Prepared by Professor Regina A. Rochford
Date: April 3, 2012
Department: Basic Educational Skills
Course: BE-121 Development of Reading Skills
Curriculum or Curricula:
PART I. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
For Part I, attach the summary report (Tables 1-4) from the QCC Course Objectives Form.
TABLE 1. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT
Often, students entering college need to complete college preparatory work prior to registering
for credit-bearing courses. The course being assessed is BE121, and it is the lowest level
reading course for Native Speakers of English, who have failed the ACT Compass Reading test
with a score below 57. This course is intended to develop proficiency in reading for and is
taken in a sequence of BE121 and BE122.
TABLE 3. GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES
Gen Ed
objective’s ID
number from
list (1-10)
General educational objectives addressed by this course: Select from preceding list.
(1.)
Write, read, listen and speak clearly and effectively. In this course, students
practice all four language skills by reading, writing and talking about current
issues. They discuss the issues, read about topics in newspaper and magazine
articles, essays, stories or on the internet, listen to various viewpoints and write
responses which clearly state their own point of view.
(2.)
Use personal and collaborative skills for personal growth and to establish
constructive relationships in a diverse society. In this course, students from a
wide range of cultural backgrounds read about diverse customs and cultures.
They collaborate in groups to share knowledge, learn the traditions of different
peoples, and develop academic and personal relationships.
1(27)
TABLE 5: COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Course Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Reading Comprehension:
1) Students will understand general versus
specific information in a passage.
a) Students will identify topics, main ideas
and supporting details.
b) Students will understand literal and
general meanings.
2) Students will understand the
organization of different types of
reading passages.
c) Students will identify simple patterns of
thought such as chronological order,
comparison contrast, and cause effect.
3.) Students will be able to make
generalizations from a passage.
d) Students will be able to view the
passage as a whole in order to draw
conclusions.
4.) Students will understand the implied
meaning in a passage.
e) Students will be able to make
inferences.
5.) Students will be able to summarize a
text.
f) Students will be able to identify the
main idea and major details.
g) Students will be able to use the main
idea and major details to create a
paraphrased summary.
Critical Thinking
1.) Students will extrapolate an author’s
ideas and apply them to new texts and
situations.
a) Students will critically analyze a text’s
main idea and supporting details in class
discussions, oral presentations, and
debates.
b) Students will question an author’s ideas
in group activities such as discussions,
presentations and debates to judge their
validity with the experiences of other
belief and value systems.
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Vocabulary:
1) Students will recognize and
comprehend known vocabulary and
idiomatic expressions in a variety of
texts.
a) Students will identify known
vocabulary in a variety of passages
examined in class as well as beyond
the classroom.
2.) Students will use several strategies to
determine the meaning of new words.
b) Students will refer to dictionaries and
thesauruses for definitions of unknown
vocabulary and idioms when preparing
academic assignments.
c) Students will analyze prefixes, roots
and suffixes or infer them from
contextual clues to determine the
meaning of unknown words in texts
within and beyond the classroom.
d.) Students will learn to use context clues
such as synonyms, antonyms,
examples, definitions and the general
sense to determine the meaning of new
words in a text.
e.) Students will be able to produce
synonyms to explain the meaning of
new words.
College Study Skills
1) Students will develop basic college
study skills.
2) Students will develop knowledge of
effective study and learning strategies.
a) Students will learn to plan a homework
and study schedule
b) Students will learn to manage their time
effectively.
c.) Students will learn to seek Academic
Advisement and Counseling Services
when needed.
a) Students will learn to follow spoken
and written directions
b) Students will learn to identify
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important ideas that they must study.
c) Students will learn to employ basic
test-taking strategies.
d) Students will understand and record
a classroom lecture.
e) Students will acquire an overview of
a book’s contents.
Writing:
1) Students will summarize, paraphrase,
quote and outline the main ideas and
supporting information of various texts.
a) Students will write summaries that
paraphrase and/or quote the main ideas
and supporting information of a
text for homework assignments, oral
presentations and debates.
b) Students will write outlines of a text as
study guides for tests.
2) Students will explain and respond to
an author’s ideas and information in
a variety of writing projects.
c) Students will write in paragraphs,
compositions, journals, book reports
which critically evaluate the author’s
ideas in order to explain an author’s
ideas.
b) Students will incorporate their written
responses to various texts into oral
presentations and debates.
Listening and Speaking
1) Students will listen to lectures in class
and take accurate class notes.
a) Students will listen to class lectures to
determine the major ideas and
supporting information being
communicated.
b) Students will take accurate notes that
distinguish between the major ideas
and supporting information of a
lecture.
2) Students will communicate orally with
the instructor and other students during
in various class activities.
a) Students will use listening and
speaking skills to respond to an
instructor’s queries and pose questions
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of their own.
b) Students will use listening and
speaking skills to communicate with
other students in class discussions,
group work and debates.
