ISLO#1 Assessment Feedback Meeting
SLO Coordinator’s Report (Lora Lane)
April 8, 2011 9a.m. in SSA219
9:00-10:15
PowerPoint Presentation: purpose of the session, review of assessment process, and unveiling of results
10:15-11:00
Breakout Sessions by discipline to discuss instructional interventions to improve writing
11:00-11:30
Reports and discussion.
Communications – Reported by Carmen Carrillo, Susan McMurray and Shazia Khan
The English Department will create directed learning on annotating text to be delivered by week 3 in all sections
of English 101 in Fall 2011.
The syllabi will include 10% (5 hours) for resource activities to improve skills (writing center, literacy center, LAC,
etc.).
Business/Accounting – Reported by Frederick Ho
Kent Stoddard is willing to prepare a class presentation on how to organize the accounting report paper.
Sample papers will be given to students. Past student papers require a release from the student. Ellen Joiner
said that sample papers have more “punch” when the good elements of the work are highlighted. There was
some discussion of showing bad papers also.
Marian Locascio described the experiences she has in the library with students’ “non-linear” approach. They
come in with the paper already written and need resources or vice versa. They don’t know the process for
writing a paper. Brad Young commented that this relates to our ISLO#3 assessment next semester.
Susan said that a holistically scored departmental exam will be adopted for English 28. She asked about sample
size for reporting. The guess was at least 10% but the question was deferred to Bob Richards.
Shazia will require that the students visit the Literacy Center. Bill Loiterman asked how to know if students have
attended. Shazia said students get a confirmation from the tutor and sign in through ACCUTRACK.
Nursing – Trishia Wickers
They will adopt uniform writing samples for each level. They have been using Etudes for this but will begin
posting them on a web site.
Readability studies of the textbooks will be conducted. The level will be high.
Humanities – Mark Wood
Sample student papers will be provided.
They will begin using one minute writing summaries in courses. Brad Young suggested that Perkins funding could
be used to purchase additional copies of Classroom Assessment Techniques. These writings are not graded but
underscore the importance of writing and give students practice.
Students need help with note-taking techniques. June Smith offered help with this using the CATS system
materials she has. A favorite saying of hers is “writing is thinking.”
Social and Behavioral – Brad Young
They will meet as a division and explore the use of the co-requisite class in writing for the discipline with the
support of the Library and Counseling.
Math/Physical Science – Maritza Jimenez-Zeljak
They will begin using one minute essays at the end of class. June suggested that a pre- and post question could
help focus students.
Students will be asked to create a short project or presentation (no more than 5 minutes) on a topic covered the
week before throughout the semester.
They like journals and have used them in the past, but they take so much time to read and give feedback on. We
need more ideas on making this manageable.
Dave Humphreys asked how they help students understand word problems. They do not call them “word
problems” but “situations” as students have bad associations with word problems. She asks them to restate the
situations in their own words.
Writing out the steps to solve a problem is uncomfortable for students at first. They create a mapping to answer
“how do I know when to do what?”
At the ON-COURSE conference she went to, a presentation showed how explaining lights up the entire brain.
Other CommentsJoy Fisher will add to the online orientation on the web site to direct students to resources.
Some areas will also try peer review of papers.
Faculty turned in forms with individual comments and commitments and the meeting concluded.
Dean Humphreys sent the following to participants in a draft form prior to the meeting. Dave updated it as the
discussion ensued.
What Can We Do? Steps to Assist Students in Improving their Reading/Writing
I know I can’t do all of these things, but I must do something…..
Reading
Writing
I will stop complaining and just accept right from the beginning that my students don’t all come with college-level
skills and commit to doing something in my class to address their needs.
Do a readability study on my text book (simplest is to
type in a few hundred words to Microsoft Word and
run the readability scan). Remember: only about half
of our students assess at college level reading. Use
Microsoft Word help for directions.
I will add a sample rubric or grading sheet to my syllabus to
inform my students what is expected of any writing assignment.
