Program Learning Outcomes

Faculty create “Program Learning Outcomes” for each undergraduate and graduate program at Boise State University (Learn more here). The Masters of Science in Program Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics has four such main outcomes with 14 sub-PLOs. Students need to address the PLOs in various projects done during their program, including in their capstone project. We use feedback from students, assessments of assignments, and other input about the PLO’s to help judge how the program is effective and in which ways it might be improved. Faculty work to generate a “program area report” every three years. Students do not directly contribute to the PAR process (except by way of surveys), but they should be aware of them PLO’s so that they are aware of how they connect to the goals and objectives of each course

PLO 1 Research Skills: At the completion of the program, students are expected to: (1) formulate researchable study questions in an independent manner, (2) develop research and evaluation projects and contribute to research activities of a team, (3) locate and coordinate relevant resources for a research project in a critical manner, (4) be committed to the ethical conduct of research and professional activities.

PLO 2 Specialized Knowledge and Application of Skills: At the completion of the program, students are expected to: (1) demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the theoretical, analytical, and methodological approaches used in program evaluation, measurement, and statistics, (2) engage different types of clients and carry out evaluation studies on a wide range of topics, (3) apply measurement procedures and survey designs to collect unbiased data for a population study and a study using various sampling strategies.

PLO 3 Technical Skills: At the completion of the program, students are expected to: (1) test statistical models and provide intuitive explanations of the results, (2) understand how to use empirical evidence to answer research questions and test hypotheses, ( 3) create and use conceptual models based on methodologies identified by past research, and conduct appropriate statistical data analysis to answer a research question, ( 4) develop research projects through which they are able to use complex statistical techniques to analyze a wide-range of outcomes.

PLO 4 Communication Skills: At the completion of the program, students are expected to: 1) communicate effectively in written, oral and graphical form about specific issues and to formulate well-organized written arguments that state assumptions and hypotheses supported by evidence, (2) disseminate research results in a clear and coherent manner to other researchers, employers, coworkers, and to the general public, (3) contribute to the intellectual community and be able to critically analyze and evaluate one’s own, as well as others’ findings and give effective and constructive feedback to others.