La Harbor College s3

LA HARBOR COLLEGE Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) Assessment Report Course Assessment

Division: Humanities and Fine Arts Discipline/Program: Philosophy

Course Number and Name: PHILOS 020 Ethics

Program Contact Person: ____David O’Shaughnessy______Phone: __(310) 233-4429

Reviewed by: Lora Lane, SLO Assessment Coordinator Date: February 2012

Attach additional pages as necessary. Institutional Learning Course Intended Outcomes Means of Assessment and Summary of Data Collected Use of Results Outcomes Criteria for Success (1) Define and use the core Multiple Choice Examination. 1 vocabulary of the discipline of 75% of students should score philosophy and the sub-discipline of 70% or better on assessment. ethics. 1 (2) Demonstrate knowledge of Multiple Choice Examination. Two Sections, Fall 2011 The test results for this SLO were metaethics (ethical terms, concepts, 75% of students should score Above Average – 80% and neither totally surprising, and more classifications, and ethical theories at 70% or better on assessment. above – 21 progress is called for. Philosophy the most general levels (I.E. – Average – 70%-79% – 13 is abstract and the material can be Egoism, Hedonism, relativism, Below average – Under 60% - difficult. This particular material is absolutism, pluralism, good and evil, 16 especially conceptual, and only motives, conscience, etc). portions of it are illuminated in the course text. Additional methods and supplementary materials for making this particular material accessible, understandable, and relevant will be explored.

1 (3) Identify major traditional Multiple Choice Examination. Two Sections, Fall 2011 The test results for this SLO, given normative theories and their 75% of students should score Above Average – 80% and the complexity of the material, components (I.E. -- Virtue Ethics, 70% or better on assessment. above – 24 were reasonably satisfying. The Utilitarianism, Kantianism, Feminist Average – 70%-79% – 12 excellent chapter in the text on Ethics, Ecological Ethics, Divine Below average – Under 60% - normative theories made available Command ethics, etc). 15 a reasonably concise aid for understanding and test preparation. Yet, some students are not yet socialized to read textbooks. Those that did, passed in decent numbers. (4) Identify major traditional theories Multiple Choice Examination. Spring 2011 of social ethics and their components 75% of students should score 2 sections Given the complexity of the 1 ( I.E. – Locke, Hobbes, Mill, Rawls, 70% or better on assessment. material, more time must be Nozick, Walzer), etc. Above Average (80% or devoted to reach this SLO more higher) – 14 effectively.

Average (70-79%) – 22

Below Average (Under 70%) - 13

5 (5) Demonstrate competence in using Essay Spring 2011 The students seem to be able to the philosophical method to respond 2 sections show reasonable development to to issues of applied and personal 41 students respond to this SLO’s area of ethics. Above Average - 10 assessment. Writing skill deficits Average – 22 (no English prerequisite for Phil. Below Average – 9 20) and minimal effort are the main proposed explanatory variables for lower scores. A more formal piece of writing might show less inspiring results, but this is a nice introductory level that must be mastered first.