In your own words, define natural selection (remember that your answers are anonymous, so please answer from memory).

Analysis/Faculty Discussion:

The results of the direct assessment suggest that students performed well with straightforward questions based on facts they learned in the course but had difficulty with critical thinking and

interpretation of data, figures, and hypotheses. While lectures use graphical presentations of data and discuss alternative hypotheses, students have not previously been asked to interpret or evaluate these materials for themselves.

193 On the indirect assessment, for SLOs 1, 2, and 4, greater than 70% of students stated that they either “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that our “classes accomplished this objective.” The values were lower for SLO 3 (66.6%) and SLO 5 (66.6%). SLO 3 requires students to construct and interpret evolutionary trees. SLO concerns research ethics. We determined that few of our upper-level courses directly covered this material.

Recommendations for Improvement/Changes:

In Anth 360, 362, and other upper-level courses, we will introduce exercises for students to actively practice interpretation of data, figures, and hypotheses. We will develop a few short exercises to be given throughout the semester in Anth 360 and 362 where students will be introduced to graphical representations of data with detailed explanations, and then asked to either interpret or generate analogous figures. A written assignment will guide students through the process of critically evaluating alternative scientific hypotheses after reading opposing views from two sources.

In upper-level courses, including Anth 455 (genetic anthropology), we will add materials on phylogenetic methods, including additional instruction on methods of phylogenetic tree construction and

interpretation, and we will add more lecture and reading material related to research ethics.

Appendices

Appendix A. Survey for graduating seniors deployed in spring 2017 Appendix B. Assessment instrument for Anth 360

Appendix C. Assessment instrument for Anth 362

APPENDIX A. Survey for graduating seniors deployed in spring 2017. The survey results are provided in the document “2017 Survey of Graduating Seniors.pdf.”

ANTHROPOLOGY PROGRAM EXIT INTERVIEW, Version 3.7.16

Your responses to the following questions are anonymous. The goal of this survey is to determine whether we are accomplishing our learning objectives for the undergraduate program, so please be completely honest in your assessment.

A full list of our learning objectives for our degree programs are available at:

http://anthropology.unm.edu/assessment.htm.

1. What year will you receive your degree?

 2016

 2017

 2018

194

 Archaeology

 Ethnology

 Evolutionary Anthropology

 General Anthropology 3. What degree will you receive?

 BA

 BS

4. Do you plan to attend graduate school?

 Yes

 No

Evolutionary Anthropology

5. The student will learn to use the principles of genetics and genomics to analyze inheritance, variation, and the evolution of human characteristics.

In regard to this learning objective,

a. Can you recall which classes that you took covered this material? b. In my opinion, these classes accomplished this learning objective.

c. After taking these classes, I am better prepared to understand and evaluate media reports about new discoveries on genetics and genomics.

d. After taking these classes, I am better prepared to make decisions in the use of genetics and genomics in everyday life. Here are some examples:

 interpreting the results of a paternity test

 deciding on a health program or therapy that uses genomics

 deciding on recreational pursuits such as genetic ancestry testing

e. My experiences in these classes prepared me for higher-level classes in graduate or professional school.

6. I am able to use a scientific approach to distinguish among competing explanations for the adaptive evolution of behaviors and phenotypic traits in extinct and extant humans and non-human primates. In regard to this learning objective,

a. Can you recall which classes that you took covered this material? b. In my opinion, these classes accomplished this learning objective.

c. After taking these classes, I have gained a deeper understanding of how a scientific approach can be used to understand the existence of widespread human behaviors.

195 d. From the experience of these studies, I am able to understand and even predict human

behavioral tendencies in various social and political contexts.

e. My experiences in these classes prepared me for higher-level classes in graduate or professional school.

7. I am able to interpret trees showing the evolutionary relationships among primate taxa and list the unique anatomical, behavioral and life-history traits of different primate species.

In regard to this learning objective,

a. Can you recall which classes that you took covered this material? b. In my opinion, these classes accomplished this learning objective.

c. After taking these classes, I am more likely to read a newspaper or magazine account about new findings on our fossil ancestors. I am better able to make my own interpretation of how these findings help place humans in the tree of life.

d. Using the knowledge that I have gained on this topic, I might be an appropriate volunteer to accompany a K-12 class on a field trip to a science center.

e. My experiences in these classes prepared me for higher-level classes in graduate or professional school.

8. I am able to synthesize evidence for the evolution of human features such as bipedal locomotion, large cranial capacity, extended development, and high levels of bi-parental investment in offspring.

In regard to this learning objective,

a. Can you recall which classes that you took covered this material? b. In my opinion, these classes accomplished this learning objective.

c. After taking these classes, I am better able to understand and critique newspaper and magazine articles about human evolution.

d. After taking these classes, I am more likely to support the teaching of evolution in public supported institutions.

e. My experiences in these classes prepared me for higher-level classes in graduate or professional school.

9. The student will apply the principles of research ethics (Beneficence, Justice, and Respect) to a brief plan to recruit participants in an anthropological study.

In regard to this learning objective,

a. Can you recall which classes that you took covered this material? b. In my opinion, these classes accomplished this learning objective.

c. After taking these classes, I am better prepared to understand and evaluate ethical issues in research such as those reported in the media. Here are some examples:

 the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

 the Havasupai study on the genetic of schizophrenia

 the establishment and distribution of cell lines from Henrietta Lacks, etc. d. My experiences in these classes prepared me for higher-level classes in graduate or

196 e. Research ethic reaches into the everyday lives of many people. For example, Institutional

Review Boards that review the University and Hospital research protocols always include a member of the lay community. Do you feel that your studies in anthropology at UNM have prepared you to fill such a role? If so, briefly tell us how.

