Arapahoe Community College

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1 Parameters Analytic Display View in a new window Save to Document Room Download Arapahoe Community College ASTRONOMY SCIENTIFIC LITERACY: STUDENTS WILL DISPLAY SCIENTIFIC LITERACY AND FAMILIARITY WITH ASTRONOMY AND S Assessment Author(s) Type: Jennifer Jones Direct Pre-Post tests Description: 1) Describe the benchmark for this measure. A pre/post test given at the beginning and end of the term will assess the success o The average score of questions 1, 2, 15, 22, and 25 on the pre/post test will be at le Questions: 1) Which of the following statements does not use the term light-year in an appropria A) It will take me light-years to complete this homework assignment. B) A light-year is about 10 trillion kilometers. C) It will take the Voyager spacecraft about 20,000 years to travel just 1 light-year. D) The Milky Way Galaxy is about 100,000 light-years in diameter. E) It's about 4 light-years from here to Alpha Centauri. 2) Which of the following best describes the modern definition of a constellation? A) a region of the celestial sphere B) a group of stars that all lie at about the same distance from Earth C) a pattern of bright stars in the sky D) a collection of stars that are near one another in space E) a Greek mythological figure 15) Which of the following describes tectonics? A) the wearing down or building up of geological features by wind, water, ice, and ot planetary weather B) the excavation of bowl-shaped depressions by asteroids or comets striking a plan C) the eruption of molten rock from a planet's interior to its surface

2 D) the disruption of a planet's surface by internal stresses 22) What is a meteor? A) a streak of light caused by a star moving across the sky B) a small moon that orbits one of the giant planets C) a fragment of an asteroid from the solar system that has fallen to Earth's surface D) a streak of light caused by a small particle from space burning up in Earth's atmo E) a comet that burns up in Earth's atmosphere 25) What defines the habitable zone around a star? A) the region around a star where rocky planets form B) the region around a star where life exists C) the region around a star where humans can survive D) the region around a star where the ultraviolet radiation does not destroy organism E) the region around a star where liquid water can potentially exist on planetary surf 2) What is the rationale for choosing this benchmark? These questions specifically assess a student s understanding of the jargon in astron necessary before one can understand complex concepts. The average of 70% was passing score. Please select This Discipline Outcome was: Results: Met benchmark The average percent correct for questions representing Scientific Literacy on the pos benchmark.

3 1) How did unit/department performance compare to the benchmark? 2) How does the data compare to the previous year, if applicable? Overall, student were able to display a familiarity with astronomy jargon and displaye hit the benchmark. Questions 1 and 15 were well above the benchmark, question 25 questions 2 and 22 were below. In the future, these terms will have to be better expl These questions were not asked last. 1) Based on the findings, how does the unit/department rate performance in regards to this outcome (strong exceeds benchmark, neutral meets benchmark, or Met benchmark

4 weak misses benchmark)? 2) How does this affect plans for this coming year in terms of strategic planning, budget planning, administrative and educational support unit planning, and planning? 3) How will your results enable you to improve institutional processes or academic instruction in order to support, facilitate and/or stimulate student learning? Further Action: These questions were good as a tool and will be used next year. The definitions and use of both the jargon constellation and meteor will need to be s still using the everyday definition, instead of the scientific definition. Further Action Unnecessary LABORATORY TECHNIQUES: STUDENTS WILL DISPLAY AN UNDERSTANDING OF DATA INTERPRETATION AND LABORATORY TECHNIQUE No Data ASTRONOMY COMPETENCY: STUDENTS WILL DISPLAY A MASTERY OF THE KEY CONCEPTS OF ASTRONOMICAL OB ASTRONOMY Assessment Author(s) Type: Jennifer Jones Direct Pre-Post tests A pre/post test given at the beginning and end of the term will assess the success o

