World Literature Program

Program Assessment

PROGRAM

Overview
Director
Faculty
Authors & Works
Special Events
Contact Info

COURSES

World Literature I
World Literature II

 

PROGRAM ASSESSMENT

Assessment Data

The World Literature Program regularly conducts assessment and gathers a variety of assessment instruments. Those instruments include:

· Outcomes-assessment student essays
· Student evaluations of world literature courses
· Faculty evaluations of the world literature program
· Statistics on grade distributions (Course QPA, Percent of A's)

All students who participate in the World Literature Program are asked to write an outcomes-assessment essay connected to the readings, themes, and ideas discussed through the term. Instructors are encouraged to formulate their own exam questions in a way which challenges the students to think critically and creatively. Outcomes-assessment exams generally ask students to propose and discuss a thematic thesis and support it with evidence from the readings; such exams may also ask for a close reading of a particular passage and the articulation of a theme-based thesis and supporting argument. It is expected that, in addition to the development of particular themes, students' essays will demonstrate competence in reading and writing; sophistication and accuracy in the use of literary terminology and concepts; precision and accomplishment in reasoning and interpretation; and the ability to integrate the contents of the course. The outcomes-assessment portion of the exam accounts for at least 30% of the final exam grade. In addition to contributing to a student's grade in a course, outcomes assessment essays are used by the World Literature Program in the evaluation of its ability to meet its stated goals. For this reason, faculty are asked to keep such essays for six months and then to turn them in to the program administrators. The faculty ensure that the essay is detachable from the rest of the exam by instructing students to write it on separate sheets or blue books. Each outcomes-assessment essay is graded according to the program's established criteria and is accompanied by a grading sheet. The grading sheet is filled out by the instructor and attached to the front of each essay. In order to preserve the anonymity of students and instructors during assessment operations, instructors blot out or erase names or section identifiers appearing on the essay sheets before turning in the essays to the program.

In addition to the writing of an outcomes-assessment essay, all students in the program fill out a special evaluation form in which they rate their experiences in the courses. Faculty are also asked to fill out an evaluation offering suggestions for program improvement and revision.

Assessment Procedure

The program director periodically appoints a team of faculty (3-5 members) to conduct program assessment. Assessment of the World Literature Program is conducted by creating representative random samples of the outcomes assessment essays and student evaluations. All faculty evaluations on file are used in the assessment of faculty perceptions of the program. Aggregate data on course grade distributions (Course QPA and Percent of A's) is secured from the College of Arts and Sciences for all world literature courses taught in the period under assessment. Each member of the faculty assessment team performs a separate reading and evaluation of each essay in the samples. A form is filled for each essay answering questions relating to:

1) The student's skill in literary interpretation and knowledge of literary history and terminology
2) The student's accomplishment in writing
3) The student's knowledge of Western literatures and cultures
4) The student's knowledge of non-Western literatures and cultures
5) The student's appreciation of cultural, gender, and ethnic diversity
6) The instructor's grading practices

The assessors' responses to these questions are quantified on a scale of 1-5 (5 = excellent,1 = poor). Each reader calculates an average for each question, each semester. An average for each question and semester is also calculated from the separate responses of the readers. Each member of the assessment team is entrusted with reading and summarizing the results of the student evaluation samples. A summary form is filled out for each semester assessed. The assessment team members read and summarize the results of the faculty evaluations. Data obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences on average course QPA's and percent of 'A' grades per course is also analyzed and its trends determined. Based on the results of the data analysis, the assessment team writes a report summarizing the outcomes and issuing recommendations.

 

last updated: 8/4/2003