PART II. ASSIGNMENT DESIGN: ALIGNING OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
For the assessment project, you will be designing one course assignment, which will address at least one general
educational objective, one curricular objective (if applicable), and one or more of the course objectives. Please
identify these in the following table:
TABLE 5: OBJECTIVES ADDRESSED IN ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT
Course Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 4)
In this BE121 lesson, the students will learn to comprehend the organization of different types
of reading passages by utilizing transitional devices that identify relationships and patterns of
organization within reading elements.
Curricular Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 2)
Transitional devices will be examined in detail to help students understand and identify
relationships and patterns of organization within a reading passage. Specifically, this lesson
will introduce transitional phrases which indicate: addition, time order, definition, example,
comparison, contrast, and cause and effect.
General Education Objective(s) addressed in this assessment: (select from Table 3)
(3.)
(4.)
Write, read, listen and speak clearly and effectively. In this course, students practice all
four language skills by reading, writing and talking about current issues. They discuss
the issues, read about topics in newspaper and magazine articles, essays, stories or on
the internet, listen to various viewpoints and write responses which clearly state their
own point of view.
Use personal and collaborative skills for personal growth and to establish constructive
relationships in a diverse society. In this course, students from a wide range of cultural
backgrounds read about diverse customs and cultures. They collaborate in groups to
share knowledge, learn the traditions of different peoples, and develop academic and
personal relationships.
5(27)
In the first row of Table 6 that follows, describe the assignment that has been selected/designed for this project.
In writing the description, keep in mind the course objective(s), curricular objective(s) and the general education
objective(s) identified above,
The assignment should be conceived as an instructional unit to be completed in one class session (such as a lab) or
over several class sessions. Since any one assignment is actually a complex activity, it is likely to require that
students demonstrate several types of knowledge and/or thinking processes.
Also in Table 6, please
a) identify the three to four most important student learning outcomes (1-4) you expect from this assignment
b) describe the types of activities (a – d) students will be involved with for the assignment, and
c) list the type(s) of assessment tool(s) (A-D) you plan to use to evaluate each of the student outcomes.
(Classroom assessment tools may include paper and pencil tests, performance assessments, oral questions,
portfolios, and other options.)
Note: Copies of the actual assignments (written as they will be presented to the students) should be gathered
in an Assessment Portfolio for this course.
TABLE 6: ASSIGNMENT, OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Briefly describe the assignment that will be assessed: For this assessment, the students will be taught how to
determine the meaning of a word by examining context clues so that they understand it is not necessary to
look up every word they don’t know in the dictionary.
Desired student learning outcomes
for the assignment
(Students will…)
List in parentheses the Curricular
Objective(s) and/or General
Education Objective(s) (1-10)
associated with these desired learning
outcomes for the assignment.
Briefly describe the range of
activities student will engage in for
this assignment.
What assessment tools will be
used to measure how well
students have met each learning
outcome? (Note: a single
assessment tool may be used to
measure multiple learning
outcomes; some learning
outcomes may be measured using
multiple assessment tools.)
1. The class will begin with a
group discussion about
transitions.
1. The teacher will query
students about: a) the
meaning of the word
transition; b) what
transitional phrases are, and
c) examples of transitions,
both in life and as
writing/reading tools.
1. While explaining
transitions, the instructor
will call on students in
the class to discuss this
concept, and will explain
why answers are correct
or incorrect. The teacher
will also jot down each
sentence on the black
board as the students
each take a turn.
Students will be asked to
provide transitional words
they already know for the
transition word categories of
addition, comparison,
exception/contrast, time,
cause and effect, sequence,
emphasis, example,
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summary/conclusion.
2. Supplement and complete
the list of transition words
using a handout to support
the meaning of various
transition words.
2. The students’ list will be
supplemented with the
Purdue University’s Online
Writing Lab’s handout on
transitional devices (or
hyperlink if done in an eclassroom environment).
(Attachment One).
2. The students will receive
hard copies of
transitional devices and
access to websites that
contain this information.
3. Practice new skill
cooperatively by playing the
children’s game “telephone”.
3. The class will tell a story
3. The effectiveness of the
where one student
initial discussion will be
introduces it with a topic
assessed as the students
sentence. Each successive
strive to use transitions
student will carry forward
correctly during this
the general narrative of that
activity. When
inaccurate transitions are
story, but must begin each
sentence with an appropriate
used, the teacher will call
transition word. The final
on his/her students to
explain the problem and
student to speak must use a
correct it.
transition word which
indicates conclusion. The
instructor will record the
narrative on the board. (See
Attachment Two.)
