate differences in convention, page length, etc. The department did not vote to adopt this as the member was not present at the meeting to present it.
HIST 4990 Oral Assessment: The sheer volume of oral assessments necessitates participation by more faculty than just the Assessment Committee. Faculty enthusiastically agreed and offered to evaluate these presentations in the fall.

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.

Learning Objectives & Outcomes Revision (Goal 2)

The History Department’s stated learning objectives and outcomes needed to better align with actual classroom practices as well as the internal assessment rubrics. It had 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 previous learning objectives were “tuned” to the 2016 AHA Tuning Project, it was time to re-evaluate and refine these practices.

The new learning objectives can be found here:
/history-cultures-ideas/history/assessments-resources/history-and-history-teaching/learning-objectives.php

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.

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.