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.