Turning

a Basic Skills Initiative

into

Institutional Student Learning Outcomes Assessment through

WAC and ePortfolios

The Problem

Our Research Question:

Can WAC function as a teaching and learning tool for below-college-level writers who are enrolled, along with more advanced writers, in discipline courses with no writing prerequisite?

Fall 2006: A Semester of Preparation

• Phase 1 – Discussion

• Phase 2 – Development

Fall 2006: A Semester of Preparation

Phase 1• Discussion of writing assignments• Discussion of student writing

Fall 2006: A Semester of Preparation

Phase 2• Development of Disciplinary Writing Guidelines• Development of Proofreading Symbols• Development of Diagnostic Prompt• Development of WAC Reporting Forms• Compilation of Writing Center WAC Binder• Development of Student Survey• Establishment of ePortfolio Consortium

Disciplinary Writing Guidelines

WAC@CSM Comparative Guidelines for Writing in Different Disciplines Aspects of Writing Disciplines Mathematics Biology Philosophy Political Science English Thesis Can be statement of purpose; may

advance a theory; may use 1st person. Usually a statement of purpose; may advance a theory; May use 1st person

If the paper is an essay, there should be a clear expression of the conclusion of the argument the paper is addressing. 1st or 3rd person is appropriate.

May be a carefully qualified argumentative stand; usually 3rd person.

Usually NOT just a statement of purpose; often argumentative; usually 3rd person

Introduction May be a brief but coherent summary of background information, pertinent definitions, or a history of the problem. Usually general to specific. The hook is generally absent. When mathematics being used to support an argumentative paper, more latitude encouraged.

Places work in a theoretical context; interests the reader in the topic and its potential significance; may give a rationale for the approach taken; moves from general to specific; may cite prior works to support approach to thesis.

No cutesy biographical info, no epic info, brevity is a virtue.

Places work in a theoretical context; interests the reader in the topic and its potential significance; may make personal connection. Should inform the reader of the topic and/or the argument and the order for approaching it.

Can use a wide variety of strategies to be engaging; may be 1st person anecdote

Organization and logic in body paragraphs/ sections

Proceeds through logical process or argument; may include history of idea or biography.

Usually moves specific to general; Sections may be specified or titled.

Body paragraphs correspond to premises of the argument.

Body paragraphs usually general to specific. In supporting of an argument, begin with a strong argument, followed by a not-so-strong argument and lastly, a strong argument.

Body paragraphs usually general to specific; Often least to most order.

Conclusion May not be needed if task complete; If offered, is provisional and qualified; may look ahead to unanswered questions; may be a straightforward summary.

Draw conclusions as warranted; qualify carefully; support conclusions with own evidence or evidence from other sources; may make careful predictions

Bring shit together – synthetic a posteriori - rather than mere restatement of thesis.

Conclude by revisiting the thesis and the method to prove the argument or answer the question. May make connections to larger issues of significance.

Not just a summary in short papers. May have persuasive intent.

Subtitles Acceptable Often necessary Avoid at all costs, use good transitions instead

Only in research papers. Usually not needed

WAC Proofreading SymbolsProofreading Symbols

Symbol Error Example (Some instructors note errors in the margins of the papers while some make their notations directly above the error; see first example.) RO or RTS RO run-on sentence I like movies my favorite is Star Wars. RO or RTS RTS run-together sentence CS comma splice I like movies, my favorite is Star Wars.

frag sentence fragment After they went to the movie. They went home. vt, tense incorrect verb tense When I was a child, my family visit Agra. vf incorrect verb form I am come from Vietnam. wf incorrect word form I belief what you are telling me. pl, sg/pl plural error I read seven book last summer. poss possessive The students phone kept ringing in class. hom homonym You must decide whether your going to go to college. I would rather go swimming then ride my bike. pro ref pronoun reference These apples are rotten; donÕt buy it. npn noun-pronoun Ņ Ņ reference/agreement art article If a weather changes, I will go home. wc word choice She said me to go home. ww wrong word It was an allusion in his mind. sp spelling It was certinly enjoyed the show. O missing word or punctuation Joe reads the every day. I like Italian Mexican and Thai foods. // parallel structure It is not necessarily always junk foods that make people obese, fat or overweight, but other situations that cause obesity are laziness, psychological depression, and genetically overweight. vague ref vague reference The president is considering legislation on global warming. This is a problem because . . . word order I only have two choices. Additionally, the staff serves three times a day reduced calorie meals. insert She going for a walk. delete A dogs are running at the park.

