1. Eric Baer and Andrea Bair
Using course-level outcomes data to identify opportunities for broadening participation and success of underrepresented groups
Eric Baer and Andrea Bair

2. We’ll discuss using data to investigate, plan, and implement changes.
Examine Data
Evaluate Opportunities and Strengths
Set goals
Determine strategies
Implement Revisions
Recommendation:
Work with data with an eye to identify opportunities and evaluate progress.

3. Our focus is on course-level outcomes including participation, success, and progression.
= Enrolled in geoscience course(s)
Investigate participation in course vs. college, local/regional pop. Goal: Broadening participation in geoscience courses
Success
=Success in geoscience courses (usually passing grade)
Investigate geoscience course success by student sub-group
Progression
= Enrollment in multiple geoscience courses,
Major in geoscience
What do we mean by “course-level outcomes”? 3 aspects here
Participation: who is enrolled in geoscience courses? Need to know who is participating to set goals, although overall goal is to broaden participation in courses as many groups have been underrepresented compared to the college and local/regional populations
Success: how many students are successful in geoscience courses, and how do sub-groups differ in success?
We share our own course-level outcome data in the spirit of inquiry with recognition of your expertise.

4. Highline College Delta College
Main campus is in rural Bay County, Michigan on 640 acres. Three satellite campuses in Midland, Bay and Saginaw
6,283 full-time equivalents
Projected declines in enrollment
Campus is semi-urban between Seattle and Tacoma in Washington State
5,656 full-time undergraduate equivalents
Flat enrollments

5. Geoscience at Delta College
Geoscience at Highline College
Geoscience at Delta College
Departments:
Geology and Oceanography courses are in Physical Science Discipline.
Environmental Science courses are in the Biology Discipline.
Students:
Almost all students are seeking to fulfill gen-ed requirements
Some of the students are seeking degrees in Environmental Technology or Water Environment Technology.
Students who want to major in geoscience transfer to several different institutions with different programs.
Courses:
Most courses are 4-credit science courses, some with a lab. The ENV courses do not have labs. Included are few 1-credit field classes.
Semester system
Departments:
Geology is in the Physical Sciences Department
Environmental Science and Oceanography are in the Biology Department
Students:
Almost all students seeking to fulfil gen-ed requirements
Students who want to major in geoscience transfer to several different institutions with different programs.
Courses:
A mix of lab and non-lab courses
1 credit field courses not included in analysis
Quarter system

6. Participation data: How do students enrolled in Geoscience courses compare to the overall college population?
1. What do you observe?
2. What questions do these data raise?

7. Geoscience student demographics vs. Delta College all students
Participation data: How do students enrolled in Geoscience courses compare to the overall college population?
Geoscience student demographics vs. Delta College all students
1. What do you observe?
2. What questions do these data raise?

8. Success data: How many students passed the course?
Delta Highline
Course and # of sections
Discipline
Students enrolled
“C-” or Higher
GLG Intro to Phys. Geology (4L) - 10
Phys. Science
211
81%
BIO 110W - Environmental Science (4L) - 3
Biology 50
68%
GLG 115 – Oceanography (3) - 1 21
90%
ENV 100W (1) - 2 17
82%
GLG 130 – Environmental Geology (4L) - 1 8
88%
ENV 130W (1) - 1 6
100%
TOTAL
312
80%*
Course (Over 5 quarters)
Department
Students Enrolled
Received Credit
(1.0 or above)
ENV SCI 103 -Global Env Issues
Biology
111
91%
ENV SCI 101 -Intr. Env. Sci. (L)
248
92%
OCEAN 101 -Oceanography (L)
135
86%
GEO 100 –Env. Geology (L)
Phys. Science 74
72%
GEO 101 -Physical Geology (L)
159
81%
GEO 103 -Intro. Paleontology (L) 47
GEO 105 -Shaping The Earth
353
82%
GEO 107 -Geologic Hazards
180
68%
TOTAL
1379
81%*
(L) Indicates course that meets lab science requirement
(#) Indicates number of credits
- # Indicates sections included in analysis
1. What do you observe? 2. What questions do these data raise?
*% of total students

9. Success rates (C or better) by course over 5 quarters (Highline)
Shading indicates
Success rates (C or better) by course over 5 quarters (Highline)
More than 20 students
Students
Fewer than 10 students (Omitted)
1379 students total
1. What do you observe? 2. What questions do these data raise?
Asian/
Pac. Isl
African American
Native American
Hispanic
White
Intern’l
All Students
ENVS 103
87%
79%
75%
89%
86%
ENVS&101
92%
90%
81%
85%
93%
88%
OCEA&101
82%
65%
GEO 100
56%
78%
71%
66%
GEO 101
68%
53%
73%
64%
67%
GEO 105
55%
GEO 107
39%
38%
74%
59%
OVERALL
72%
60%
84%
% of students in each category who received a C or better

10. Examining the course outcomes data helped us (Delta) understand participation and success.
Geoscience students are fairly representative of Delta College students and our regional population overall.
African-American and “older” students are less successful than other students in our courses overall.
Environmental Science overall has lower success rates (68%) than Physical Geology (80%), even though we think these courses attract similar students.

11. Course outcomes data also helped us set goals for success, and consider strategies to accomplish our goals.
Goal 1: Improve overall student success rates in geoscience courses by 10%
Possible strategies:
Incorporate more strategies to improve success for ALL students in all courses (e.g.
Encourage regular surveys soliciting student feedback and communication on their learning and challenges they face, (e.g. SALG)
Initiate more conversations with faculty about best practice strategies?
Initiate assessment project?
Goal 2: Reduce differential between African-American and older students success rates by 10%
Include more examples of diverse scientists in our courses (ex. Scientist spotlights); include diversity in age as well as ethnicity.
Review research on supporting ”adult learners” to make sure we are incorporating appropriate strategies.
Goal 3: Explore success rate differential between Environmental Science and Physical Geology
Test hypothesis that populations have comparable college preparedness
Explore a longer-term data set to test if are representative or anomalous
Improve student success rates overall by 10%
Reduce the differential between African American and older students success rates by 10 %
Explore the success rate differential between Environmental Science and Physical Geology to determine if this is a problem and possible strategies

12. Use data to investigate, plan, and implement and evaluate changes.
Examine Data
Evaluate Opportunities and Strengths
Set goals
Determine strategies
Implement Revisions

13. Some thoughts/lessons learned
Work with course-based data if you can (not student-based data) at first (why?)
Use your Institutional Research office (It may be easier than you think!)
Use your skills as scientists
Focus on 1) Participation 2) Success 3) Progression (if possible)