QCC COURSE ASSESSMENT
Date: September 3, 2013
Department: Foreign Languages and Literatures
Course: LS 223
Curriculum or Curricula: Liberal Arts
PART I. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
TABLE 1. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT
LS-223 is the third 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’s preceding list.
(1) Write, read, listen and speak clearly and effectively
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
1) Students will be able to
Student will be able to
write complex narratives,
1) rewrite a paragraph using complex grammatical
expository essays and
structures and avoiding repetition,
argumentative papers on
2) identify problems related to “comma splice” in a
issues that affect the lives
paragraph and rewrite it,
of Hispanics in the United
3) identify the subject pronouns in a paragraph and
States.
eliminate the unnecessary ones,
2) Students will be able to
4) use precise, elegant and/or sophisticated words to
plan, draft, revise,
express an idea or concept,
proofread, and edit their
5) understand vocabulary used in literary analysis,
own writing. They will
6) explain the meaning of words related to technology,
also be able to edit their
gender, education and health issues affecting the
peers’ writing, and to give
Hispanic community; use this vocabulary
them appropriate
appropriately,
feedback.
7) use idiomatic expressions appropriately,
3) Students will be able to
8) identify and provide the appropriate verbal form of the
analyze and interpret both
verb “haber” for a series of sentences; select the
literary and non-literary
appropriate conjunction (“pero” or “sino”) according to
Spanish texts dealing with
the context of the sentence; use the future tense and the
key socio-cultural aspects
conditional tense appropriately; choose the most
affecting Hispanics in the
appropriate relative pronoun according to the context,
United States; students
9) read, analyze and interpret Spanish texts dealing with
will also draw conclusions,
key socio-cultural aspects of the Hispanic world,
express opinions, and
10) write 2 essays arguing in favor or against a
define points of view
controversial issue related to a socio-cultural aspect of
based on these readings.
the Hispanic world. This essay should include a thesis,
4) Students will have an
opinions in favor and against the thesis, and a
increased awareness of
conclusion.
formal and informal oral
and written registers.
5) Students will have an
increased confidence in
their bilingual language
strengths.
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 be able to write an argumentative paper on issues that affect the lives of
Hispanics in the United States
2) Students will be able to analyze and interpret a variety of literary and non-literary
Spanish texts dealing with key socio-cultural aspects affecting Hispanics in the United
States; students will also draw conclusions, express opinions, and define points of view
based on these readings
3) 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
2) Use analytical reasoning skills
3) Differentiate and make informed decisions about issues based on cultural and political
value systems
TABLE 6: ASSIGNMENT, OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
The assessment tool is a comprehensive final exam that addresses the following course
objectives and contents:
1) read, analyze and interpret texts dealing with socio-cultural aspects of
Hispanics/Latinos in the United States
2) identify and apply the elements and steps of the writing process; write an
argumentative essay
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
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.
Students will…
1) write complex
narratives, expository
1) Writing skills
activities and writing a
1) Completion of activities related
to the following topics: complex
essays and argumentative
papers on issues that affect
the lives of Hispanics in
the United States (Gen.
Ed. 1, 2 and 3)
short argumentative
essay
sentences, the use of commas, the
use of subject pronouns, precise
words, and the use of specific terms
for literary analysis. Write an essay
arguing in favor or against a thesis
about health policy in the United
States. The essay will be assessed
using the rubric designed for this
purpose (See appendix 2)
2) analyze and interpret
both literary and nonliterary Spanish texts
dealing with key sociocultural aspects affecting
Hispanics in the United
States; draw conclusions,
express opinions, and
define points of view
based on these readings
(Gen. Ed. 1, 2 and 3)
2) Reading
comprehension
activities
2) Answer questions related to the
text provided
3) have an increased
awareness of formal and
informal oral and written
registers (Gen. Ed. 1)
3) Vocabulary activities
and grammar and
orthography activities
3) Completion of two sections
related to the vocabulary learned in
the course and idiomatic
expressions. Completion of five
sections related to the uses of the
verb “haber”, the use of “pero” vs.
“sino”, the use of the future tense
and the conditional tense, and the
use of relative pronouns
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 contents:
1) read, analyze and interpret texts dealing with socio-cultural aspects of
Hispanics/Latinos in the United States
2) identify and apply the elements and steps of the writing process; write an
argumentative essay
3) grammar and orthography activities
4) vocabulary activities
(See Appendix 1 for a copy of the final exam)
Desired student
learning outcomes
from the
assignment:
Assessment measures
for each learning
outcome:
Standards for student performance:
1) write complex
narratives, expository
essays and
argumentative papers
on issues that affect
the lives of Hispanics
in the United States
(Gen. Ed. 1, 2 and 3)
1) Completion of
activities related to the
following topics:
complex sentences, the
use of commas, the use
of subject pronouns,
precise words, and the
use of specific terms for
literary analysis. Write
an essay arguing in
favor or against a thesis
about health policy in
the United States. The
essay will be assessed
using the rubric
designed for this
purpose (See Appendix
2)
1) Students’ knowledge of the steps of the
writing process will be determined by
calculating their accuracy rates in the
answers to the questions asked. 75 percent
is expected to meet the course standard.