4. The students will complete
an in-class reinforcement
activity creating a journal entry:
(See Attachment Three.) For
this task, students will be placed
in pairs. Each group will write
one large paragraph in their
journals based on the several
topics:
4. The instructor will
4. Like the verbal class
circulate to determine if
exercise in step 4, the first
the student pairs are able
sentence of the journal entry
to use transitions
should be a stated main idea
accurately.
(topic sentence). Each
sentence afterwards must
begin with a transition
word(s), which
communicates a
combination of several of
the following relationships:
addition, time, comparison,
contrast, examples or cause
and effect. Students should
underline each transition
word used. The subsequent
sentences, which will begin
•
•
•
•
•
QCC Commuting Issues
QCC Cafeteria
Mixing School and
Work
Dating/Socializing at
QCC
Bookstore at QCC
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•
•
•
•
Technology and
Computing at QCC
Tuition Costs at
CUNY/QCC
QCC Campus
(buildings, grounds,
facilities)
Professors at QCC
5. Reinforcement homework:
6. Final Assessment: students
will have a two-part task
assessing their ability to use
transitional devices in the
form of exercise. The first
part of the assessment will
be a multiple choice test in
which the students must
select the correct transition
word according to the
context. The second part of
this assessment will require
students to write a
paragraph using transitional
devices. (See Attachment
Five.)
with a transition word,
should help prove their
stated main idea. Students
may use the handout on
transition words as often as
needed. They may also
consult the textbook or their
dictionaries. A scoring
rubric is attached to this end
of this packet. (See
Attachment Six.) Each
group will read their
completed paragraph aloud
to the class after the task is
complete.
5. Students will complete 55
5. The teacher will review
this activity with the
fill in the blank questions to
class to rectify any
practice using all of
categories of transitional
misunderstandings or to
clarify difficulty points.
phrases. Students may use
their handout listing the
examples of transitional
devises as a reference. (See
Attachment Four).
6. The multiple choice test
6. For the first part of the
will be placed on a
assessment students will
scantron for ease of
complete a 20 question
grading. The paragraph
multiple choice test on
will be scored according
transition words. For the
to the rubric, which has
second part, students will
been included as an
write a brief essay (about 1
attachment at the end of
page) arguing why food
this report. Each
prices should be reduced at
summary score will be
vending machines at QCC.
multiplied by 20 so that
The first sentence should
the scores from the
state the main point, which
multiple choice test can
is their topic sentence. Each
be readily analyzed and
subsequent sentence should
compared to the scores
begin with a transitional
from the summary
phrase as well as support for
writing task.
the main idea. Students
must use transitional
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phrases from at least three
(3) of the transitional phrase
categories of: addition,
comparison, proof,
exception, time order,
repetition, emphasis,
sequence, summary and
conclusion. They will also
underline each
transition.(See Attachment
Five.)
PART III. ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Before the assignment is given, prepare a description of the standards by which students’ performance will be
measured. This could be a checklist, a descriptive holistic scale, or another form. The rubric (or a version of it) may
be given to the students with the assignment so they will know what the instructor’s expectations are for this
assignment.
Please note that while individual student performance is being measured, the assessment project is collecting
performance data ONLY for the student groups as a whole.
TABLE 7: ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Brief description of assignment: For this assessment, the students will learn to comprehend the meaning of
different kinds of transition words by listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Desired student learning
outcomes from the
assignment: (Copy from
Column 1, Table 6 above;
include Curricular and /or
General Education Objectives
addressed)
Assessment measures for each
learning outcome:
(Copy from Column 3,Table 6
above)
Standards for student performance:
 Describe the standards or rubrics for
measuring student achievement of each
outcome in the assignment.
 Give the percentage of the class that is
expected to meet these outcomes
 If needed, attach copy(s) of rubrics.
1. Practice new skill
cooperatively by playing
the children’s game
“telephone”.
1. The class will tell a story
where one student introduces
a story with a topic sentence.
Each successive student will
carry forward the general
narrative of that story, but
must begin each sentence
with a transition word. The
final student to speak must
use a transition word which
indicates conclusion. The
instructor will record the
narrative on the board. (See
Attachment Two.)
1. Since this is a practice teaching
activity, no “official” assessment “ will be
conducted so that students can openly
discuss which words are correct or
incorrect to use. However, if a student
uses an incorrect transition word, this
error will be discussed so that students
can learn through trial and error.
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2. The students will
complete an in-Class
Reinforcement creating a
journal entry: “Using
Transitions to help
understand relationships”.
(See Attachment Three.)
