Motlow State Community College
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Use of Assessment Results
Spring Semester 2013
Program Title: General Education, University Parallel Major
Course: ENGL 1020—Composition II
Expected Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will fulfill the requirements of the assigned writing task and have a clear purpose
that is sustained throughout the text.
2. Students will respond adequately and appropriately to the needs of the audience and the
requirements of the writing situation.
3. Students ‘ writing will be logically organized in support of the text’s purpose with a clear
thesis statement and topic sentences, supporting points that are presented in a logical
progression, and appropriate transitions.
4. Students’ writing will provide logical and adequate support for the thesis by employing
appropriate rhetorical strategies/patterns and, when appropriate, integrating material from
primary and/or secondary sources.
5. Students’ writing will display a variety in sentence structure and vocabulary, and display a
level of formality appropriate to purpose, audience, and context.
6. Students’ writing will display competent control of surface features such as basic syntax,
grammar, punctuation, word choice, and spelling, particularly those errors that interfere
with a reader’s understanding and/or undermine the writer’s authority.
7. Students’ writing reflects the use of effective strategies for generating ideas, drafting,
revising, editing, and proofreading.
Performance Measure(s): Embedded assessment of a major research paper
Effectiveness Standard: At least 72% of the papers should meet or exceed the expected outcome of 3 in
any given learning outcome.
Assessment Results:
S13 GE Rubric Summary for ENG 1020
Student Learning Outcome
#
clear purpose
respond adequately
logically organized
provide logical
display a variety
display competent
effective strategies
4
%
213
203
192
179
158
126
182
#
51%
49%
46%
43%
38%
30%
44%
3
%
165
167
169
177
180
199
177
#
39%
40%
40%
42%
43%
48%
42%
2
%
34
42
51
53
71
76
51
1
8%
10%
12%
13%
17%
18%
12%
6
6
6
9
9
17
8
1%
1%
1%
2%
2%
4%
2%
Excellent or Good Total Students
#
%
378
90%
418
370
89%
418
361
86%
418
356
85%
418
338
81%
418
325
78%
418
359
86%
418
Use of Assessment Results:
All General Education Assessment results for English 1020 were acceptable because they were all well
above the 72% benchmark meeting or exceeding the expected outcome of 3.
However, in order to better prepare the “Summary of Assessment Results” report and to create a more
seamless transition between ENGL 1010 and 1020, the Languages Department has drafted a new set of
SLO’s based more closely on those presented by TBR in 2002. The old SLO’s are listed above. The new
SLO’s are as follows:
Students who complete Freshman Composition II will demonstrate the ability to . . .
1). Distill a primary purpose into a single, compelling statement.
2). Order and develop major points in a reasonable and convincing manner based on
purpose.
3). Develop their ideas using appropriate rhetorical patterns (i.e. narration, example,
process, comparison/contrast, classification, cause/effect, definition,
argumentation, etc.) and other special functions (i.e., analysis, research, etc.).
4). Employ correct diction, syntax, usage, grammar, and mechanics in their writing.
5). Manage and coordinate basic information gathered from multiple sources.
6). Respond adequately and appropriately to the needs of the audience and the requirements
of the writing situation.
7). Understand that the writing and/or speaking processes include procedures such as
planning, organizing, composing, revising, and editing.
Moreover, the department has chosen to remove the current emphasis on Literature from the course in
order to focus more exclusively on improving students’ writing skills. The new catalog description is as
follows:
ENGL 1020: This course emphasizes expository and analytic writing, critical thinking, in-depth
extended research, and the incorporation and documentation of source material into student
writing.
Also, the department has chosen a new textbook for ENGL 1020 that more directly reflects the new
SLO’s and catalog description for the course:
Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Practical Argument: A Text and Anthology. 2nd ed.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print.
A new syllabus will be in place by Aug. 1, 2013.
The department also hopes to improve faculty participation rates and overall morale regarding
assessments by changing the method of reporting assessment results. Beginning in Fall 2013, faculty will
still use the “essay graded via a rubric” method, but will change the process of collecting and reporting
assessment results as follows:
Faculty will assign the new 1020 assessment assignment (attached) during the final third of the
semester. When grading the essay, faculty will also complete the assessment rubric for each
essay (attached). Each faculty member will then send the completed rubrics to the department
secretaries (Sherian Oakley) who will keep a record of faculty who have and have not reported
their assessment results. Faculty who have not reported will be contacted by the Languages
Chair (Wes Spratlin) in an effort to increase faculty participation. Once all reports are in to the
department secretary, they will be sent to the Director of Research, Planning, and
Effectiveness (Sylvia Collins). The reports will then be read and entered via existing software.
The Languages faculty believes this process will be much less time-consuming and cumbersome
than our present practice of entering each student’s results manually into the “Survey-Gizmo”
product currently in use. Thus, participation rates should increase while our confidence in the
accuracy of our assessment numbers also increases.