Writing & Rhetoric Assessment
The Writing & Rhetoric program took the initiative a few years ago to begin examining their General Education writing courses that serve the majority of all URI students. They have hosted round tables, brown bag seminars, and workshops involving as many part-time faculty and graduate student Teaching Assistants as possible in the assessment process, seeking funding whenever possible to further support their work. They consider teaching effectiveness to be linked to gains in student learning, and they know that involving their full teaching staff in reflecting and planning for classroom activities can make a difference.
The first round of assessment focused on student writing in reflective writing (Outcome 4). At that time, 55% of students were determined to be meeting or exceeding expectations. This analysis led the department to drill down to the 16% who were deemed almost there. Analysis of the borderline essays identified three areas of weakness: idea development, coherence within and/or between paragraphs, and evidence of reflection.
Recommendations were made for faculty development in these areas, and the full teaching staff gathered frequently to discuss methods of direct classroom instruction, which could be utilized to improve student achievement of the standard on all measurements of Outcome 4. Methods included direct instruction of coherence devices, integration of reflective writing throughout the semester, in-class activities for idea development, and the circulation of model reflective essays.
The goal of the December 2011 General Education Assessment Day was to see if there have been gains in student learning that could be attributed to changes in professional development in the first-year writing courses during the last two years. In this second round of assessment, the department hopes to uncover what practices may be linked to improved student performance in these outcome areas. Additionally, they decided to use this opportunity to expand their assessment and examine Rhetorical Knowledge, using a rubric designed for that outcome.
The results of this scholarship will be valuable to the entire campus community. The great majority of programs include writing as an important student learning outcome for their major and should find this work applicable and helpful.
For more information, please contact Dr. Elizabeth (Libby) Miles, Assessment Coordinator, Writing and Rhetoric, at lmiles@uri.edu
Quick Links
- Campus Contacts
- Learning Outcomes Oversight Committee (LOOC)
- Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education (RIBGHE)
