Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1967

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Human Ecology

Major Professor

Anna Jean Treece

Committee Members

Fred Mills, Nell P. Logan

Abstract

(Introduction)

Evaluation, as an integral part of the teaching-learning process, is of prime importance to those involved with educational programs. Institutions of higher learning are faced with the difficult task of presenting an integration of knowledge among numerous fields of interest. Evaluating progress, or the lack of progress, of student comprehension of this integration of knowledge is an essential aspect of this task. Evaluation of a course involves the clarification of objectives, the development and use of a variety of ways of assessing changes in students, meaningful ways of summarizing and interpreting that evidence, and use of the information gained to improve the curriculum, teaching, and guidance of the educational process.1

In 1962, the College of Home Economics staff members undertook the responsibility of revising the undergraduate curricula. This study resulted in the development of new curricular requirements in 1964. One of the major outcomes was the identification of the core curriculum as a means of unifying the home economics instructional program.

The structure of the core curriculum provides the opportunity for developing a conceptual framework expressing the coherence in the major subject matter areas—Child Development and Family Relations; Food Service and Institution Management; Home Management, Equipment, and family Economics; Nutrition; Related Art, Crafts, and Interior Design; Textiles and Clothing. In addition to the departmental core courses, an introductory course, involving guidance for the selection of a specialization area, is required of first quarter freshmen. A Senior Seminar, with subject matter emphasis placed on the role of women, particularly home economists, in today’s world, is the concluding core course required of all home economics undergraduate students. The encompassing goal of this curricular structure is the identification of the interrelationships of objectives among the specialization areas. Students are presented with the opportunity of organizing information, identifying values, improving skills, and transferring knowledge into concepts to serve as bases for enlightening the educational experiences of each student. Evaluation of the degree to which this encompassing goal and other educational goals have been achieved is a basic part of instruction. Curriculum development must be concerned with evaluation. No other function of the teaching situation will govern the way curriculum experiences are planned and carried out so much as the manner in which evaluation of outcomes is performed.2 The success of the pupil in reaching the goal, hence the success of the educational program, is evaluated in terms of the objectives.3

Staff members of the Textiles and Clothing Department recognized the need for an evaluation of their core course, “The Cultural and Functional Aspects of Textiles and Clothing” (hereafter referred to as the Textiles and Clothing Core Course). This course, offered first in the Spring Quarter, 1966, has been offered during three quarters of the 1966-1967 academic year. Thus far, an evaluative device specifically designed for ascertaining the effectiveness of the core course had not been developed. Therefore, evaluation of the degree of attainment of the goals and objectives of interrelated, conceptual knowledge seemed desirable and appropriate. The author of this study has assisted with the operation of the class and was therefore in a position to develop and carry through an evaluative study of the course.

The study involved a clarification of objectives of the core course, the development and administration of an evaluative device, and an analysis and summarization of the resulting data. Evaluation is an on-going, never-ending process; therefore, this particular study shall hopefully serve as the instigator of meaningful, continuing evaluation of the Textiles and Clothing Core Course.

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