Students will be placed in
pairs. Each group will
write one large paragraph
in their journals based on
the several topics:
3. Reinforcement
homework:
4. Final Assessment:
students will have a twopart task assessing their
2. Like the verbal class
exercise in step 4, the first
sentence of the journal entry
should be a stated main idea
(topic sentence). Each
sentence afterwards must
begin with a transition word,
which communicates a
combination of several of the
following relationships:
addition, time, comparison,
contrast, examples or cause
and effect. Students should
underline each transition
word used. The subsequent
sentences (again, beginning
with a transition word) should
help prove their stated main
idea. Students may use the
handout on transition words
as often as needed. They may
also consult the textbook or
their dictionaries. A scoring
rubric is attached to this
packet. Each group will read
their completed paragraph
aloud to the class after the
task is complete. (See
Attachment Three.)
3. For homework, the
students will complete 55 fill
in the blank questions to
practice the use of all
categories of transitional
phrases. (See Attachment
Four) Students may use their
handout listing the examples
of transitional devises as a
reference (See Attachment
One.)
4. For the first part of the
assessment students will
complete a multiple choice
test on transition words. For
10(27)
2. The teacher will explain and use the
scoring rubric to help students
understand what this practice activity
requires them to know and to do. (see
rubric)
Scoring Rubric for In-class reinforcement
task and for final assessment Part II:
Score of 5: Excellent essay.
Essay fulfills assignment’s task with complete
understanding of transitions and their
contextual use. Uses multiple transitions
which accurately reflects intended
relationship.
Score of 4: Good essay.
Essay exhibits most characteristics of an
excellent essay, but has a few contextual and
content errors.
Score of 3: Adequate essay.
Shows adequate understanding of transitional
devices, but has several errors of contextual,
content, and relationship accuracy. An
adequate essay may also have several
grammar and usage errors.
Score of 2: Poor essay.
Shows little or no understanding of effective
use of transitional phrases or the assignment’s
task.
Score of 1. Non-existent or completely
inadequate essay.
3.
The students will review their
answers in class and be told that
each correct response receives
1.818 points and that the highest
possible score will be 100. The
teacher will also emphasize that
there will be an exam that will be
scored the same way as this
homework assignment.
4. For the first part of the assessment,
the students will receive 4.75 points
for each correct answer.
For the paragraph assessment the
ability to use transitional
devices in the form of
exercise questions and in a
student-written essay.(See
Attachment Five) A
scoring rubric is attached
to this packet .(See
Attachment Six.)
the second part, students will
write a brief essay (about 1
page) arguing why food
prices should be reduced at
vending machines at QCC.
The first sentence should state
the main point (this is your
topic sentence). Each
subsequent sentence should
begin with a transitional
phrase as well as support for
the main idea. Students must
use transitional phrases from
at least three (3) of the
transitional phrase categories:
addition, comparison, proof,
exception, time order,
repetition, emphasis,
sequence, summary and
conclusion. They will also
underline each transition
following rubric will be used:
Score of 5: Excellent essay.
Essay fulfills assignment’s task with complete
understanding of transitions and their contextual
use. Uses multiple transitions which accurately
reflects intended relationship.
Score of 4: Good essay.
Essay exhibits most characteristics of an excellent
essay, but has a few contextual and content errors.
Score of 3: Adequate essay.
Shows adequate understanding of transitional
devices, but has several errors of contextual,
content, and relationship accuracy. An adequate
essay may also have several grammar and usage
errors.
Score of 2: Poor essay.
Shows little or no understanding of effective use of
transitional phrases or the assignment’s task.
Score of 1. Non-existent or completely inadequate
essay.
The scores from the summary will be
multiplied by 20 so that they can be
easily analyzed and compared to the
scores from the multiple choice exam.
The final grade will be a
combination of the Multiple Choice
Test score and the Essay Score.
1. Rubric for Test
a)
A grade between 95 and 100
indicates that the student showed a
complete mastery of transition.
b) A grade between 94- 90 indicates
that the student demonstrated a good
mastery of transitions.
c)
A grade of 89 - 80 indicates that the
students displayed an adequate
mastery of transitions.
d) A grade of 79- 70 indicates that the
student showed a basic knowledge of
transitions.
e)
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A grade of 69-60 indicates that the
student displayed an elementary
knowledge transitions.
f)
A grade of 59-50 or below indicates
that the student demonstrated an
insufficient knowledge of transitions
g) A grade between 49-40 indicates that
the student demonstrated a poor
knowledge of transitions.
h) A grade below 39 indicates that the
student demonstrated little to no
knowledge of transitions.
PART IV. ASSESSMENT RESULTS
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Use the following table to report the student results on the assessment. If you prefer, you may report outcomes
using the rubric(s), or other graphical representation. Include a comparison of the outcomes you expected (from
Table 7, Column 3) with the actual results. NOTE: A number of the pilot assessments did not include expected
success rates so there is no comparison of expected and actual outcomes in some of the examples below. However,
projecting outcomes is an important part of the assessment process; comparison between expected and actual
outcomes helps set benchmarks for student performance.
