LA HARBOR COLLEGE Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) Assessment Report Course Assessment Division: Communications Discipline/Program: Developmental Communications Course Number and Name: DEV COM 035 Reading I: Fundamentals Program Contact Person: Shazia Khan Phone: (310) 233-4242 Reviewed by: Joachin Arias, Ph.D. (SLO Coordinator) Date: Fall 2014 Attach additional pages as necessary. As a result of successfully completing Dev Com 35, students will Institutional Mission Course Intended Outcomes Means of Assessment Summary of Data & Goals and Criteria for Success Collected Demonstrate the ability to Means: Students will be pronounce and spell words given an exam in which 1 through phonetic analysis. they will be given phonetic spellings of words and asked to write the correct spelling using their knowledge of phonetic rules. 1 Identify the meaning of a word through the use of context clues, structural analysis, and the dictionary. Criteria: 75% of students will earn 70% or better. Means: For this SLO, only the use of context clues was evaluated. On September 24, 2014, nineteen students enrolled in Dev Com 035 completed quiz #1 in which six questions were designed to assess students’ knowledge of identifying word Sample Size: 19 Number of students earning > 70%: 8 = 42% Use of Results The Dev Com department will implement an intervention which will include referrals to the Literacy Center and/or the Language Arts Learning Center at the beginning of the semester. At these centers, students will complete a combination of workshops, instructordeveloped Directed Learning meanings through context and which context clue was used. In Reading courses, students are taught four types of context clues: synonyms, antonyms, example, and general sense. The six questions are below. 1 Demonstrate literal and inferential reading ability of written materials. Criteria: 75% of students will earn a score of 70% or better. Means: Students will be given a final exam on written material with questions reflecting comprehension at the literal and inferential levels. On December 16, 2014, nineteen students enrolled in Dev Com 035 were given a comprehensive final exam measuring SLO #3. The assessment contained six literal level questions and 24 inferential level questions. The literal items asked students to identify direct main ideas and supporting details. The inferential items asked students to identify vocabulary in context, Activities, and online activities to reinforce this particular skills as well as other reading skills. Students will also be given a post-quiz to measure progress. Sample Size: 19 Number and percentage of students with scores > 70%: 14 = 74% The Dev Com department will implement the same intervention as described in SLO #2 with an addition of a new assessment instrument. The Gates MacGinitie Standardized Reading Test adult level will be used as a pre and post instrument. implied main ideas, patterns of organization, purpose and tone, and argument. 1 Identify the main idea and supporting details in a passage or paragraph. Criteria: 75% of students will earn a 70% or better. Means: Students will be given an exam with reading passages that will ask them to highlight, underline, or write the main idea and list the major supporting details. Sample Size: 20 Number of Students with scores > 70% = 17 Percentage of scores > 70% = 85% Number of students with On October 22, 2014, score < 70% = 3 twenty students enrolled Percentage of scores < in Dev Com 035 were 70% = 15% given a quiz/test which measured SLO #4. The questions measuring SLO #4 asked students to complete the outline of a paragraph by filling in the main idea and major supporting details including an explanation of each one. The paragraph and prompt are located below. Criteria: 75% of students will earn a score of 70% or better. When this specific outcome was assessed in fall 2010, the criteria of success was not met. The Developmental Communications (Dev Com) department concluded that the result may have been due to using a textbook which did not provide main idea and supporting details strategies or an abundance of practice exercises. It was only presented in the context of the unit’s article. Since then the Dev Com department adopted the Townsend Press published textbooks: Groundwork for College Reading and Improving College Reading Skills which contain both print and online practice exercises. Upon these positive results, the department will continue to use the Townsend Press developmental reading textbook series and assessment, and explore strategies and materials to further improve upon instruction in this area. Dev Com 035 SLO Report Fall 2014 SLO #2: Students will identify the meaning of a word through the use of context clues, structural analysis, and the dictionary. Assessment: For this SLO, only the use of context clues was evaluated. On September 24, 2014, nineteen students enrolled in Dev Com 035 completed quiz #1 in which six questions were designed to assess students’ knowledge of identifying word meanings through context and which context clue was used. In Reading courses, students are taught four types of context clues: synonyms, antonyms, example, and general sense. The six questions are below. 