SC/SS 115 Ethnobotany assessment spring 2011 eb1

Course description: Students will be able to identify, compare, and contrast the distinguishing morphological and reproductive characteristics of plants used by Micronesians; observe, describe, communicate, and experience the uses of plants in their cultural context.

1. Program Learning Outcomes:
   
   1. GE 3.4 Define and explain the concepts, principles, and theories of a field of science.
   2. GE 4.2 Demonstrate knowledge of the major cultural issues of a person's own culture as well as other cultures.
   3. MSP 2 Demonstrate proficiency in the geographical, historical, and cultural literacy of the Micronesian region.
      
      GE - General Education, MSP = Micronesian Studies Program
      
      
2. Course Learning Outcomes:
   
   1. Identify local plants, their reproductive strategies, and morphology.
   2. Communicate and describe the cultural use of local plants for healing, as food, as raw materials, and in traditional social contexts.
   
   

3. CLO	PLO GE 3.4	PLO GE 4.2	PLO MSP 2
   1	I, D		I
   2		I, D	I, D

   
   
4. Student Learning Outcomes:
   CLO 1 Identify local plants, their reproductive strategies, and morphology.
   

   Deployed outline		Assessment
   Student learning outcomes	Assessment strategies
   1.1 Identify local plants by local and scientific names.	Oral question and answer during field experiences. Tests during the term. Final examination.	99% participation in field trips 94% participation in hikes 90% of the students (n = 23) exceeded 70% on test one, 19% of the students (n = 5) exceeded 70% on test two, Avg. local name success rate on final: Chuukic (n=2) 72%, Kosraean (n=0) NA, Pohnpeian (n=22) 97%, Polynesian (n=0) NA, Yapese (n=3) 88%.a
   1.2 Compare and contrast the distinguishing reproductive characteristics of different phyla of plants including mosses, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, and angiosperms.	Identification of reproductive parts during field experiences.	Assessed by oral question and answer during hikes, specific questions on tests one and two. Not analyzed.
   1.3 Label the key morphological features of the different phyla of plants including mosses, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, and angiosperms including the morphology of the reproductive structures.	Tests.	Assessed by specific questions on test two. Not analyzed.

   
   CLO 2 Communicate and describe the cultural use of local plants for healing, as food, as raw materials, and in traditional social contexts.
   

   Deployed outline		Assessmentb
   Student learning outcomes	Assessment strategies
   2.1 Communicate and describe the healing uses of local plants and the cultural contexts in which that healing occurs.	Students perform individual presentations on healing plants from their culture.	100% (n = 27) of the students presented.
   2.2 Contribute, participate in, and experience eating local food made from plants and describe the production process.	Students work in groups to bring in a plant based food, perform a presentation on the production process, and share the food with the class.	93% (n = 25) of the students presented.
   2.3 Communicate and describe the use of plants for transportation, for shelter, and in other material culture applications.	Students perform individual presentations on plants and the resulting products used in material culture from their culture, students engage in learning to produce a material cultural item from a plant.	96% (n = 26) of the students engaged in an activity where they learned to produce local thatch, 100% (n = 27) of the students made presentations on material culture.
   2.4 Describe and observe the use, role, and importance of psychoactive plants within their traditional ceremonial cultural contexts.	Students engage in a field experience to observe the use of a plant in a traditional ceremonial cultural context.	100% (n = 27) of the students participated.

Photographic documentation links

• 1.1 Lycophytes and Monilophytes hike
• 1.1 Ethnogardening
• 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Lycophyte and monilophyte presentations
• 1.1, 1.2 Pwunso Botanic Garden
• 1.1 Dark Curse: Clidemia hirta
• 2.1 Plants of Pohnpei Ethnobotanical Garden Visit
• 2.1 Plants that heal
• 2.2 Island Food Community of Pohnpei visit
• 2.2 Ethnobotanical foods of Micronesia
• 2.3 Thatching
• Haruki at Ohigan
• 2.3 Material Culture
• 2.4 Ethnobotany cultural ceremony
• Ethnobotany spring 2011 final review
• Ethnobotany final examination

Notes

^a Success rates were based on correctly identifying sixteen plants by local name. The meta-assessment is that there is a diversity issue in the class. The class benefits by being multi-cultural, the class is, however, dominated by a single culture.

^b CLO 2 assessment is evidenced in part by photographic documentation.