Need help writing rubrics—there is plenty online or go to the
Teaching/Learning Center.
Review SQ3R with class (Survey, Question, Read,
Create a Website or Etudes site with examples of student papers
Recite, Review). See Sadowski workshop manual.
that hit or miss the mark according to my rubric.
Create a co-requisite for my class called “Reading and Writing in the [Social Sciences].” Course will be open entry/open
exit, zero unit, non-credit. Sally Fasteau is working on this.
Give students practice in note-taking or text
annotation skills.
Ask students to submit their papers to TurnItIn.
I will require students to have a highlighter, and I will
model for students how to mark up my textbook. For
helpful suggestions see the Reading Workshop
materials from Thomas Sadowski in the TLC or Sally
Fasteau’s workshop on teaching reading skills in your
class.
Ask students to do more writing (that I don’t have to grade like
an English teacher)…even in short pieces (see Harvard 1-Minute
Essay from K. Patricia Cross—Classroom Assessment Techniques)
that give me feedback and validate the importance of writing in
my classroom. The more students write (even ungraded) the
better they become.
After each lesson/chapter covered, I will have each
student respond to a 3-question assessment to
determine whether they have understood it.
When I discuss their written work, I will make sure I emphasize
the importance of getting the most important idea up front and
the supporting points in a logical progression thereafter. I won’t
sweat the small stuff now: the commas, capitals, etc.
I will take prior knowledge inventories before each
new chapter and then provide students with
necessary background knowledge and a content or
concept map to show relationship to overall course
objectives. Again, see K. Patricia Cross, Classroom
Assessment Techniques.
Make sure students know how to get the help with their writing
that they need: tutoring at the LAC, Websites like the Writing
Center at Purdue, etc. Put it in my syllabus even. I will provide a
link to the Language Arts Learning Center blog site that can
assist in any grammar or writing situations
http://languageartslearningcenter.wordpress.com (please note
that we are still "under construction").
I will teach students to do multiple reads of the text,
beginning with skimming to identify general
directions for the chapter.
Query the students in the first couple of classes to see what they
know about plagiarism and documenting of sources; provide
them with resources if they don’t know.
I will provide students with a template for previewing
the text.
I will incorporate 5-minute journal writing at the beginning of
each class
I will not assume that students know how to read
and understand visuals in the textbook; I will provide
them with a basic plan for making meaning out of
charts, graphs, etc.
Joyce was wondering if we could set up peer review mentors for
CHDEV students - honor students or others needing to do
service who have received training from English dept. and
completed English 102
Send my students to the Literacy Center for several
directed learning activities in reading.
Directed learning activity on how to annotate a text and do it in
all English 101 sections by week 3.
Nursing will do a readability study of textbooks.
English 101 include grade measurement for 5 hours
participation in outside activities, i.e., Our labs, literacy center,
LAC, learning center. For all 101 for fall.
Accounting. Give samples of good and bad papers with
annotations showing what is good, transitions, etc. Wants
someone to come to class to talk about how to organize papers.
Kent Stoddart volunteered to provide instruction. Can we make
video or Powerpoint to be added to Etudes.
Sample care plans in nursing.
Humanities will give students training in note-taking –
Humanities department will provide students with sample
papers—
Humanities will experiment with the Harvard 1-minute essays—
—VTEA funds to buy copies of Cross/Angelo book
Faculty will explore co-requisite for social behavior sciences—
include library and counseling in discussion starting next
Wednesday
Math faculty will explore using the Harvard 1-minute essay at
the end of lectures.
Math--Do a project or presentation on the topic they had
previously. Write a paragraph on it. Each person once a
semester.
Math will ask students to write journals
English will create and implement an English 21 department
exam.
Dev Com35—outside literacy requirement—once a week
complete a directed learning activity or reading activity at the
appropriate level.
Math will ask students to write in their own words what the
problem is in math “situations.”