The parameters used to measure students’
writing abilities in the written essay will be
determined by the writing rubric (See
appendix 2). 75 percent is expected to meet
the course standard.
2) analyze and
interpret both literary
2) Answer questions
related to the text
2) Students’ reading comprehension ability
will be determined by calculating their
Students will:
and non-literary
provided
Spanish texts dealing
with key sociocultural aspects
affecting Hispanics in
the United States;
draw conclusions,
express opinions, and
define points of view
based on these
readings (Gen. Ed. 1,
2 and 3)
accuracy rates in the answers to the
questions asked. 75 percent is expected to
meet the course standard.
3) have an increased
awareness of formal
and informal oral and
written registers
(Gen. Ed. 1)
3) Students’ vocabulary knowledge will be
determined by calculating their accuracy
rates in the answers to the questions asked.
75 percent is expected to meet the course
standard. Students’ grammar and
ortography knowledge will be determined
by calculating their accuracy rates in
providing the correct forms or structures.
75 percent is expected to meet the course
standard.
3) Completion of two
sections related to the
vocabulary learned in
the course and idiomatic
expressions. Completion
of five sections related
to the uses of the verb
“haber”, the use of
“pero” vs. “sino”, the
use of the future tense
and the conditional
tense, and the use of
relative pronouns
PART IV. ASSESSMENT RESULTS
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Desired student learning
outcomes:
1) write complex narratives,
expository essays and
argumentative papers on issues
that affect the lives of Hispanics
in the United States (Gen. Ed. 1,
2 and 3)
2) analyze and interpret both
literary and non-literary Spanish
Student achievement: Describe the group
achievement of each desired outcome and the
knowledge and cognitive processes demonstrated.
See Table 9.
texts dealing with key sociocultural aspects affecting
Hispanics in the United States;
draw conclusions, express
opinions, and define points of
view based on these readings
(Gen. Ed. 1, 2 and 3)
3) have an increased awareness
of formal and informal oral and
written registers (Gen. Ed. 1)
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 45 students in the final exam, which was
designed and used as the main assessment tool. The assessment included five categories: writing
skills, vocabulary, grammar and orthography, reading comprehension, and essay writing.
The results are as follows:
Table 1
Average Score in Each Category
Writing
Vocabulary
Grammar
Reading
Writing Total
skills
and
Comprehension
Orthography
Range
0-25
0-20
0-25
0-10
0-20
0-100
Average
16,97
15,33
20,74
5,95
14,2
73,21
Score
# of
45
45
45
45
45
45
Students
The total points a student could obtain (adding all five categories) was 100.
The Assessment Committee had defined the following performance scale: 0-60 points = student
performance does not meet expectations; 61-73 points = student performance almost meets
expectations; 74-89 points = student performance meets expectations; 90-100 = student
performance exceeds expectations.
The average score was 73,21%, which falls between the ranges of 61-73 and 74-89 (“almost
meets expectations” and “meets expectations”).
Table 2
Percentage of Students in Each Proficiency Level
Range
Does not meet
Almost meets
Meets
expectations
expectations
expectations
0-60
61-73
74-89
0f 45 Students
Percentage
Exceeds
expectations
90-100
4
19
20
2
9%
42%
44%
5%
The overall student performance shows that 49% of students met or exceeded the expectations
for this course, a percentage well bellow the 75% defined by the assessment committee.
The results by percentage of students in each category are as follows:
Table 3
Range
0f 45
Students
Percentage
Writing skills. Student performance…
Does not meet
Almost
Meets
expectations
meets
expectations
0-14,75
expectations
18,50-22,25
15-18,25
Exceeds
expectations
22,5-25
8
18
19
0
18%
40%
42%
0%
Table 4
Range
# 0f 45 Students
Percentage
VOCABULARY. 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
8
6
17
14
13%
18%
38%
31%
Table 5
GRAMMAR AND ORTOGRAPHY. Student performance
…
Range
# 0f 45 Students
Percentage
Does not meet
expectations
0-14,75
Almost meets
expectations
15-18,25
Meets
expectations
18,50-22,25
Exceeds
expectations
22,5-25
1
10
20
14
2%
22%
31%
45%
Table 6
Range
# 0f 45 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
28
0
11
6
62%
0%
25%
13%
Table 7
Range
ESSAY 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 45 Students
Percentage
12
27%
14
31%
11
24%
8
18%
B. Evaluation of the assessment process:
The percentage of students who meet or exceed expectations in writing skills is 42%.
