TI21 Portfolio | Lin Hao

FIN 137: Financial Institutions & Markets

Course Description

FIN 137 is a course on financial institutions and markets in the US with an emphasis on the current structure of the financial service industry. The course covers central banks, interest rates, financial markets, and financial institutions. It is offered in both spring and fall semesters. Typical enrollment each semester is around 65. FIN 137 is a upper division, required course under General Finance Track for BSBA major with Finance Concentration. 

Before:

Motivation for Redesign

• Better communicate student learning outcomes with the framework of Bloom's Taxonomy.  
• Better construct module learning objectives with mapping to course learning outcomes. 
• Provide students with rubric for group project to ensure equity and success. 

After:

I rewrote the student learning outcomes to better align with the framework of Bloom's Taxonomy. I mapped the module learning objectives with course learning outcomes to provide a clear structure of the course. I developed the rubrics for group project; the transparency helps students succeed.  

 

Evidence of Student Learning

Evidence of Student Learning

Align Student Learning Outcomes with Bloom's Taxonomy	Map Module Objective with Course Learning Outcomes	Develop Rubrics for Group Project
Student Learning Outcomes	Mapping of module objectives with course learning outcomes	Student Group Project Rubrics

 

Techniques Incorporated Into Redesign

• Align Student Learning Outcomes with Bloom's Taxonomy
  • I reviewed the previous student learning outcomes under the framework of Bloom's Taxonomy and rewrote the SLOs using "measurable" verbs for each SLO.   
• Map Module Learning Objectives with Course Learning Outcomes
  • I  developed the module learning objectives for each module and align them with course learning outcomes. I wrote module learning objectives under the framework of Bloom's Taxonomy and use "measurable" verbs. 
• Develop Rubrics for Group Project
  • I developed the rubrics to clearly communicate expectations for each aspect of student group project. 

 

Assessment of Redesign Project

The assessment of the course redesign is mostly based on my observations and student feedback. I spent the first class explaining the syllabus with emphasis on the course learning outcomes and their mapping to module learning objectives. The "measurable" verbs help better communicate to students different levels of mastery of the course content. Group project rubrics was particularly useful. In the past, students typically have many questions regarding my expectations on their group project. The rubrics help students understand my expectations and makes the grading more objective and equitable.   

 

Equitable & Inclusive Outcomes for Students

As I indicated above, rubrics helps ensure a more equitable and inclusive outcome for students. I typically have a group project where students work together as a group and complete a written report. In the past, I provide a breakdown of the points that I award for their report (e.g., content worth 80% and clarity worth 20%). But I find this is not clear enough for students to fully understand the grading policy. I developed a rubrics that lists a number of criteria such as structure, thesis statement, and quality of argument, etc. For each criteria, the rubrics defines the meaning of "exceeds", "meets", "approaches", and "revisions needed". Implementing this approach helps students use the rubrics as a guide for their report writing. It provides a clearer expectation of what they need to complete to get a better grade. They can also use rubrics to improve their work before it is graded.  

 

Reflection: Challenges and Lessons Learned

Course improvement is a continuous process. Even small changes each time can help improve student learning experience. I learned to start small and gradually and continuously improve my teaching. In addition, training such as Summer Teaching Institute is especially helpful to learn new strategies, technologies, and skills. It also helps faculty share experiences and find common solutions.     

Faculty Biography

Faculty Bio

Hao Lin is Professor of  Finance at the College of Business, California State University, Sacramento. His research focuses on the optimal pricing  strategies for the market makers in financial  markets.  Hao teaches Business Finance,  Financial Institutions and Market  (undergraduate) and Asset Valuations (MBA)  at CSUS.  Hao holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation  and previously served  on the Board of Directors of  the CFA Society Sacramento.

Program Sponsors

	This work was supported by the Sacramento State and The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund