QCC COURSE ASSESSMENT
Date: September 3, 2013
Department: Foreign Languages and Literatures
Course: LS 221
Curriculum or Curricula: Liberal Arts
PART I. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
TABLE 1. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT
LS-221 is the first course of the Heritage Spanish sequence of foreign language study. This
course partially fulfills the foreign language requirements for the Associate Degree in Liberal
Arts and Sciences. It fulfills the language requirements for the Associate Degree in Visual and
Performing Arts. It may also fulfill the Liberal Arts and Science and the Humanities elective
requirements for all other degree programs
TABLE 2. CURRICULAR OBJECTIVES
Curricular objectives addressed by this course:
N/A
TABLE 3. GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES
Gen Ed
General educational objectives addressed by this course: Select from
objective’ preceding list.
(1) Write, read, listen and speak clearly and effectively
s ID
(2) Use analytical reasoning skills
number
(3) Use information management skills effectively for academic research and
from list
lifelong learning
(1-10)
(4) Integrate knowledge and skills across disciplines
(5) Differentiate and make informed decisions about issues based on cultural
and political value systems.
(6) Use personal and collaborative skills
TABLE 4: COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Course objectives
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course:
1) Students will possess the
necessary skills to read
comfortably in Spanish
either for personal,
academic or professional
reasons.
2) Students will be able to
implement the steps of the
writing process
(brainstorming, outlining,
preparing a draft, revising
and self-editing) when
writing reaction papers in
Spanish.
3) Students will be able to
apply new vocabulary to
their oral interactions and
written expression.
4) Students will use
analytical, inferential and
evaluative skills to sustain
informed oral and written
discussions on current
political, social and
cultural aspects affecting
the lives of Hispanics and
Latinos.
5) Students will have an
increased awareness of the
vast range of Spanish
varieties used throughout
the Spanish-speaking
world.
6) Students will have an
increased awareness of
formal and informal oral
and written registers.
7) Students will have
increased their confidence
in their bilingual language
strengths.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) identify the gender of words; use definite and indefinite
articles according to gender
2) identify cognates in Spanish and provide the formal
terms for them
3) identify the subject pronoun in a sentence; use formal
and informal Spanish pronouns appropriately together
with their corresponding verbal forms
4) use and upper and lower case letters in Spanish
appropriately
5) use homonyms appropriately according to context
6) use present, preterit and imperfect tenses appropriately
(regular and irregular forms)
7) read, analyze and interpret short Spanish texts dealing
with cultural, social and political aspects of the
Hispanic world
8) write two reaction papers (1-page long) related to the
class topics.
PART II. ASSIGNMENT DESIGN: ALIGNING OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
TABLE 5: OBJECTIVES ADDRESSED IN ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT
Course Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 4)
1) Students will possess the necessary skills to read comfortably in Spanish either for
personal, academic or professional reasons
2) Students will be able to implement the steps of the writing process (brainstorming,
outlining, preparing a draft, revising and self-editing) when writing reaction papers in
Spanish.
3) Students will be able to apply new vocabulary to their written expression.
4) Students will have an increased awareness of formal and informal written registers.
Curricular Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 2)
N/A
General Education Objective(s) addressed in this assessment: (select from Table 3)
1) Write, read, listen and speak clearly and effectively
TABLE 6: ASSIGNMENT, OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
The assessment tool is a comprehensive final exam that addresses the following course
objectives and skills:
1. reading comprehension of a text related to the topics discussed in class (Latinos in the
United States, language and identity, Latin American culture and society, etc.).
2. writing about one of the topics discussed in class,
3. grammar and orthography activities,
4. vocabulary activities.
(See Appendix 1 for a copy of the final exam)
Desired student learning
outcomes for the
assignment
Students will…
1) possess the necessary
skills to read comfortably
in Spanish either for
personal, academic or
professional reasons (Gen.
Ed. Obj. 1 and 2)
Briefly describe the
What assessment tools will be
range of activities
used to measure how well students
student will engage in for have met each learning outcome?
this assignment.
1) Reading
comprehension
activities
1) Students answer questions about
a biographical text provided to
them in the exam.
2) be able to implement
the steps of the writing
process (brainstorming,
outlining, preparing a
draft, revising and selfediting) when writing
reaction papers in Spanish
(Gen. Ed. 1)
2) Writing activities
2) Students write responses to
questions about one of the class
topics (see grading rubrics in
Appendix 2).
3) be able to apply new
vocabulary to their oral
interactions and written
expression (Gen. Ed. Obj.
1)
3) Vocabulary activities
3) Students explained some of the
vocabulary learned in the course in
the context of sentences extracted
from the readings.
3) have an increased
awareness of formal and
informal oral and written
registers (Gen. Ed. Obj. 1)
4) Grammar, vocabulary
and orthography activities
4) Students answer questions related
to the use of definite articles,
uppercase letters, the use of written
accents, spelling, identification of
subject pronouns, the present tense,
preterit and imperfect tenses.