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
All six sections of BE121 participated in the assessment process. Thus the sample size included
131 subjects. The following mean statistics table provides the mean scores for both the summary
and multiple choice tests. In order to analyze and compare the two testing instruments, each
summary score was multiplied by twenty because the summary test was scored on a scale of one
to five whereas the multiple choice test was scored on a scale of one to one hundred. Thus, the
mean summary score was 62.27, whereas the multiple choice mean test score was 66.34.
Mean Statistics Table
Summary
N
mean
131
62.27
Multiple
Choice Test
131
66.34
In order to determine the number and percent of students who obtained each score, a frequency
distribution was performed. (See Summary Writing Test Table.) The mode or most common
score was a 60 and it was earned by 29 students; 26 obtained an 80; 23 received a 40; and, 17
scored a 90.
Summary Writing Test Table
Score
Number of
Students
with Score
Percent of
Students with
Score
12(27)
20
26
40
44
50
56
58
60
70
76
80
90
Total
6
1
23
1
11
3
1
29
11
2
26
17
131
4.6
.8
17.6
.8
8.4
2.3
.8
22.1
8.4
1.5
19.8
13.0
100.0
The mode or most common score for multiple choice exam was a 70 with 21 students receiving
it, whereas 20 students also earned scores of 65 and 75, and 19 obtained scores of 80. (See
Multiple Choice Exam Table.) Please note that this table also includes the rubric for the multiple
choice exam.
Multiple Choice Exam
Score
15
25
30
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
Number of
Percent of
Students with Students with
Score
Score
1
1
2
5
2
6
12
14
20
21
20
19
4
2
2
.8
.8
1.5
3.8
1.5
4.6
9.2
10.7
15.3
16.0
15.3
14.5
3.1
1.5
1.5
Rubric for Multiple
Choice Test
No knowledge
No knowledge
No knowledge
Poor knowledge
Poor knowledge
Insufficient knowledge
Insufficient knowledge
Elementary knowledge
Elementary knowledge
Basic knowledge
Basic knowledge
Adequate mastery
Adequate mastery
Good mastery
Complete mastery
13(27)
Multiple Choice Exam
Score
Number of
Percent of
Students with Students with
Score
Score
15
25
30
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
Total
1
1
2
5
2
6
12
14
20
21
20
19
4
2
2
131
.8
.8
1.5
3.8
1.5
4.6
9.2
10.7
15.3
16.0
15.3
14.5
3.1
1.5
1.5
100.0
Rubric for Multiple
Choice Test
No knowledge
No knowledge
No knowledge
Poor knowledge
Poor knowledge
Insufficient knowledge
Insufficient knowledge
Elementary knowledge
Elementary knowledge
Basic knowledge
Basic knowledge
Adequate mastery
Adequate mastery
Good mastery
Complete mastery
A correlation analysis revealed a .94 correlation between the summary and multiple choice tests and
it was statistically significant (p =.000). (See the Correlation between Summary Writing and
Multiple Choice Test Table and the Correlation Graph below.) This strong correlation suggests that
both assessment instruments were consistent and yielded comparable results. However, it should be
noted that since the mean for the summary writing was lower at 62.27. This suggests that the
students evidenced more difficulty when they demonstrated their knowledge in writing. Thus, it
could be concluded that these students require more preparation on formative assessments. A graph
that depicts the correlation between the two scores is also provided below.
Correlation between Summary Writing and
Multiple Choice Tests Table
Summary
Writing
Pearson
Correlation
Significance (2tailed)
n
1
Multiple
Choice
.947**
.000
131
131
14(27)
Pearson
.947**
Correlation
Significance (2.000
tailed)
n
131
** significant at the p < .000.
1
131
TABLE 9. EVALUATION AND RESULTING ACTION PLAN
In the table below, or in a separate attachment, interpret and evaluate the assessment results,
and describe the actions to be taken as a result of the assessment. In the evaluation of
achievement, take into account student success in demonstrating the types of knowledge and
the cognitive processes identified in the Course Objectives.
A. Analysis and interpretation of assessment results:
Interpretation of Data and Recommendations:
•
Overall, this assessment indicates that in the summary writing and multiple choice tests,
42.7% and 48.9% of the students, respectively, were able to demonstrate a basic
knowledge of transitions after participating in these lessons. This data suggests that less
than half of the BE121 students acquired the basic knowledge required to comprehend
transitions effectively. Since comprehending and using transitions is a rather basic
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•
•
concept, this data implies that almost half of the BE121 students will not be able to
master many of the other more complex concepts required to enter BE122. Consequently,
they may encounter difficulty passing the ACT Reading Compass exam.
In addition, 22.1 % and 26 % of the students were slightly below the threshold of passing
and received scores in the 60s. It is recommended that these students be encouraged to
seek tutoring in the Basic Skills Learning Center (BSLC) and to visit their instructors
during office hours when learning new reading skills, inasmuch as this individualized,
additional support may assist these students in acquiring new reading skills more
thoroughly.
