These examples represent a variety of assessment practices that have been developed by units or described in certified ACE course proposals. Examples include how students are asked to demonstrate their learning and how departments will use evidence of student learning in their ACE assessment processes.
All sections of English 101 require students to generate at least three (3) written arguments in appropriate forms for identifiable purposes and audiences (culminating in at least 25 pages of polished prose). In addition to critical/analytic writing, students will generate public writing in various forms as well as course-based reflective writing, incorporate research or existing knowledge: All sections of English 101 require students to conduct primary and secondary research and to practice basic research skills including synthesizing and integrating ideas of others into their own writing (through evaluation, analysis, paraphrase, and summary), and use application documentation and appropriate conventions of form and structure: All sections of English 101 require students to identify and follow relevant stylistic conventions with regard to citation and formatting. Students are guided to complete this work in supportive learning environments that feature attention to the rhetorical concepts of purpose, audience, situation, and form; respectful, serious engagement of human diversity and examination of individual and cultural assumptions, biases, and values; frequent in-class and out-of-class writing; a range of in-class activities that help students reflect on their own writing and learning; strategies for generating ideas, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading; readings, discussions, and writing assignments that support writing development; and substantive peer and teacher response to writing.
JGEN 120
Portfolio
Students will learn the requirements for good business communication by writing electronic messages, letters and memos, and researched reports. The audience for each document is assigned so students will have to consider different readers. For example, a student will practice writing professional e-mails in addressing one’s employer (or teacher), as opposed to text messaging one’s friends. Researched reports will be assigned for a range of business topics, such as the analysis of a successful business (what makes the business successful and why), or customer service in a retail environment. Using citation and documentation according to the style of the APA Publication Manual will be covered in the research assignments, giving students a base in using good academic manners, and meeting requirements of crediting other authors.
JGEN 220
Portfolio
Students write five major projects: an expanded definition, a mechanism description/patent application, an instruction manual, a recommendation report, and a research paper describing a process. In addition, they write letters, e-mails, and memorandums. Audience consideration always includes an international group of readers/listeners. Teachers will assign students to consider readers/listeners who are familiar with the topic and readers/listeners who are unfamiliar with the topic. Students incorporate knowledge they already have by choosing topics from their majors to explore for research and presentation. Students are taught to use the American Psychological Association documentation style to govern their research papers. They also learn standard letter, e-mail and memo format.
Outcome 2
Course/Unit
Example of...
Proposal Text
ENGL 101
Portfolio
All sections of English 101 require students to generate at least three (3) written arguments in appropriate forms for identifiable purposes and audiences (culminating in at least 25 pages of polished prose). In addition to critical/analytic writing, students will generate public writing in various forms as well as course-based reflective writing, incorporate research or existing knowledge: All sections of English 101 require students to conduct primary and secondary research and to practice basic research skills including synthesizing and integrating ideas of others into their own writing (through evaluation, analysis, paraphrase, and summary), and use application documentation and appropriate conventions of form and structure: All sections of English 101 require students to identify and follow relevant stylistic conventions with regard to citation and formatting. Students are guided to complete this work in supportive learning environments that feature attention to the rhetorical concepts of purpose, audience, situation, and form; respectful, serious engagement of human diversity and examination of individual and cultural assumptions, biases, and values; frequent in-class and out-of-class writing; a range of in-class activities that help students reflect on their own writing and learning; strategies for generating ideas, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading; readings, discussions, and writing assignments that support writing development; and substantive peer and teacher response to writing.
Student learning will be assessed via traditional homework and tests. There will be either two or three hourly exams (depending on instructor) and a final exam. On the final exam, students are given a data set (already collected) and a description of a scientific problem. The students must formulate appropriate hypotheses, carry out the appropriate statistical procedure and draw conclusions based on their results. Students will also participate in hands-on classroom activities. In groups, they formulate a testable hypothesis, determine how to collect data to answer that question, collect the data, test their hypotheses and draw appropriate conclusions.
Outcome 4
Course/Unit
Example of...
Proposal Text
AGRI 115
Culminating Portfolio
The “Favorite Food” final exam project is really the student’s portfolio of what they have learned in the course. These are placed on the course Blackboard site for peer and teacher evaluation and are therefore archived. This will be the focus of evaluation. Students prepare and share a presentation that tells the class how the concepts we are learning about 1) Classical processes, 2) Genetic Engineering and 3) Molecular Diagnostics) relate to their favorite food. This project is also the basis of the final exam. Student’s weave all three aspects of biotechnology into their final presentation and share with us a potential controversy the general public should understand that is known or anticipated with their project. This project provides an opportunity to show their research strategy, convince us of their resource credibility and also showcase their creative thinking abilities. The course instructors will develop a rubric to evaluate sound scientific thinking, application of this science in problem solving, research quality and their handling of potential controversy.
Performance Assessment
ASTR 103; PHYS 115, 141
Multiple Choice
A grade-distribution histogram, a blank copy of the Final Exam, a statistical synopsis of student performance and progress from the online assessment databases (e.g., EDU or Mastering Physics), and name-redacted copies of sample exams from both A- and C-level students.
ENTO 115
Performance Assessment
Student understanding and application of content knowledge is assessed through three hourly exams and a final exam. Exams consist of short essays and multiple choice questions. Graded assignments used to assess the student’s achievement of the scientific method component include scientific reports on their insect pets. The scientific reports gauge the student’s ability to develop a testable hypothesis; collect data; present (graphs and tables), assess and analyze their data sets; identify appropriate conclusions; and effectively communicate their findings. The final exam includes a question that requires students to demonstrate their understanding and application of the scientific method by designing an experiment related to insect biology. This test question provides another mechanism for assessing student achievement of this outcome.
Exams will be used to assess knowledge of all aspects of the course outcome. Quizzes will be used to assess knowledge of the primary texts that have been read. The paper(s) will be used to assess knowledge of particular texts and the use of methods proper to the humanities. Oral reports will be used to assess knowledge of related sources or issues outside of those covered in the course as well as the use of methods proper to the humanities.
Outcome 6
Course/Unit
Example of...
Proposal Text
PSYC 181
Multiple Choice
There are four unit exams of 75 questions each and a cumulative final exam of about 100 questions. All the questions are multiple choice. The majority of the questions are designed to measure students’ comprehension of the knowledge, methods, and history of psychology at high cognitive levels. That is, these questions require the student to use information to reach a conclusion about the phenomenon or to evaluate the reasonableness of a claim. Relatively few questions are concerned with vocabulary or basic information alone.
Outcome 7
Course/Unit
Example of...
Proposal Text
COMM 205
Student Reflection
Students are assessed through the use of exams, performances, and reflection papers. Exams: Each student takes two exams during the course of the semester that are designed to test their knowledge of the readings, lecture materials, and class discussions. The exams test students’ abilities to examine literature, identify literary techniques, and understand various methods of literary analysis. Performances: Each student will gives three performances throughout the semester. Each performance is covers a different type of literature (prose, drama, and poetry). A rubric grading system is be used to access the students performance in three areas 1) Understanding of literature 2) Control and expression of emotions 3) Use of proper technique. Performance is seen as a means to create an aesthetic experience for the audience member, and the majority of students’ grades are based on the aesthetic grounds of their performances. Peer-Critiques: For each performance students will write a criticism of a fellow classmate’s performance. These papers are evaluated on students’ ability to integrate class materials and constructively critique a peer’s performance. Self-Criticisms: After each performance students are asked to write their own exit-interview about the performances’ strengths and weaknesses. These papers are graded based on students’ ability to meaningfully reflect on their performance through the use theories and other materials learned in class.
This course is taught in multiple sections with different class sizes (day and evening classes) by a combination of faculty, adjunct faculty, and graduate teaching assistants. There are 14 or 15 sections of Comm. 109 taught each semester and several sections during the summer sessions with approximately 1200 students enrolled annually. The department would randomly select a representative sample (minimum of two per section) of evaluations as well as student speech outlines to be used to assess the learning outcomes. Those selected would be verified for evaluation accuracy and procedure to ensure that those evaluating were making valid and reliable evaluations using the competency based form. This would indicate that students were meeting an acceptable level of public speaking competency and meeting ACE requirement #2a.
Reassessment work by department faculty
Outcome 3
Course/Unit
Example Type
Example of...
Proposal Text
MATH 104, 106
Process
Sampling based on performance levels
The convener of the course will collect a random sample of 2 final exams from the final exam A grade range, 2 from the B grade range, 2 from the C range, 2 from the D range and 2 from the F range, along with the percent of students in each of these grade ranges. This information will be given to the Department Undergraduate Advisory Committee. That committee will provide reflections on student achievement, archive the sample finals and these reflections, and share this information with the Department.
MATH 221
Process
Sampling based on performance levels
The convener of the course will collect a random sample of 2 final exams from each of the following categories: good (B+ to A+), acceptable (C to B), and not acceptable (C- and lower). In addition, the convener will provide the percent of students in each of these grade ranges. This information will be given to the Department Undergraduate Advisory Committee. That committee will provide reflections on student achievement, archive the sample finals and these reflections, and share this information with the Department.
STAT 218
Process
Random sampling
Every semester, there are about 15 sections of STAT 218. We will collect a random sample of at least three final exams from each section, and the Statistics Curriculum Committee will provide reflections on student achievement. We will archive a representative sample of final exams from this collection, as well as the curriculum committee’s reflections. A library of hands-on activities used in the classroom will be maintained for instructor use and assessment.
Instructors will select a pool of student final project presentations and three faculty will provide an evaluation of these projects using the rubric develop by instructors that evaluate evaluate sound scientific thinking, application of this science in problem solving, research quality and their handling of potential controversy.