Students answer vocabulary
questions.
PART III. ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
TABLE 7: ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
The assessment tool is a comprehensive final exam that addresses the following course
objectives and skills:
1. reading comprehension of a text related to the topics discussed in class (Latinos in the
United States, language and identity, Latin American culture and society, etc.).
2. writing about one of the topics discussed in class,
3. grammar and orthography activities,
4. vocabulary activities.
(See Appendix 1 for a copy of the final exam)
Desired student
Assessment measures
Standards for student performance:
learning outcomes
for each learning
from the
outcome:
assignment:
Students will…
1) possess the
necessary skills to
read comfortably in
Spanish either for
personal, academic or
professional reasons
(Gen. Ed. Obj. 1 and
2)
1) Students answer
questions about a
biographical text
provided to them in
the exam.
1) Students’ reading comprehension ability
will be determined by calculating their
accuracy rates in their answers to reading
comprehension questions. 75% of the
students are expected to meet the course
standard.
2) be able to
implement the steps
of the writing process
(brainstorming,
outlining, preparing a
draft, revising and
self-editing) when
writing reaction
papers in Spanish
(Gen. Ed. 1)
2) Students write
responses to questions
about one of the class
topics (see grading
rubrics in Appendix 2).
2) The parameters used to measure
students’ writing abilities in their essay
will be determined by a written rubric (See
Appendix 2). 75% of the students are
expected to meet the course standard.
3) be able to apply
new vocabulary to
their oral interactions
and written
expression (Gen. Ed.
Obj. 1)
2) Students answer a
series of questions
about the vocabulary
learned during the
course.
2) Students’ vocabulary knowledge will be
determined by calculating their accuracy
rates in their answers to the vocabulary
questions. 75% of the students are expected
to meet the course standard.
4) have an increased
awareness of formal
and informal oral and
written registers
(Gen. Ed. Obj. 1)
4) Students answer
questions related to the
use of definite articles,
uppercase letters, the
use of written accents,
spelling, identification
of subject pronouns, the
present tense, preterit
and imperfect tenses.
Students answer
vocabulary questions.
4) Students’ grammar and ortography
knowledge will be determined by
calculating their accuracy rates in
providing the correct forms or structures.
75% of the students are expected to meet
the course standard. Students’ vocabulary
knowledge will be determined by
calculating their accuracy rates in their
answers to the vocabulary questions. 75%
of the students are expected to meet the
course standard.
PART IV. ASSESSMENT RESULTS
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Desired student learning
outcomes:
Students will…
1) possess the necessary skills
to read comfortably in Spanish
either for personal, academic or
professional reasons (Gen. Ed.
Obj. 1)
2) be able to implement the
steps of the writing process
(brainstorming, outlining,
preparing a draft, revising and
self-editing) when writing
reaction papers in Spanish (Gen.
Ed. 1)
3) be able to apply new
vocabulary to their oral
interactions and written
expression (Gen. Ed. Obj. 1)
4) have an increased awareness
of formal and informal oral and
written registers (Gen. Ed. Obj.
1)
Student achievement:
See Table 9.
TABLE 9. EVALUATION AND RESULTING ACTION PLAN
A. Analysis and interpretation of assessment results:
1. Written Final Examination
The data below correspond to the performance of 47 students in the final exam, which
was designed and used as the main assessment tool. The assessment included three
categories: vocabulary, grammar and orthography knowledge, reading comprehension,
and writing.
The results are as follows:
Table 1
Vocabulary,
grammar and
orthography
Range
Average
Score
# of
Students
Reading
comprehension
Writing
Total
0-50
37.44
0-10
9.18
0-20
15.1
47
47
47
0-80
61.78
(77.15%)
47
The total points a student could obtain (adding all three categories) was 80.
The Assessment Committee had defined the following performance scale: 0-48 points =
student performance does not meet expectations; 49–58.5 points = student performance
almost meets expectations; 59-71.2 points = student performance meets expectations;
71.2-80 = student performance exceeds expectations.
The students’ average score in this assessment (61.78%) is within the range of 59-71.2
(“student performance meets expectations”). This average score is equivalent to 77.15%
in a scale of 100.
Table 2
Range
0f 47 Students
Percentage
Percentage of Students in Each Proficiency Level
Does not meet
Almost meets
Meets
expectations
expectations
expectations
0-48
49-58.5
59-71.2
Exceeds
expectations
71.5-80
4
11
21
11
9%
23%
45%
23%
The overall student performance shows that a total of 68% of students met or exceeded
the expectations of this assessment process.
The results by percentage of students in each category are as follows:
Table 3
Range
# 0f 47 Students
Percentage
VOCABULARY, GRAMMAR AND ORTOGRAPHY.