Next, 11.5 % and 13.8 % of the students scored in the range of the 50. These learners
might also benefit from individualized attention at the BSLC and from their instructors,
although this level of performance suggests that they may not be prepared to enter
BE122. So, it is recommended that their instructors carefully evaluate their performance
before they advance them to the next level of reading because they may not be ready for
the challenges of an advanced reading course and the ACT Reading Compass exam.
B. Evaluation of the assessment process:
•
The correlation analysis demonstrated a very strong relationship (.947) between the two
tests, and it was statistically significant (p=.000). This strong relationship implies that
both of the instruments utilized to assess the students’ learning generated similar results,
although students did outperform on the summative task as opposed to the formative
instrument. This is particularly important because most current reading assessment
instruments include multiple choice questions and/or summaries. Thus, these results
suggest that the Department of Basic Skills is bridging the gap between preparing
students for standardized assessments and college reading and study skills.
•
It should also be noted that on the formative task of summary writing, a larger percentage
of the students (32.2 %) earned scores below 50%. However, only 8.4 % of the students
scored in the same range on the multiple choice test. These findings indicate that a larger
number of the students experienced greater difficulty on the summary writing test as
opposed to the multiple choice exam. Thus, it appears that the weaker students have less
difficulty on multiple choice tests because a greater chance of selecting the correct
answer occurs when several choices are provided. In contrast, on the summary writing
test, the students are forced to demonstrate their knowledge by writing a paragraph, and
although they could refer to a chart to determine which transition word to use, this
summary writing was a more challenging task. This data implies that the weakest
students performed better on the multiple choice test because a certain amount of luck
assisted them in choosing the correct answer. Therefore, it is recommended that BE121
instructors test their students by using both multiple choice and written exams to
determine if their students truly understand the reading skills being taught.
C. Resulting action plan:
•
Even though the ACT Reading Compass exam is a multiple choice test, it is
recommended that teachers in BE121 use both multiple choice and written exams to
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•
•
evaluate student learning inasmuch as what a student writes in response to a reading test
can provide a clearer indication of what they are thinking and understanding when they
are reading a text. Therefore, BE121 teachers should require their students to engage in
more writing activities to demonstrate their reading comprehension because to reduce the
chances of answering the questions correctly because of luck.
Next, BE121 instructors should carefully determine which students will pass each
semester since the average scores on both the multiple choice and summary writing tests
were only 66.34 and 62.27 respectively, which are not passing grades. This is important
because if unprepared students are advanced to BE122, it is unlikely they will be ready
for the demands of the ACT Reading Compass exam at the end of BE122. Teachers can
make this decision more carefully by examining all of the students’ grades during the
semester in conjunction with the midterm and final summaries and the standardized
TerraNova and TABE tests, which are used as departmental midterms and finals.
In addition, anecdotally instructors frequently indicate that certain students have
performed well on all the teacher-made tests, but they fail the standardized exams. These
contrasting results sometimes signal that the instructors’ tests are not evaluating the
students’ knowledge adequately. Therefore, such divergent outcomes can serve as a
warning sign to teachers so that they realize it is necessary to adjust or modify some of
their tests since their exams are not adequately measuring students’ performance.
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Attachment One
Reference Handout: Examples of Transitional Devices
Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues that help the reader to interpret ideas a paper develops.
Transitional devices are words or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph
to another. And finally, transitional devices link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between
ideas.
There are several types of transitional devices, and each category leads readers to make certain connections or assumptions. Some lead readers
forward and imply the building of an idea or thought, while others make readers compare ideas or draw conclusions from the preceding thoughts.
Here is a list of some common transitional devices that can be used to cue readers in a given way:
To Add:
and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first
(second, etc.)
To Compare:
whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis
a vis, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true
To Prove:
because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is
To Show Exception:
yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes
To Show Time:
immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then
To Repeat:
in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted
To Emphasize:
definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally,
never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation
To Show Sequence:
first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently,
finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon
To Give an Example:
for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an
illustration, to illustrate
To Summarize or Conclude or Show Reults:
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in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result,
consequently
from Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/02/
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Attachment Two
In-Class Reinforcement Task:
Practice new skill cooperatively:
This task is similar to the children’s game “telephone”. The class will tell a story where one
student introduces a story with a topic sentence. Each successive student will carry forward the
general narrative of that story, but must begin each sentence with a transition word. The final
student to speak must use a transition word which indicates conclusion. The instructor will
record the narrative on the board.
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Attachment Three
In-Class Reinforcement
Journal Entry: “Using Transitions to help understand relationships”.
