Department of Agricultural Education & Studies

Learner Outcomes Assessment Portfolio for the Undergraduate Curriculum

Program Quality

The department is interested in how well its graduates are being served by undergraduate preparation in Agricultural Studies or Agricultural Education. A follow-up survey of AgEdS graduates (1997-2002) was conducted in the fall of 2002. The purpose of this survey was to receive feedback from graduates regarding the quality of their preparation in relation to intended learning outcomes for undergraduate majors in AgEdS. Two hundred and thirty-six of the 552 graduates completed and returned the questionnaire for a response rate of 42.8%. Results of the survey are presented in the table below. Overall, graduates rated the quality of their college preparation as “above average.”

Graduates' Mean Ratings of Their College Preparation for Each Departmental Intended Learning Outcome
	AgSt n=161	AgEd Cert n=64	AgEd Comm n=11	Overall n=236
Practical & fundamental understanding of agriculture	3.74	3.36	2.91	3.60
Ability to communicate effectively	3.92	4.24	4.44	4.03
Opportunity for personal development	3.95	4.20	4.30	4.03
Skills for today's technological society	3.56	3.63	3.58	3.58
Problem-solving skills	3.89	3.85	3.74	3.87
Global awareness	3.59	3.63	3.68	3.60
Skills in educating others about agriculture	3.68	4.02	4.27	3.80
Environmental awareness	3.57	3.60	3.61	3.58
Dealing with ethical issues	3.53	3.52	3.95	3.55
Overall satisfaction	4.05	3.97	3.61	4.01
Grand Mean	3.75	3.80	3.81	3.76
Note: 5 point scale where 1 = poor, 2 = below average, 3 = average, 4 = above average, 5 = excellent. 236 of 552 graduates responded for a response rate of 42.75%.

Agricultural Studies graduates rated their preparation on all outcomes as above average. Agricultural Education-Teacher Certification graduates rated their preparation on eight of nine outcomes as above average. They rated their practical and fundamental knowledge of agriculture as average. Agricultural Education-Communications majors rated their preparation on eight of nine outcomes as above average. They rated their preparation related to practical and fundamental understanding of agriculture as average.

Courses are evaluated by students each semester. Student evaluations are used along with other sources of information to adjust and improve undergraduate courses. Demand for AgEdS courses is also an indicator of quality. The number of students taking AgEdS courses has increased significantly. In 1992, 594 students enrolled in AgEdS courses. In 1996, the number had grown to 708. In the most recent academic year, 972 students enrolled in AgEdS courses. Demand is especially high for AgEdS 311. In addition, AgEdS 315 and 450 typically reach their enrollment limits each semester.

Student Experiences

The department offers a wide range of field-based experience programs that are available to students at various levels, freshmen through senior. All field-based experience programs include student orientation sessions and evaluations by site supervisors. The programs provide a set of experiences that students can use as reference points in their courses and a place to apply what they have learned. The emphasis in all field-based experience programs is learning. Academic credit is not awarded for work experience. Teacher education faculty in AgEdS carefully select site supervisors (cooperating teachers) for the student teaching experience. Cooperating teachers are required to complete a workshop on supervising agricultural instruction, submit a formal application, and document support from their administration.

Student Experience Programs
Name	Course & Credit	Length	Targeted Audience	Features
Early Field-Based Experience	AgEdS 211 (1 cr)	5 days on site, High School Ag Dept, Extension, Agribusiness, NRCS	Freshman & Sophomores	Site supervisor: daily log, 10 observations, special project, follow-up meeting
Professional Agriculture Internship	AgEdS 412 (2-6 cr)	2-12 weeks on site in an agribusiness	Juniors & Seniors in AgEdS	University & site supervisor: daily log, special project, written report, presentation
Student Teaching	AgEdS 417 (12 cr)	12 weeks in an approved high school agriculture department	Seniors admitted to teacher education	University & site supervisor: daily log, report
Extension Internship	AgEdS 418 (2-12 cr)	2-12 weeks in a county or state extension office	Juniors & Seniors in AgExtEd	University & site supervisor: daily log, report