1. Ron is ___________ about not changing plans. He insists we will camp out even though the weather report now says it will be cold and rainy. 2. The great ballplayer and civil rights leader Jackie Robinson was the ________ of both physical and moral strength. What type of context clue do you find in each of the following sentences or passages? 3. Changes in such abilities as learning, reasoning, thinking, and language are aspects of cognitive development. This is an example of which context clue? 4. Speaking in front of a group disconcerts Alan. Even answering a question in class embarrasses him. 5. Human beings are resilient creatures – they can often bounce back from negative experience and adjust well to life. 6. Although investments in the stock market can be lucrative, they can also result in general financial loss. Criteria for Success: 75% of students will earn a score of 70% or better. Summary of Data Collected: Sample Size 19 Number & Percentage of Scores > 70% 8 = 42% Use of Results: The Dev Com department will implement an intervention which will include referrals to the Literacy Center and/or the Language Arts Learning Center at the beginning of the semester. At these centers, students will complete a combination of workshops, instructor-developed Directed Learning Activities, and online activities to reinforce this particular skills as well as other reading skills. Students will also be given a postquiz to measure progress. SLO #3: Students will demonstrate literal and inferential reading ability of written materials. Assessment: On December 16, 2014, nineteen students enrolled in Dev Com 035 were given a comprehensive final exam measuring SLO #3. The assessment contained six literal level questions and 24 inferential level questions. The literal items asked students to identify direct main ideas and supporting details. The inferential items asked students to identify vocabulary in context, implied main ideas, patterns of organization, purpose and tone, and argument. Criteria for Success: 75% of students will earn a score of 70% or better. Summary of Data Collected: Sample Size 19 Number & Percentage of Scores > 70% 14 = 74% Use of Results: The Dev Com department will implement the same intervention as described in SLO #2 with an addition of a new assessment instrument. The Gates MacGinitie Standardized Reading Test adult level will be used as a pre and post instrument. SLO #4: Students will identify the main idea and supporting details in a passage or paragraph. Assessment: On October 22, 2014, twenty students enrolled in Dev Com 035 were given a quiz/test which measured SLO #4. The questions measuring SLO #4 asked students to complete the outline of a paragraph by filling in the main idea and major supporting details including an explanation of each one. Complete the outline of the following paragraph by filling in the rest of the main idea and the major supporting details, including an explanation of each one. One explanation has been done for you. Burn injuries are classified in three categories, according to their severity. First-degree burns are burns that leave a painful red mark but do not break the skin, and thus they do not often become infected. Burns that are classified as second-degree burn through the skins, which develops into blisters. Second-degree burns are often extremely painful, and, since the skin has been broken, they may become infected. In a third-degree burn, both the outer and lower layers of skin are burned. There may be a little pain because nerve endings have been destroyed. Because so much of the skin’s protection has been lost, the possibility of serious, even fatal infection is great with a third-degree burn. Main Idea: There are three ___________________________________________________________ 1. _________________________________________________________________________ 2. ___________________________ - burn through skin, causing blisters and often great pain and infection. 3. __________________________________________________________________________ Criteria for Success: 75% of students will earn a score of 70% or better. Summary of Data Collected: Sample Size 20 Number & Percentage of Scores > 70% 17 = 85% Number & Percentage of Scores < 70% 3 = 15% Use of Results: When this specific outcome was assessed in fall 2010, the criteria of success was not met. The Developmental Communications (Dev Com) department concluded that the result may have been due to using a textbook which did not provide main idea and supporting details strategies or an abundance of practice exercises. It was only presented in the context of the unit’s article. Since then the Dev Com department adopted the Townsend Press published textbooks: Groundwork for College Reading and Improving College Reading Skills which contain both print and online practice exercises. Upon these positive results, the department will continue to use the Townsend Press developmental reading textbook series and assessment, and explore strategies and materials to further improve upon instruction in this area.