Task: group students in pairs. Each group will write one large paragraph in their journals based
on the following topics:
• QCC Commuting Issues
• QCC Cafeteria
• Mixing School and Work
• Dating/Socializing at QCC
• Bookstore at QCC
• Technology and Computing at QCC
• Tuition Costs at CUNY/QCC
• QCC Campus (buildings, grounds, facilities)
• Professors at QCC
Like the verbal class exercise in step 4, the first sentence of the journal entry should be a stated
main idea (topic sentence). Each sentence afterwards must begin with a transition word(s), which
communicates a combination of several of the following relationships: addition, time,
comparison, contrast, examples or cause and effect. Students should underline each transition
word used. The subsequent sentences (again, beginning with a transition word) should help
prove their stated main idea. Students may use the handout on transition words as often as
needed. They may also consult the textbook or their dictionaries. A scoring rubric is attached to
this packet. (See Attachment Six.)
Each group will read their completed paragraph aloud to the class after the task is complete.
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Attachment Four
Homework Exercises:
When doing these homework exercises, always ask yourself what the exact relationship is
between the sentences or parts of sentences. Are you leading to the result of something? Are you
making a deduction? Are you introducing some contradictory evidence or ideas? Your choice of
word or phrase obviously depends on this. Always check in a good dictionary if you're not quite
sure about a word's use or its position in a sentence. Remember that punctuation will affect what
you use.
Using your handout on transitions as well as your dictionary, insert an appropriate
transitional phrase for each relationship category.
Insert transitions which effectively communicate addition:
We have seen the movie twice, _______ now we want to see it again.
_______did my brother break his leg, _______ he _______ bruised his rib.
My friend speaks Korean and English. She _______ speaks Chinese.
Cheating is dishonest. _______ , it hinders students from learning.
Students should be on time. _______, they must be prepared.
You must complete this essay by 5 p.m. _______you must do the exercises on page 47.
Insert transition words which effectively communicate examples:
I have been to many countries. _______, I have been to Russia, Canada, Mexico, and Spain.
He often eats strange foods. _______, he once ate cow brains.
I like to travel. _______, I enjoy places with old cathedrals.
I love fruit. _______, I like bananas, pineapple, and berries.
My friend hates skiing for several reasons. _______ is that she dislikes being cold.
______________that she often falls.
Insert transitions which effectively communicate contrast:
Bill earned an A on his essay. _______ Susan got a B.
We wanted to leave at 8:00. _______, Mike arrived too late.
She hates housecleaning. _______, she doesn't mind cooking.
Students should attend class. _______, they may lose their status.
I am not going out tonight. _______, I will stay home and watch a video.
Women usually enjoy shopping. _______, men often dislike it.
Insert transitions which effectively communicate exception:
He knows that he should do his homework, _______he never does it.
I need to wear reading glasses. _______, I hate how I look in them. I know you don't like to
study. _______, you must pass your exam. There are many benefits to exercising. _______, you
must take some precautions to avoid injury.
_______the book is difficult to read, it is very interesting.
_______Kate is good at tennis, she lost the match.
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Insert transitions which effectively communicate similarity:
Math was hard for me in high school. _______, it is hard in college.
Houseplants require much care and attention. _______, outdoor plants must be cared for
properly.
Rock climbing takes much practice and skill. _______, learning to write well requires a great
deal of practice.
Insert transitions which effectively communicate results:
Janet passed her exam, _______, she is very happy.
Tim was late. _______, we could not go to the concert.
James is not feeling well. _______, he will not be here today.
The committee voted against the proposal. _______, we must consider another idea.
I forgot that the cake was in the oven. _______, it burned.
Tina lost her keys. _______, she could not drive home.
Insert transitions which effectively communicate time or sequence:
_______, I think that she is studying hard.
_______, I believe that she is a bright student.
_______, I know that she has great potential.
_______, I feel that she deserves to win the scholarship.
_______, we should offer her some financial help.
Jeff was working hard to clean the house. _______, his brother was watching television
Insert transitions which effectively communicate emphasis:
The bookstore sells cards. _______, they have the best cards around.
James is, _______the first person I have known who has been to Africa.
He was late to class again. _______, he didn't wake up on time.
The plan needed only two things to succeed— _______, time and money.
Several of the exercises were drawn from John Langan, Ten Steps to Buiding College Reading Skills, 4th ed., pp. 217-261,
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Attachment Five
Final Assessment: Part I.
30 Minutes
20 Multiple choice questions. Use a scantron form for ease of grading of Part I.
Fill in each blank with the appropriate transition word or words from the text box. Use each
transition once. Then, in the space provided, write the letter of the transition you have chosen:
___
Francis Scott
Key wrote “The
Spangled Banner”
in 1814. He E.
took
the melody from
A. 1.after
B. another
C.Star
first
D. in addition
later
an eighteenth-century drinking song. Over a century _____________, in 1931, the song was
adopted as the national anthem by the United States Congress.