5 Description: 1) Describe the benchmark for this measure. The average score on the entire pre/post test will be at least 70% Pre/Post Test Questions 1) Which of the following statements does not use the term light-year in an appropria A) It will take me light-years to complete this homework assignment. B) A light-year is about 10 trillion kilometers. C) It will take the Voyager spacecraft about 20,000 years to travel just 1 light-year. D) The Milky Way Galaxy is about 100,000 light-years in diameter. E) It's about 4 light-years from here to Alpha Centauri. 2) Which of the following best describes the modern definition of a constellation? A) a region of the celestial sphere B) a group of stars that all lie at about the same distance from Earth C) a pattern of bright stars in the sky D) a collection of stars that are near one another in space E) a Greek mythological figure 3) Why do we have seasons on Earth? A) Earth's distance from the Sun varies, so that it is summer when we are closer to farther from the Sun. B) The tilt of Earth's axis constantly changes between 0 and 23 1/2, giving us summ winter when it is straight up. C) Seasons are caused by the influence of the planet Jupiter on our orbit. D) As Earth goes around the Sun and Earth's axis remains pointed toward Polaris, t hemispheres alternately receive more and less direct sunlight. 4) If the Moon is setting at 6A.M., the phase of the Moon must be A) first quarter. B) third quarter. C) waning crescent. D) new. E) full. 5) Which of the following is not one of, nor follows directly from, Kepler's laws? A) A planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther f B) The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the C) As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times. D) The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. E) More distant planets move at slower speeds. 6) Which of the following statements about scientific theories is not true? A) A theory must make predictions that can be checked by observation or experimen B) A theory cannot be taken seriously by scientists if it contradicts other theories dev several hundred years. C) A theory is a model designed to explain a number of observed facts. D) If even a single new fact is discovered that contradicts what we expect according theory must be revised or discarded. E) A theory can never be proved beyond all doubt; we can only hope to collect more support it. 7) Which of the following statements about sidereal and solar days is not true? A) The time it takes for a star to make one circuit of our sky is one sidereal day. B) A solar day is 4 minutes longer than a sidereal day. C) A solar day represents more than 360 of rotation for Earth. D) The time it takes for the Moon to make one circuit of our sky is one solar day.

6 E) The time it takes for the Sun to make one circuit of our sky is one solar day. 8) According to the universal law of gravitation, if you triple the distance between tw force between them will A) decrease by a factor of 3. B) increase by a factor of 3. C) increase by a factor of 9. D) decrease by a factor of 6. E) decrease by a factor of 9. 9) Which of the following statements best describes the two principal advantages of A) Telescopes can collect far more light with far greater magnification. B) Telescopes collect more light and are unaffected by twinkling. C) Telescopes can collect far more light with far better angular resolution. D) Telescopes can see farther without image distortion and can record more accurat E) Telescopes have much more magnification and better angular resolution. 10) Which of the following is furthest from the Sun? A) an asteroid in the asteroid belt B) a comet in the Kuiper belt C) Neptune D) Pluto E) a comet in the Oort cloud 11) Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed? A) The shock wave from a nearby supernova heated the gas. B) Nuclear fusion occurring in the core of the protosun produced energy that heated C) Collisions among planetesimals generated friction and heat. D) As the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy was converted to kinetic en E) Radiation from other nearby stars that had formed earlier heated the nebula. 12) What was the frost line of the solar system? A) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for rocks to cond orbits of Mercury and Venus B) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for hydrogen an present-day orbits of Jupiter and Saturn C) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for asteroids to orbits of Venus and Earth D) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for hydrogen co between the present-day orbits of Mars and Jupiter E) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for metals to con present-day orbit of Mercury 13) Which of the following best describes why the smaller terrestrial worlds have coo A) The smaller ones are farther from the Sun. B) They have relatively fewer radioactive elements. C) They were cooler when they formed. D) They have relatively more surface area compared to their volumes. E) They had more volcanic eruptions in the past, which released their internal heat. 14) Which of the following does not have a major effect in shaping planetary surface A) tectonics B) erosion C) magnetism D) impact cratering E) volcanism

7 15) Which of the following describes tectonics? A) the wearing down or building up of geological features by wind, water, ice, and ot weather B) the excavation of bowl-shaped depressions by asteroids or comets striking a plan C) the eruption of molten rock from a planet's interior to its surface D) the disruption of a planet's surface by internal stresses 16) Of the four gases CO2, H2O, N2, and O2, which are greenhouse gases? A) CO2 and N2 B) CO2 and H2O C) only CO2 D) all except O2 E) all four 17) If Earth were to warm up a bit, what would happen? A) There would be a runaway greenhouse effect, with Earth becoming ever hotter un have happened on Venus). B) Carbonate materials would form in the oceans more rapidly, the atmospheric CO2 greenhouse effect would strengthen slowly over time. C) The ice caps would melt and cool Earth back to its normal temperature. D) Carbonate materials would form in the oceans more rapidly, the atmospheric CO2 greenhouse effect would weaken slowly over time. E) Carbonate materials would form in the oceans more slowly, the atmospheric CO2 greenhouse effect would strengthen slowly over time. 18) Why is Saturn almost as big as Jupiter, despite its smaller mass? A) Saturn's rings make the planet look bigger. B) Saturn is further from the Sun, thus cooler, and therefore less compact. C) Jupiter's strong magnetic field constrains its size. D) Saturn has a larger proportion of hydrogen and helium than Jupiter, and is theref E) Jupiter's greater mass compresses it more, thus increasing its density. 19) The fact that most moons always show the same face to their planet is A) explained by the law of conservation of angular momentum. B) a natural consequence of tidal forces acting on the moons. C) a natural consequence of the fact that the entire solar nebula rotated in the same D) very surprising and a great mystery. E) a result of the fact that the moons once had atmospheres. 20) Planetary rings are A) orbiting in the equatorial plane of their planet. B) nearer to their planet than any of the planet's large moons. C) composed of a large number of individual particles that orbit their planet in accord D) known to exist for all of the jovian planets. E) all of the above 21) Why do asteroids and comets differ in composition? A) Asteroids and comets formed at different times. B) Comets formed from the jovian nebula, while asteroids did not. C) Asteroids are much larger than comets. D) Comets are much larger than asteroids. E) Asteroids formed inside the frost line, while comets formed outside. 22) What is a meteor? A) a streak of light caused by a star moving across the sky B) a small moon that orbits one of the giant planets