ASTR 103; PHYS 115, 141
Kinds of data collected
Who will be involved
The department Academic Planning Committee will maintain an assessment file for the course, updated annually, consisting of a syllabus, a grade-distribution histogram, a blank copy of the Final Exam, a statistical synopsis of student performance and progress from the online assessment databases (e.g., EDU or Mastering Physics), and name-redacted copies of sample exams from both A- and C-level students. The Committee will review these documents annually and prepare an report for the department faculty.
Course artifacts considered
BIOS 101
Kinds of data collected
Multiple choice item analysis
Multiple choice questions are graded electronically using a Scantron. The reports generated by the Scantron analysis include a breakdown of the class for each question. The report has the percent of correct responses for the entire class. The analysis of each question also breaks the responses into quartiles so it is possible to see how the top quartile of students answered the question versus the middle two quartiles and the bottom quartile. We propose to collect copies of this report for each exam. The instructor will provide a copy of the exam that is annotated for questions addressing content and questions that address interpretation. If the instructor uses another assessment tool we would ask for samples of A and C work to be included in the information packet for that lecture section. For the lab, examples of reports for A students and C students will be collected.
This course is taught in multiple sections by a combination of faculty, adjunct instructors, and doctoral students, using varied formats (on campus, distance education). For purposes of assessment, the school commits to collecting and analyzing a reasonable sample of student work each semester. An Assessment Committee will review the student work projects and provide reflections on the achievement of the student learning outcome to 101 instructors and the School Director. The committee will focus specifically on the extent to which student work products indicate an understanding of, or knowledge about, criminal justice and the law and also about human behavior as it is manifested or unfolds within the realm of the criminal justice system in the United States. A library of ideas for assessing student achievement and getting students more involved in activities related to achieving the outcome (e.g., group projects, in class discussion, written assignments) will be compiled and available to all CRIM101 instructors.
Collective department discussions
PSYC 181
Kind of data collected
Item statistics
Descriptive statistics will be kept on each of the examination questions that pertain to the knowledge, methods and history of psychology. Please note that since exams are multiple-choice, this mode of summarizing the data constitute a 100% sample of all student work.
Process
Multiple choice item analysis
These statistics will be provided to the Psychology Department’s Undergraduate Issues Committee (UIC), which will analyze and archive them so that changes in students’ achievement of the SLO 6 elements can be evaluated over time. The methods to be used by the UIC have not been worked out as yet; however, their findings will be reported to instructors so that they can revise their teaching methods to improve student performance.
Feedback to instructors
POLS 100, 160
Process
Assessment of course assignments
The department commits to examining the assessment instruments and a randomly drawn sample of reasonable size (N=10) of students work from a large section of POLS 100 offered in the fall of each year. It shall be the responsibility of the faculty member teaching these courses to provide the specific instruments used to assess student performance along with a sample of student work drawn at random from the universe to student work for the semester. Both will be delivered to the Department’s Undergraduate Committee who will have responsibility for evaluating the assessment instruments used in each section to determine if they provide a valid measure for assessment purposes of the basic knowledge of American government, including theories of political behavior and historical explanations and student work. The Committee shall provide the Department a brief written report.
Students’ performances from the class will be videotaped throughout the semester. At the end of two year period (the course if offered only once a year) a group of performances will be randomly selected and reviewed by faculty members in the communication studies department to determine students’ success for this ACE outcome. The instructor will also save copies of his/her written evaluations of students’ performances so that their evaluations can be compared to those made by other faculty members. Peer critiques and self-critiques will also be saved for this purpose.
Outcome 8
Outcome 9
Course/Unit
Example Type
Example of...
Proposal Text
TEAC 330
Process
Sampling from sections (random & representative)
Every semester there are an average of seven sections of Teac 330.The Coordinator of Multicultural Education will collect a random sample of traditional exams from each section. Also collected will be representative examples of reaction papers, video-taped classroom presentations (with permission from the students), and research projects. Position papers and reflective essays will be collected from a distribution of learners (high, mid-, and low-achievers) from all sections of Teac 330 to review the quality of writing and content of student work and to make adjustments to teaching/instruction as indicated by the results from this review. The Coordinator will meet at the end of each semester with the Multicultural Education faculty to assess the collected materials and make instructional decisions. Also, an archive of hands-on simulations or classroom activities will be kept for instructor's use.
Criteria
Feedback to instructors
Outcome 10
Course/Unit
Example Type
Example of...
Proposal Text
ARCH 310
Process
Collective departmental discussions
Each faculty member, at the end of each semester, is required to present one example of each project assigned in their studio to the entire assembled faculty. This meeting is designed not to evaluate the particular solution, but rather to ensure the achievement of content goals, measure consistency between sections, share pedagogical strategies, and assess adjustments in the subsequent studios to ensure understanding by the students of the educational goals and objectives embedded in the curriculum. (ARCH 310).