___ 2. Before reading your first assignment in a textbook, acquaint yourself with the format and
content of the book. _____________________, read the table of contents. Next, skim the book,
looking for ways the author organizes information and highlights important points.
___ 3. Birds make certain sounds to communicate with their young. They also make calls that
signal the presence of food. ___________________, birds cry out alarms to warn their flock to
take to the air.
___ 4. Leaders have several qualities. Surveys have found that most formal leaders are above
average in height. _____________________ common quality of leaders is enthusiasm.
___ 5. A well-known psychologist suggested that humans seek to satisfy a series of needs,
including those for food, sleep and spirituality. Higher-level needs can be fulfilled only
__________________________ the more basic ones have been met.
Fill in each blank with the appropriate transition word or words from the text box. Use each
transition once. Then, in the space provided, write the letter of the transition you have chosen:
A. after
B. trouble
another
C. finally
one hours of studying? This trouble
Have
you ever had
remembering
informationD.
despite
may make your studying a frustrating experience. However there are a number of methods you
can use to improve your memory – and your test scores. (6) ____________________ method is
to overlearn information. This means that (7) _____________________ you feel that you really
know the material, you should still review it one to three more times. (8) _________________
good method is to organize and categorize information. Many students take notes on class
material but fail to organize it into more easily learned lists or steps. (9)
_______________________ you should interact in some way with the information you have
learned. For example, if you take notes on and outline a biology chapter, you will understand and
remember it better than if you had just tried to memorize parts of it.
___ 10. The main pattern of organization in the above paragraph is:
A. List of items.
B. Time Order
Insert the best alternative:
11. Polls show that Tony Blair is the most popular Prime Minister this century.
________________ ,
there are even members of his own party who are uneasy with his approach.
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A. In particular
B. However
C. For instance
12. There are some slight variations in temperature, but ________________ 26 to 27ºC should
be expected.
A. consequently
B. otherwise
C. as a rule
13. The two main Channel Islands, ________________ Jersey and Guernsey, are much closer to
France than to England.
A. for example
B. namely
C. in particular
14. It was announced that nurses' working hours would be increased by 25%. ______________ ,
even fewer trainee nurses are expected to join the profession.
A. As a result
B. So that
C. Likewise
15. Sales of CDs have experienced a small but steady fall over the past 12 months.
_____________ , vinyl records have seen an increase in their share of the market, up to 1.7%.
A. Above all
B. Correspondingly
C. In contrast
16. The Vice Chancellor explained that in light of the current financial climate and because of
unexpected bad debts, it would be necessary to peg salary levels at their current level for all
grades of staff. ______________ , no-one was getting a pay rise.
A. Nevertheless
B. In other words
C. Similarly
17. It is clear, therefore, that the situation in Brazil will improve only slowly. ______________
the economic problems being experienced in Japan, the outlook is slightly more optimistic.
A. Furthermore
B. In comparison
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C With reference to
18. In order to try to reduce car use in the inner cities, the government has announced new
restrictions on company parking spaces and ______________ , a new tax on individual car use.
A. as well as
B. in addition
C. another
19. Essays must be handed in by the deadline, ______________ they will not be marked.
A. obviously
B. otherwise
C. as a result
20. ______________ it has been shown that fractures can occur at even relatively low pressures,
the use of the material should not be completely discounted.
A. Nevertheless
B. Because
C. Even though
Several of the exercises were drawn from John Langan’s, Test Bank to Accompany Ten Steps to Buiding College Reading Skills, 4th ed., pp. 217261
Final Assessment: Part II
Essay
50 minutes
Write a brief essay (about 1 page) arguing why food prices should be reduced at vending
machines at QCC. Your first sentence should state your main point (this is your topic sentence).
Each subsequent sentence should begin with a transitional phrase as well as support your main
idea. You must use transitional phrases from at least three (3) of the transitional phrase
categories: addition, comparison, proof, exception, time order, repetition, emphasis, sequence,
summary and conclusion.
Please underline each transition word you use. Good luck.
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Attachment Six
For your convenience, samples of the students’ essays and their scores are attached.
Scoring Rubric for In-class writing task and for final writing assessment Part II:
Score of 5: Excellent essay.
Essay fulfills assignment’s task with complete understanding of transitions and their contextual
use. Uses multiple transitions which accurately reflects intended relationship.
Score of 4: Good essay.
Essay exhibits most characteristics of an excellent essay, but has a few contextual and content
errors.
Score of 3: Adequate essay.
Shows adequate understanding of transitional devices, but has several errors of contextual,
content, and relationship accuracy. An adequate essay may also have several grammar and usage
errors.
Score of 2: Poor essay.
Shows little or no understanding of effective use of transitional phrases or the assignment’s task.
Score of 1. Non-existent or completely inadequate essay.
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