English Department General Studies Assessment Plan
for GS Composition Courses (English Language)
1 May 2005; revised August 2007
Submitted by the following English Department Composition Committee members:
Martha Kruse, Chair (2004-2005)
B. David Sinclair
Samuel Umland
English Department -- GS Composition Courses (English Language)
GS courses
GS courses in this perspective include the following:
ENG 101GS / ENG 101HGS -- Expository Writing I (3 hrs.)
ENG 102GS / ENG 102HGS -- Expository Writing II (3 hrs.)
GS Objectives
The English Language objectives covered in ENG 101 include the following objectives identified for the GS Program
| GS1) |
The capability for critical thinking, reasoning, and analyzing |
| GS2) |
Effective communication skills including the ability to read, speak and write
effectively, using the materials, ideas, and discourse modes of specific academic areas |
Objectives for ENG 101 also include the following English Language objectives:
| EL1) |
The ability to form and support a coherent position on an issue |
| EL2) |
The ability to write in a formal manner appropriate to the audience |
| EL3) |
The ability to read and write “expressive” as well as “transactional” language I.e., to develop and understand the role of voice in communication as well as the message itself. |
Objectives for ENG 102 include all of the above, plus the following GS Program objective:
GS3) The ability to locate and gather information
Direct Measures
The GS and English Language objectives will be assessed as follows:
Method
- The composition coordinator will direct instructors of ENG 101/102 to collect student papers written in response to a regular class assignment. The autonomy granted to ENG 101/102 faculty implies that these essays will address different topics, but all will be assessable according to the rubric described below.
- The composition coordinator will assemble a group of graduate assistants and adjunct instructors who will receive a modest stipend for scoring the essays. These scorers will participate in a norming session prior to the actual assessment.
- Collection of assignments will begin after mid-term and end no later than the 13th week of the semester, to allow for individual instructors’ due dates for assignments.
- Raters will gather for a scoring session, assessing students’ essays according to the Essay Rubric. Each essay will be rated on a 1-5 scale according to three (3) indicators for ENG 101: content/ideas, organization, and language. The ENG 102 rubric will include a fourth feature over research skills and documentation conventions. Differences of more than one point on any of these indicators will be resolved by a third reader.
- Before finals week, the composition coordinator will tabulate the data and submit it to the department’s Assessment Committee and also to the appropriate assessment administrators.
Assessment Schedule and Sampling
ENG 101 -- Approximately 3 papers selected randomly from each section, for a total of 100 (assuming this is a statistically reliable sample). Fall semesters [Note: Fall is the “off” semester for ENG 102.]
ENG 102 -- Approximately 3 papers selected randomly from each section, for a total of 100 (again, assuming this is a statistically reliable sample). Spring semesters [Note: Spring is the “off” semester for ENG 101.]
Assessment Timeline
Fall semester -- ENG 101
| Weeks 8-13: |
Instructors will be directed to collect a set of student essays, from which the composition coordinator will select a random sample. |
| Week 12: |
Composition Coordinator will conduct a norming session for the GAs and adjunct instructors who will score the essays. |
| Week 13 or 14: |
Scoring session |
| Week 14/15: |
Composition Coordinator will tabulate data and present to Composition Committee, Assessment Committee, and appropriate UNK assessment personnel |
Spring semester -- ENG 102
(Same timeline as ENG 101, Fall semester)
May 1: Revisions of GS Assessment Plans due
Each Oct. 1 -- Departmental assessment reports (and overall plans) due
The Composition Coordinator, Martha Kruse, is the primary author of this plan, which was reviewed and approved by the other members of the Composition Committee. Dr. Kruse attended a CTE workshop on General Studies Assessment in Spring 2005. Dr. Kruse also created the assessment rubric, timeline, and will conduct the norming session and the scoring session. Results will be shared with the Composition Committee, the English Department, and UNK Assessment personnel. Any questions/comments regarding this plan should be directed to Dr. Kruse.
2007
Previous Plan, Replaced Fall 2007