Student performance …
Does not meet
Almost meets Meets
Exceeds
expectations
expectations
expectations expectations
0-29.5
29.5-36.4
36.5-44.5
44.5-50
4
16
22
5
8%
34%
47%
11%
Table 4
Range
# 0f 47 Students
Percentage
READING. Student performance …
Does not meet
Almost meets Meets
expectations
expectations
expectations
0-6
6,1-7,3
7,4-8,9
Exceeds
expectations
9-10
3
4
3
37
6%
9%
6%
79%
Table 6
Range
WRITING. Student performance …
Does not meet
Almost meets Meets
expectations
expectations
expectations
0-12
12,25-14,5
14,75-17,75
Exceeds
expectations
18-20
# 0f 47 Students
Percentage
11
23%
7
15%
10
21%
19
41%
B. Evaluation of the assessment process:
The percentage of students who meet or exceed expectations in vocabulary, grammar and
orthography is 58%.
The percentage of students who meet or exceed expectations in reading is 85%.
The percentage of students who meet or exceed expectations in writing is 62%.
When looking at the assessment results in relation to the Course Objectives and the
General Education objectives, we observe the following:
Course Objective 1: Students will possess the necessary skills to read
comfortably in Spanish either for personal, academic or professional reasons
(Gen. Ed. Obj. 1).
The assessment tool measured students’ Spanish reading skills by asking literal
questions about the reading provided. 85% of students met or exceeded expectations
in this assessment area –a percentage above the 75% that the assessment committee
considered acceptable.
Course Objective 2: Students will be able to implement the steps of the writing
process (brainstorming, outlining, preparing a draft, revising and self-editing)
when writing reaction papers in Spanish (Gen. Ed. 1).
The assessment tool measured students’ Spanish writing skills by asking them
questions related to a class reading (see rubrics for evaluating this task in Appendix
2). The performance level in this area (62%) is close to the performance level in the
grammar, orthography and vocabulary tasks (58%). Both percentages are below the
expected 75%, which suggests that students did not acquire the formal aspects of
Spanish writing (grammar, spelling) nor the more conceptual ones (adequate
vocabulary and elaborate ideas) at the level expected.
Course Objectives 3 and 4: Students will be able to apply new vocabulary to
their oral interactions and written expression (Gen. Ed. Obj. 1); students will
have an increased awareness of formal and informal oral and written registers
(Gen. Ed. Obj. 1)
The assessment tool measured students’ acquisition of new vocabulary and awareness
of formal and informal oral and written registers by: a) asking grammar and spelling
questions, and b) asking vocabulary questions. At 58%, the percentage of students
who meet or exceed expectations in the vocabulary, grammar and orthography
sections of the assessment is below the expected 75% defined by the assessment
committee.
C. Resulting action plan:
An in-depth examination of the assessment tool and results suggests the following:
1. 68% of the students met or exceeded the objectives, a result close to the 75%
expected. The averages of each individual category show that all the areas
assessed need to improve except for reading.
2. Although the course syllabus lists several objectives that contain higher-level
thinking skills (analytical, inferential and evaluative), the assessment tool does not
focus on any of them. Rather, it measures reading by asking literal comprehension
questions. The department should consider whether the course is indeed
addressing higher-thinking skills. If not, the department must decide whether
those skills should continue to be part of the course objectives. If the course is
addressing those skills, then one or two of them should be incorporated into the
next assessment.
3. Although the course syllabus lists a writing objective that emphasized knowledge
of the steps of the writing process, the assessment tool does not measure this
knowledge adequately, since it only asks memory questions about one of the
course readings. As in the case of the higher thinking skills, the department
should consider whether the course is indeed teaching the steps of the writing
process. If not, the department must decide whether those skills should continue
to be part of the course objectives.
4. The instructors preparing the assessment should pay attention to, and revise if
necessary, the progressive level of difficulty in the sequence of assessment tools.
The LS 221 reading and writing parts, for instance, appear to be
disproportionately easier than the corresponding tasks in LS 222 and 223.
Incorporating higher thinking skills to the assessment of LS 221 should improve
the continuity among the three levels of heritage classes.
5. It is possible that the reading part of the LS 221 assessment was not challenging
enough, which might account for the difference in scores between this part and
the rest of the sections. The level of difficulty among the different parts within the
assessment tool should be even.
Although the assessment committee will meet in the fall of 2013 for follow-up
discussions of the assessment tool and the results, a preliminary review of the assessment
process suggests the following:
1. The assessment should be repeated after the course objectives are revised and aligned
with those of 222 and 223.
2. The assessment tool needs to be revised for a more homogeneous difficulty level
among assessment sections and among course levels.
3. Although it is possible that the use of an imperfect assessment tool has distorted the
assessment results, the assessment committee should meet with the instructors of this
course and discuss ways to improve the writing skills of Spanish heritage speakers. Some
ideas include:






provide more guided writing time and activities for heritage students,
conduct analyses of good writing samples with heritage students,
invite students to share writing pieces with their peers,
edit and publish a volume with students’ writing,
coordinate and train tutors at the Student Learning Center to help with Spanish
heritage students’ writing,
begin conversations with English composition instructors to: a) compare
assessment tools and results, and b) share pedagogical strategies to improve
students’ writing.