8 C) a fragment of an asteroid from the solar system that has fallen to Earth's surface D) a streak of light caused by a small particle from space burning up in Earth's atmo E) a comet that burns up in Earth's atmosphere 23) By itself, the Doppler technique provides a measure of a planet's A) orbital radius. B) orbital eccentricity. C) minimum mass. D) all of the above 24) How do we think the "hot Jupiters" around other stars were formed? A) They formed as gas giants close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen B) They formed as dense, rocky planets close to the star in the same orbits that the C) Many planets were formed around the star but coalesced into a single planet clos D) They formed as gas giants beyond the frost line and then migrated inwards. 25) What defines the habitable zone around a star? A) the region around a star where rocky planets form B) the region around a star where life exists C) the region around a star where humans can survive D) the region around a star where the ultraviolet radiation does not destroy organism E) the region around a star where liquid water can potentially exist on planetary surf 2) What is the rationale for choosing this benchmark? The pre/post test's question reflect the CCCS core competencies. The average of 70 possible passing score. Please select This Discipline Outcome was: Results: Missed benchmark The average for all questions on the Post Test for AST 101 was 56.85%. This is be 11, and 24 show a lack of understanding of a few key concepts. In the future the cla points are covered. Question 16, 17, and 18 had such low results, that they will be r may not be that students did not understand the concept, but instead did not unders questions are thrown out, the average hits the benchmark at 70.67%.

9 1) How did unit/department performance compare to the benchmark? The average for all questions on the Post Test for AST 101 was 56.85%. This is be 11, and 24 show a lack of understanding of a few key concepts. In the future the cla points are covered. Question 16, 17, and 18 had such low results, that they will be r may not be that students did not understand the concept, but instead did not unders questions are thrown out, the average hits the benchmark at 70.67%. 2) How does the data compare to the previous year, if applicable? This was the first year using this form of the pre/post test so cannot be compared. 1) Based on the findings, how does the unit/department rate performance in regards to this outcome (strong exceeds benchmark, Missed benchmark

10 neutral meets benchmark, or weak misses benchmark)? 2) How does this affect plans for this coming year in terms of strategic planning, budget planning, administrative and educational support unit planning, and planning? 3) How will your results enable you to improve institutional processes or academic instruction in order to support, facilitate and/or stimulate student learning? Further Action: Describe the action plan: Person/ Group responsible for action Target Date for implementation of the action Priority The tools will need to be edited for clarity. In the future, the concepts represented by 4, 9, 11, and 24 will need to be stressed a Further Action Planned Over the summer, the pre/post test will be reviewed by Faculty and adjuncts and ed Astronomy Faculty 08/23/2015 Medium FEEDBACK Please select

11 Please select INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: STUDENTS WILL DISPLAY AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE FORMATION AND STRUCTUR Assessment Author(s) Type: Jennifer Jones Direct Pre-Post tests Description: 1) Describe the benchmark for this measure. A pre/post test given at the beginning and end of the term will assess the success o The average score of questions 10, 11, 12, and 21 on the pre/post test will be at lea Questions: 10) Which of the following is furthest from the Sun? A) an asteroid in the asteroid belt B) a comet in the Kuiper belt C) Neptune D) Pluto E) a comet in the Oort cloud 11) Why did the solar nebula heat up as it collapsed? A) The shock wave from a nearby supernova heated the gas. B) Nuclear fusion occurring in the core of the protosun produced energy that heated C) Collisions among planetesimals generated friction and heat. D) As the cloud shrank, its gravitational potential energy was converted to kinetic en E) Radiation from other nearby stars that had formed earlier heated the nebula. 12) What was the frost line of the solar system? A) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for rocks to cond orbits of Mercury and Venus B) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for hydrogen an present-day orbits of Jupiter and Saturn C) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for asteroids to orbits of Venus and Earth D) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for hydrogen co between the present-day orbits of Mars and Jupiter E) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for metals to con present-day orbit of Mercury 21) Why do asteroids and comets differ in composition? A) Asteroids and comets formed at different times. B) Comets formed from the jovian nebula, while asteroids did not. C) Asteroids are much larger than comets. D) Comets are much larger than asteroids. E) Asteroids formed inside the frost line, while comets formed outside. 2) What is the rationale for choosing this benchmark? These questions specifically assess a student's understanding of formation of the so Astronomy 101. It is an overreaching concept that applies to other areas of astronom chosen, as it is the lowest possible passing score.

