Assessment Results

English 151B: An SLO Assessment Project

Spring Semester, 2012

Robert Mitchell

            One of the student learning outcomes for English 151B is to “write well-organized and well-developed paragraphs and essays (thesis, introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion) with few errors overall in grammar, usage, and mechanics.” In order to test some of the elements of this SLO, I created a chart that would rate four elements: Thesis Sentence, Topic Sentences, Paragraph Support and Grammar and Mechanics. Each element would be rated using the following component ratings: Excellent (A), Good (B), Average (C), Poor (D), and Failing (F). A copy of the form is attached.

Participants

            Five faculty members who teach English 151B participated in this project: Joshua Bollman, Dave Marroquin, Robert Mitchell, Rachel Sherman, and Terry Taskey.

The Process

            For this project instructors rated student essays two times. The first evaluation gave instructors an idea of what areas needed to be focused on, and they then gave attention to those areas. A second evaluation was completed to see if there was any change in overall ratings. There were 88 students in the first evaluation and 81 in the second. 

Results

The chart below shows the breakdown of the percent totals in terms of above average (A-B), average (C), and below average (D-F). All four areas of assessment showed improvement when the second essay was compared to the first.

First Evaluation	Above Average	Average	Below Average
Thesis Sentence	62	19	19
Topic Sentence	61	31	8
Paragraph Support	56	25	19
Grammar/Mechanics	45	37	18

Second Evaluation	Above Average	Average	Below Average
Thesis Sentence	71	20	9
Topic Sentence	80	17	3
Paragraph Support	82	12	6
Grammar/Mechanics	58	32	10

The next chart shows a comparison of the percentage of papers receiving grades to A to C in the first essay with receiving the same grades in the second essay.

	First Essay	Second Essay
Thesis Sentence	81	91
Topic Sentences	92	97
Paragraph Support	81	94
Grammar/Mechanics	82	90

                                   

Assessment

            The results of the essay evaluation will quite likely change from class to class. Using this form will allow the instructor to make appropriate changes in instruction. For example, lower ratings for thesis sentences would show that the instructor needs to focus on that area. The form, therefore, is flexible and allows the individual instructor to give a sharper focus on problem areas in student writing. Student success will be promoted by this activity because the instructor will have a better sense of weak areas and can give more focused attention to them.

            One issue that skewed the totals is that for the second essay, lower performing students might have dropped the class and therefore the totals would be higher. For future assessments I recommend that the same students be included in both the first and second essay evaluation.