UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO RO PIEDRAS CAMPUS ANNUAL REPORT OF ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING PART I CAMPUS MISSION DOMAINS Academic

c Program or Major: __Comparative Literature_______________________________

Activities and instruments used to collect information (direct or indirect measures) Academic Year: 2010-2011

Campus Mission Domains

Student Learning Objectives

Evaluation Criteria

Comparison of expected outcomes with the actual findings

Transforming actions to be implemented

Effective Written Communication

The students will demonstrate effective written communication (in Spanish or English) in all of their written work. Most students (all but one of eleven) wrote in Spanish.

Activities: a) Research Paper Proposals (Abstracts) b) Final Research Papers

The criteria evaluated, as expressed in the rubric, were the following: 1) Effectively communicate the main Instruments: argument (the thesis a) Rubric to assess statement) to be effective developed in the communication in research paper analytical writing was 2) Effectively used to assess student communicate, writing skills in the throughout the research research paper paper, the arguments proposal and in the that support the thesis final research paper. statement (Direct measure) 3) Communicate ideas through the effective use of language 4) Demonstrate an

60% of students in the research proposals and 82% of students in the final research papers demonstrated scores of 4 or higher in all criteria tested. This yields an average of 71%. This is slightly below the 75% expected result. In overall performance across the criteria, an average of 76% of the students (the average of 70% and 82%) demonstrated an overall percentage of 75% or higher. This is slightly higher than the expected result. Results (71% and 76%) were not considerably different than expected. Many students performed better than expected. Two students in particular (students #10 and #11) were lowering overall class results. See Appendix 4, Tables 1 and 2.

1) We had initially planned to assess written communication in LITE 3045 and LITE 3101. However, we only actually assessed this domain in LITE 3045. We realized that our course on Literary Theory, LITE 3101, was not an appropriate course in which to test effective written communication (unless we develop a different rubric). The appropriate domain to test in the course on Literary Theory is Critical Thinking. Therefore, next year (2011-2012) we will revise the Instances to collect information column in our Plan of Assessment. We will assess Critical Thinking next year (2011-2012) in Literary Theory, LITE 3101. 2) We need to provide further assistance to those two students who were lowering the overall class results. Both of these particular students received incompletes in the course (due to their grades in the course not because Date submitted: __Nov. 14, 2011

Assessment Coordinator: __Dra. Marian Polhill (Assessing Professor 2010-2011)

Department Chair: __Dr. Rubn Ros________________

Campus Mission Domains

Student Learning Objectives

Activities and instruments used to collect information (direct or indirect measures)

Evaluation Criteria

Comparison of expected outcomes with the actual findings

Transforming actions to be implemented

academic and accurate use of language 5) Demonstrate an accurate and appropriate use of vocabulary 6) Communicate effectively through the accurate use of grammar 7) Communicate well through the effective organization, format, and presentation of the arguments 8) Demonstrate correct citation of sources (according to the MLA format)

of the assessment results), and are expected to be meeting with the professor during the first semester of 2011-2012 for extra assistance, including assistance with written expression. 3) Resources such as the Centro para el Desarrollo de Competencias Lingsticas are extremely important for students requiring extra help with their writing skills. These or similar programs must be maintained and/or expanded at the UPR-RP. 4) More time may need to be spent in our classes, such as LITE 3045, in the areas of developing a hypothesis, proving the hypothesis effectively, and correctly citing sources. We will assess these transforming actions (especially 1 and 4) as part of our Plan of Assessment in 2011-2012. In the evaluation of student information 1) We realized that our course on Literary literacy in the research proposals and final Theory, LITE 3101, was not an appropriate research paper (Appendix 4, Tables 3 course in which to test information literacy and 4), all students, except one in the because there is no required research paper in final research paper, demonstrated scores the course. Therefore, next year (2011-2012) of 4 or higher in all criteria tested. This we will revise the Instances to collect yields a total of 95%. Thus, the actual information column in our Plan of results exceeded the expected results. The Assessment. goal was met. 2) We realized that our rubric, originally designed as a rubric to assess Research Skills, Date submitted: __Nov. 14, 2011

Information Literacy

The students will demonstrate informational literacy in all of their research activities.

Activities: a) Research Paper Proposals (Abstracts) b) Final Research Papers Instruments: a) Rubric to assess information literacy in the creation of

The criteria evaluated, as expressed in the rubric, were the following: 1) Select sources appropriate to the nature and level of information needed 2) Evaluate critically both the sources and the

Assessment Coordinator: __Dra. Marian Polhill (Assessing Professor 2010-2011)

Department Chair: __Dr. Rubn Ros________________

Campus Mission Domains

Student Learning Objectives

Activities and instruments used to collect information (direct or indirect measures)

Evaluation Criteria

Comparison of expected outcomes with the actual findings

Transforming actions to be implemented

research papers was used to assess student informational skills in the research paper proposal and in the final research paper. (Direct measure)

information in them. Utilize reliable and academic sources (i.e. peer-reviewed academic articles) 3) Use up-to-date sources

Nonetheless, it is interesting that scores were actually lower in the evaluation of the research paper (7 of 11, or 64%, received an overall percentage of 75% or more), when compared with the research proposal, which included a preliminary bibliography (7 of 10, or 70%, received an overall percentage of 75% or more).

was actually a rubric to assess Information Literacy. We will evaluate student research skills more broadly another year. 3) Additional emphasis has been placed on informational literacy in LITE 3045 for the year 2011-2012. The Teaching Assistant, Urda Snchez, has created a guide to searching academic databases for secondary literature, beginning with the MLA International Bibliography. This guide will be distributed in the courses of the department, including in LITE 3045, and made available through the Department website. This domain will be assessed again in 20112012.

II. Summary of Assessment carried out: In an additional sheet of paper, briefly describe the assessment activities undertaken, the assessment instruments used, how the instruments were developed, and how was the information collected analyzed. Please include the assessment instruments used. Discuss how the proposed transforming actions will be assessed. Appendices: Include the final version of Part I and II of the Plan of Assessment of Student Learning. If you have developed a table or a graph illustrating the results of the assessment findings, please include it. Assessment Coordinator: __Dra. Marian Polhill (Assessing Professor 2010-2011) Department Chair: __Dr. Rubn Ros________________ Date submitted: __Nov. 14, 2011

UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO RO PIEDRAS CAMPUS ANNUAL REPORT OF ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING PARTE II - KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, OR ATITUDES OF THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM OR MAJOR Academic Program or Major: _______________________________________________________
Knowledge, Skills or Attitudes of the Academic Program or Major Activities and instruments used to collect information (direct or indirect measures) Academic Year: 2010-2011

Student Learning Objectives

Evaluation Criteria

Comparison of expected outcomes with the actual findings

Transforming actions to be implemented

II. Summary of Assessment carried out: In an additional sheet of paper, briefly describe the assessment activities undertaken, the assessment instruments used, how the instruments were developed, and how was the information collected analyzed. Please include the assessment instruments used. Discuss how the proposed transforming actions will be assessed. Appendices: Include the final version of Part I and II of the Plan of Assessment of Student Learning. If you have developed a table illustrating the results of the assessment findings, please include it. Assessment Coordinator: __Dra. Marian Polhill (Assessing Professor 2010-2011) Department Chair: __Dr. Rubn Ros________________ Date submitted: __Nov. 14, 2011