Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
Department: English and Philosophy
Academic Year: 2014-15
Program: Literature
Year
Assessed
Objective
Assessed
Direct
Measure
Direct Measure
results
Indirect Measure
20142015
Breadth of
American,
British, and
World
Literatures
PRAXIS II
Test. At
least 70%
of EU
students
taking the
test will
pass
Pass rates are
71.4, 77 and
62% for the
relevant tests
in the most
recent
available
results.
Grades of
current
majors in 6
survey courses
201314
Demonstrated
Ability to
apply a
variety of
critical
approaches,
provide
evidence, and
use correct
bibliographic
style in
argued
499
master
work: At
least 70%
will receive
a yes
response
in each
category
Critical
approaches:
81%
Provide
Evidence:
100%
Correct Bib:
75%
Focused
Writing: 69%
Grades from
499 students.
At least 80%
will receive a
grade of B or
bettor in
course
Indirect Measure
Results
Of 16
students, 11
received A’s
and 5 received
B+.
Proposed
Action Item for
Assessment
Tool
Proposed
Action Item for
Program
Action Items
Implemented
Since the
PRAXIS is a
standardized
test, we
cannot
modify it.
While the
70% pass
rate
threshold is
largely being
met, the
results are
somewhat
weak. We
should
probably
look more
closely at the
PRAXIS test
requirements
and align our
program
more closely
to them.
Literature
Faculty will
assess the
outcomes of
the BA
program and
ENGL 499
More
2018-19
comprehensive
plan for
assessing SLOs
was developed.
Multiple
years of 499
students will
be assessed
rather than
just the
previous
year’s class
Outcomes of
499 have been
rewritten to
more closely
match the
outcomes of
the program.
2015
Objective
to be
Assessed
Again
2017-18
201213
201112
focused,
organized,
and
researched
writing
Experienced
at least one
in-depth
literary study
concerning
selected
authors
and/or
themes
Demonstrate
a practical
familiarity
with a wide
range of the
‘schools’ of
literary
criticism
499
master
work rated
as to
presence
of in-depth
literary
study. At
least 80%
will receive
a yes
response
Evaluation
of ENGL
489
critical
application
essays
using a 5
point
rubric.
The goal
was an
average
score of
3.5 or
higher
100% of
students
received a yes
response
Transcripts
were
evaluated as
to presence of
topics/authors
course
10 of 11
students had
taken at least
one
topics/authors
course
Assessment
tool will be
revised to
meet new
outcome
language
Rewrite
outcome to
demonstrate
mastery
rather than
experience
Outcome
rewritten.
2014.
Program
revised to
made a topics
authors course
a requirement
in BA
Literature
Program
2016-17
3.13 which
places them
slightly above
a moderate
understanding,
but not as
close to a fully
developed
understanding
as we would
like.
Grades of
current
majors for
ENGL 209
and 489. The
goal was that
the group
have an
average of 3.0
or higher
3.34
Use a more
gradual
scale.
Allowing
raters to
give half
points will
more closely
match the
opinions of
the
evaluators
Informally
increase the
use of critical
schools and
theorists in
courses from
the surveys
to upper
division
courses
ENGL 209
added as a
prerequisite to
ENGL 489.
2013
2015-16
Note: The assessment for breadth of knowledge only uses data from the Secondary English Education majors; future assessments should consider
methods to include the literature majors as well.
Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
Department: English and Philosophy
Academic Year: 2014-15
Program: Writing
Year
Assessed
Objective Assessed
Direct
Measure
Direct Measure
results
Indirect
Measure
Indirect
Measure
Results
201415
Develop a
practical
appreciation
of
contemporary
writing
22
master
works
evaluated
by three
faculty
members
using a 5point
rubric.
Aggregate:
9.6/22
(44%)
received a
3 or
higher;
3/22 (14%)
received a
1.
WritingSee Report
Assessment
Survey.
Proposed
Action Item
for
Assessment
Tool
Proposed Action
Item for
Program
Action Items
Implemented
The
direct
and
indirect
measures
should
include
ALL
writing
majors in
their
final
semester
of study
Writing
None
Faculty
should
review this
goal of the
BA
program in
Writing
and update
it and/or
recommend
practical
curricular
approaches
to support
it
Objective
to be
Assessed
Again
TBD
OVERVIEW
The Assessment Committee of the English and Philosophy Department at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania has concluded its assessment for AY
2014-15 for the following stated goal of the Writing Program: students upon graduating from the program will have “developed a practical
appreciation of contemporary writing.” The committee determined that a “practical” appreciation means the ability to understand how a
contemporary writer’s work may help students improve their work.
The committee developed Direct and Indirect methods for assessment. The Direct method involved the evaluation of midterm essays for Dr.
Bartone’s Spring 2015 Fiction Workshop. A five-point rubric (see Attachment Two) was designed to reflect the committee’s determination that a
practical appreciation of contemporary writing means the student can connect it to his or her work. Three faculty members of the Department
volunteered to evaluate the twenty-two essays that were anonymously submitted for assessment purposes.
The Indirect method involved administering a Writing-program Assessment Survey (see Attachment Three) to nineteen students in Dr. Bartone’s
Spring-2015 Fiction Workshop.
RESULTS
The Direct evaluative method found that an aggregate average (the average of the three evaluators’ scores) of 44% of the essays scored a 3 or higher;
42% scored a 2, and 14% scored a 1. There were no zeros. The scores of each evaluator are presented in Figure One.
FIGURE ONE
Evaluator 3
1- points
2 points
Evaluator 2
3+ points
The Indirect
found that
who
indicate that
or “Agree”
evaluative method
74% of the students
Evaluator 1
completed the survey
they “Strongly Agree”
that the
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
English/literature
classes they
have taken at Edinboro
have adequately focused on contemporary writers and their work; 89% “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” that their English/literature classes have shown
them how contemporary writers and their work may help them improve their writing. Furthermore, 95% of the student respondents indicate they
“Strongly Agree” or “Agree” with the statement that they are pleased with the writing classes they have taken at Edinboro, while 68% indicate they
“Strong Agree” or “Agree” with the statement that they are pleased with their English/literature classes. It is worth noting that 26% of the
respondents are “Neutral” or “Disagree” with the statement that “one cannot be successful as a writer without a good awareness of contemporary
writers and their writing.”
INTERPRETATION
The Direct and Indirect evaluative methods for the stated goal of giving students “a practical appreciation of contemporary writing” suggest that there
is a serious disconnect between students’ perception of success in this area (89%) and the perception of the evaluators (44%). There were a number
of factors that may have contributed to this. One is that only 22 students participated in the assessment, out of a total of 53 writing majors;
additionally, the essays for the Direct evaluative method were anonymous and came from a class that had majors and non-majors in it, which made it
impossible to distinguish the writing majors from the non-majors.
It is recommended that future writing-program assessments should include only senior writing majors and try to include a larger sampling of them. It
is also recommended, based on the findings of the current assessment methods, that the writing faculty should review the goal itself, update it if
deemed necessary, and suggest curricular approaches to support it or its updated version.