10. Based on your evaluation of the above statements, what are the weaknesses of the evolutionary anthropology program? What changes would you recommend for improving the program? 11. In your opinion, what are the strengths of the evolutionary anthropology program?

Appendix B. Assessment instrument for Anth 360

SLO 2. Use a scientific methodology to distinguish among competing hypotheses about the nature and causes of behavioral, sociological, genetic, and phenotypic variation in extinct and extant humans and non-human primates (Broad Program Goals 2 - 4)

Assessed with 4 multiple choice questions (3 points each if correct, 0 if wrong) and three short essay questions.

Multiple choice questions

Which of Tinbergens 4 levels of biological analysis is addressed in the following hypothetical statement about masculinized genitalia in female spotted hyenas?

1. Genital masculinization occurs early in spotted hyena development, so females are born with a phallic clitoris.

2. Female hyenas have masculinized genitalia because high testosterone levels spur extensive growth of the genital tubercle.

3. Brown hyenas and striped hyenas do not exhibit masculinized clitorises, so this trait must have evolved after the spotted hyena lineage split from these other groups.

4. Genital masculinization may benefit females by helping to disguise their sex, as female hyenas are at higher risk for infanticide.

Short essay question 1

Briefly describe one criterion that can be used to recognize whether a biological trait is an adaptation. Using this criterion, briefly evaluate the claim that orgasm in human females is an adaptation (8 points possible):

Short essay question 2

What is the most likely reason that human infants are born so fat in comparison to other primates? (4 points possible)

197 Why is menopause in humans an evolutionary puzzle? How does the grandmother hypothesis attempt to resolve this puzzle? (6 points possible)

SLO 3. Demonstrate, for example using evolutionary trees, the relationships among primate taxa (human and non-human, extant and extinct), and list the derived anatomical, behavioral and life-history traits associated with those taxa (Broad Program Goals 3 - 4)

Assessed with a short writing assignment and 2 short essay questions Short writing assignment

How does the concept of the EEA (environment of evolutionary adaptedness) differ from that of the ARE (adaptively relevant environments)? Pick a specific trait and discuss how it might be better understood by considering the ARE rather than the EEA. (10 points possible.)

Short essay question 1

Explain the principle of allocation as it applies to life history theory. (6 points possible) Short essay question 2

What are the three fundamental life history tradeoffs presented in lecture and in the reading? Choose one of the three and explain why it is a tradeoff (i.e., the costs and benefits of each alternative). (8 points possible)

Appendix C. Assessment instrument for Anth 362

ANTH 362 GREAT APES: MIND AND BEHAVIOR. Melissa Emery Thompson

Enrollment: 51

SLO 2:

Assessed via essay questions on midterm and final exam.

MIDTERM: Using the principles of socioecology, provide an evolutionary explanation for the differences in social organization between orangutans and gorillas. MEAN SCORE: 21.3/25 (N = 50) = 85%

FINAL: Describe the major differences in the biology and social behavior of chimpanzees and bonobos. Explain the 2 evolutionary hypotheses presented in class and the readings for the divergent evolution of bonobos. Then, provide your analysis. Do you think either or both of these hypotheses have merit? Or do you think there are important flaws? Explain your response. MEAN SCORE: 18.6/25 = 74% (N = 48) FINAL: There is a long-standing debate in evolutionary anthropology as to whether large brains and long juvenile periods evolved in response to ecological challenges (e.g., learning complex foraging) or social challenges (e.g., negotiating complex groups). Evaluate BOTH arguments based on specific information you’ve learned about great apes in this class. Provide a summary analysis: which do you think had the strongest influence on the evolution of ape cognition? MEAN SCORE: 18/25 = 72% (N = 48)

198 Students were asked to fill in the hominid phylogeny on both the midterm and final exams.

A1. Great ape phylogeny (10 pts). Using the boxes provided, fill in the names of the 5 extant hominid ‘species’ according to the phylogenetic relationships depicted in the tree (for this purpose, consider all gorillas to be one species and all orangutans to be one species). Please note that the orientation of the tree may be different than what you saw in class, so pay attention to the relationships shown.

MIDTERM FINAL

MIDTERM MEAN: 6.7/10 = 67% (N = 49) FINAL MEAN: 9.0/10 = 90% (N = 48)

SLO 4:

Students completed 3 assignments involving zoo observations, use of a datasheet, graphing of data, and simple statistical analysis. Evaluated the last of the 3, which involved the most calculation. See

attachment. MEAN GRADE: 89.1/100 (N = 48)

On the final exam, students were asked to interpret graphs that they had seen previously in class: B. Short response questions – figure legends (10 pts each). Answer only FOUR of the SIX questions. Shown are figures from class or from the readings on chimpanzees and bonobos. Describe specifically what the data in the figure show, and then provide a broader interpretation of the significance of the data (i.e., do they support/refute a hypothesis, or how do they relate to concepts from the course material?). If not specified, be sure to explain which species the graph refers to and how you know that.

[Sample figure]

199 The following pages contain:

Attachment A Attachment B