12 Please select This Learning Outcome was: Results: Missed benchmark The average for the questions representing Information Management on the post tes benchmark. 1) How did unit/department performance compare to the benchmark? 2) How does the data compare to the previous year, if applicable? Student display an understanding of the structure of the solar system, but missed th understanding of the formation of the solar system These questions were not used last year. 2) How does this These questions will be used again in next year's.

13 affect plans for this coming year in terms of strategic planning, budget planning, administrative and educational support unit planning, and planning? 3) How will your results enable you to improve institutional processes or academic instruction in order to support, facilitate and/or stimulate student learning? Further Action: The formation of the solar system, specifically the collapse of the solar nebula, will n future. Further Action Unnecessary QUANTITATIVE REASONING: STUDENTS WILL DISPLAY AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHYSICAL LAWS IMPORTANT T Assessment Author(s) Type: Jennifer Jones Direct Pre-Post tests Description: 1) Describe the benchmark for this measure. A pre/post test given at the beginning and end of the term will assess the success o The average score of questions 5, 8, 13, 18, and 19 on the pre/post test will be at le Questions: 5) Which of the following is not one of, nor follows directly from, Kepler's laws? A) A planet travels faster when it is nearer to the Sun and slower when it is farther f B) The force of attraction between any two objects decreases with the square of the C) As a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times. D) The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. E) More distant planets move at slower speeds. 8) According to the universal law of gravitation, if you triple the distance between tw

14 force between them will A) decrease by a factor of 3. B) increase by a factor of 3. C) increase by a factor of 9. D) decrease by a factor of 6. E) decrease by a factor of 9. 13) Which of the following best describes why the smaller terrestrial worlds have coo ones? A) The smaller ones are farther from the Sun. B) They have relatively fewer radioactive elements. C) They were cooler when they formed. D) They have relatively more surface area compared to their volumes. E) They had more volcanic eruptions in the past, which released their internal heat. 18) Why is Saturn almost as big as Jupiter, despite its smaller mass? A) Saturn's rings make the planet look bigger. B) Saturn is further from the Sun, thus cooler, and therefore less compact. C) Jupiter's strong magnetic field constrains its size. D) Saturn has a larger proportion of hydrogen and helium than Jupiter, and is theref E) Jupiter's greater mass compresses it more, thus increasing its density. 19) The fact that most moons always show the same face to their planet is A) explained by the law of conservation of angular momentum. B) a natural consequence of tidal forces acting on the moons. C) a natural consequence of the fact that the entire solar nebula rotated in the same D) very surprising and a great mystery. E) a result of the fact that the moons once had atmospheres. 2) What is the rationale for choosing this benchmark? These questions specifically assess a student s understanding of the physical laws t concepts are applications of the basics physical laws. The average of 70% was chos passing score. Please select This Learning Outcome was: Results: Missed benchmark The average on the questions representing Quantitative Reasoning on the post test not met.

15 1) How did unit/department performance compare to the benchmark? 2) How does the data compare to the previous year, if applicable? This benchmark was not met. Question 18 was deemed a poorly written question, h show a lack of understanding of the physical laws that dominate the solar system. S connecting the laws with their effects. These questions were not asked in a previous year. 2) How does this affect plans for this coming year in terms of strategic planning, budget planning, administrative and educational Question 18 will need to be rewritten for next year's.

16 support unit planning, and planning? 3) How will your results enable you to improve institutional processes or academic instruction in order to support, facilitate and/or stimulate student learning? Further Action: Describe the action plan: Person/ Group responsible for action Target Date for implementation of the action Priority In instruction critically thinking and the synthesis of ideas will need to be stressed to Further Action Planned Question 18 will need to be rewritten by the Astronomy faculty and adjuncts. Astronomy Faculty 08/23/2015 Medium