The percentage of students who meet or exceed expectations in vocabulary is 69%.
The percentage of students who meet or exceed expectations in grammar and orthography is
76%.
The percentage of students who meet or exceed expectations in reading is 38%.
The percentage of students who meet or exceed expectations in essay writing is 42%.
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 write complex narratives, expository essays and
argumentative papers on issues that affect the lives of Hispanics in the United States
(Gen. Ed. 1, 2 and 3).
The assessment tool measured students’ writing in two ways: a) through an essay writing
activity, and b) by asking questions about writing skills. Essay-writing results (42% of
students at or above level) are consistent with the results in the answers to the writing-skills
questions (42% at or above level). The majority of students (58%) are below the expected
performance in both sections of the writing assessment.
Course objective 2: Students will analyze and interpret both literary and non-literary
Spanish texts dealing with key socio-cultural aspects affecting Hispanics in the United
States; draw conclusions, express opinions, and define points of view based on these
readings (Gen. Ed. 1, 2 and 3)
The assessment tool measured students’ analytical skills by: a) asking analytical questions
about the text provided in the exam (i.e. finding evidence for a thesis in the text; applying a
concept from the text to a different case-scenario; etc.), and b) by asking students to develop
a thesis and written arguments about a socio-political issue that had been part of the course
readings and class discussions (“health policies in the United States”). Students’ performance
in the specific analytical questions has yet to be calculated separately, but students overall
performance in the sections where the analytical questions are integrated shows that the
majority was not prepared to apply analytical reasoning to the reading comprehension
questions (38% at or above level). The performance in analytical writing was slightly higher
(42% of students at or above level).
Course Objective 3: Students will have an increased awareness of formal and informal
oral and written registers (Gen. Ed. 1).
The assessment tool measured students’ awareness of formal and informal oral and written
registers by: a) asking grammar and spelling questions, and b) asking vocabulary questions.
The percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations in the grammar and
orthography section of the assessment is 76%. In the vocabulary section, 69% of students
met the assessment expectations. The higher percentage of students meeting expectations in
the vocabulary task (69%), when compared to the reading task (38%), suggests that students’
understanding and assimilation of the vocabulary taught in class might not be transferring
adequately to the context of a new reading that contains unknown vocabulary.
The assessment tool also measured students’ ability to make informed decisions (Gen. Ed.
3) by asking students to present written arguments in favor and against a socio-political issue
that had been part of the course readings and class discussions (“health policies in the United
States”), and by prompting them to defend a thesis. Students overall performance in the
essay-writing section (42% at or above level) suggests that the majority of the students
assessed did not master this objective’s skills. Nevertheless, students’ performance in the
“Content” area of the essay, if calculated separately from the other writing categories, should
produce more accurate information about the students’ level of acquisition of this skill (see
Appendix 2 with rubrics).
An in-depth examination of the assessment tool and results of LS 223 highlighted problems
similar to those found in LS 222:
1. The assessment tool was too long. Some students rushed through some parts of the exam,
which might account for the differences in performance among the different sections of the
assessment.
2. The level of difficulty among the different parts of the exam was uneven. This might also
account for the differences in performance among sections.
C. Resulting action plan:
On average, only 49% of students completing the course assessment tasks met or exceeded the
expectations defined by the course objectives. The average score was 73,21%, which falls
between the ranges of 61-73 and 74-89 (“almost meets expectations” and “meets expectations”).
The averages of each individual category show results below 74%, except for grammar and
orthography. Students’ superior performance in the areas of grammar, orthography and
vocabulary indicates that the majority of students assessed are better prepared to answer
mechanical questions (i.e. “fill-in-the-blank” grammar questions) or questions about previously
taught vocabulary (69% at or above level) than to use analytical skills when reading or writing.
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 two LS 223 assessed have been using a new textbook during the time of the assessment
(LS223 covered the last four chapters of the same book that LS 222 has). The assessment
committee recommends that the assessment be repeated after one or two semesters in order for
instructors to gain enough knowledge of the new textbook.
2. LS 223 course objectives should be evaluated in relation to LS 222 course objectives. Because
both courses now share a reading and composition book, it is possible to align the objectives of
both courses more effectively.
2. The assessment tool needs to be revised for a more homogeneous difficulty level among
sections.
3. The assessment tool needs to be shortened. The next time that instructors conduct the
assessment of this course, the assessment committee should consider the possibility of using the
essay writing part of the exam as the entire assessment tool. In this case, the grading rubric
should be revised and expanded, and the writing should take place on a different day than the
final exam to allow students more time to complete it.
4. Ideally, the assessment committee should look at students’ performance in certain questions to
obtain more specific information about students’ achievement of certain skills, such as analytical
reasoning and the ability to make informed decisions based on socio-cultural value systems. To
account for differences among instructors, the assessment committee also recommends that the
results of the two classes assessed be compared.
5. 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.