combine Some teachers assign too much home work. remove space I will love you forever. add space Everyone should read at least one goodbook a year. cap, capitalize letter I live in oakland. /, lc use lowercase letter Her Mother works for PG&E. wdy wordy At this point in time, we now must do something today. pass inappropriate use of The two candidates arrived for the televised debate. A comment passive voice was soon made that was controversial. red redundant Her cheeks were red in color. rep repetitive Her pink cheeks were very pink. clichˇ inappropriate or IÕll be ready quick as a wink. ineffective use of a clichˇ [ ] omit words in brackets The novel Beloved by Toni Morrison explains how symbolized trees represent the positive and negative parts of life. Some people are able to forget the past, but according to Lois, her memories of the time she spent with her friend Lucy are still with her. (Note the need to add an apostrophe after ŅLoisÓ once the bracketed words are deleted.) dangl dangling modifier While taking a shower, the phone rang. mixed st mixed structure In this review by Michael Bauer says that the food at LuLu is still great. ss sentence structure Not until Imagination Farms wants to make an agreement with the entertainment company to put their cartoons on fresh produce so that this epidemic, childhood obesity, can be stopped. (Note: While this is technically a sentence fragment, the real problem is that the student seems unaware that he has not finished his thought.) Explanation ¦ indent Indent for a new paragraph here.

no ¦ do not indent Do not indent for a new paragraph here.

¦ dev paragraph development More supporting details needed.

coh coherence Connections between ideas are not apparent.

trans transition Connecting word or phrase is needed here.

?, uncl unclear Sentence, or part of sentence, is not clear.

awk awkward Wording is unconventional.

Diagnostic Prompt

WAC Reporting Forms

Student Survey Questions

To what degree has this class affected your ability to . . .• A. Comprehend, interpret, and analyze written, oral, and quantitative information [graphs, charts, etc]

….• B. Acknowledge the value of differing opinions and perspectives….• C. Identify, develop, and evaluate arguments….• D. Work effectively with others of diverse backgrounds….• E. Perform quantitative analysis, using appropriate resources….• F. Write, read, speak, and listen in order to communicate effectively….• G. Express ideas and provide supporting evidence in writing and speaking….• H. Formulate and integrate ideas, concepts and skills from multiple perspectives and across

disciplines….• I. Identify ethical issues and understand the conflicts inherent in them….• J. Solve problems that require numerical, algebraic, and statistical reasoning….• K. Interpret graphical representations of quantitative information….• L. Analyze the interconnectedness of global and local concerns, past and present….• M. Identify possible courses of action in response to ethical issues and evaluate their

consequences….• N. Assess the adequacy of qualitative evidence (written or oral but generally not numerical) and

quantitative evidence…..

Digital Teaching and Learning Consortium

Our Goal:

This consortium, comprising several California State University campuses and California Community Colleges, is dedicated to addressing common online teaching and learning issues. Participating campuses are already sharing practices and building on existing initiatives. We are interested in educational reform both on our individual campuses and across the California system; our first focus is the assessment and conversation made possible by ePortfolios. We plan to develop the technology to allow students to transfer from one college to another with their ePortfolios tagging right along (we're calling this "seamless portability"), and to use them also for entrance into the workforce.

Some of the Participating Institutions:

College of San Mateo

City College of San Francisco

San Francisco State University

California State University East Bay

San Jose State University

California State University Monterey Bay

Stanford University

Spring 2007 WAC Implementation!

Coaching Team• Ball, Jeremy - Philosophy• Burke, Michael - Mathematics• Mach, Jean - English• Musgrave, Diane - ESL• Smith, Brandon - ESL• Stafford, Anne - English

Teaching Team• Ball, Jeremy - Philosophy• Brown, Kenneth - Mathematics• Danielson, David - Philosophy• Gregory, Cheryl P. - Mathematics• Tran, Huy - Biology• Scholnick, Erin - Political Science

This group was soon joined by volunteer counseling and reading faculty and Writing Center Staff.

WAC Classes SP 07 (17 sections total)

• Biol 184 AA - Wildlife Biology• Biol 140 AA - Animals, People &

Environment• Hum 125 – Technology,

Contemporary Society and Human Values

• Math 145 - Liberal Arts Math• Math 200 - Introductory Statistics• Math 222 - PreCalculus• Phil 100 - Introduction to Philosophy• Phil 244 – Contemporary Moral &

Social Issues• Plsc 210 - American Politics

The Strategies

• Discussion of Diagnostic Writing Samples to identify appropriate support strategies for students writing at different levels

• Further discussion of assignments• Implementation of interventions:

Referrals to Writing Center Coaching Team Draft Workshops The “Post-Mortem”

The Assessment Tools

• The Survey

• ePortfolios & ISLOs

The Student Survey

Student ePortfolios: a sample

ISLOs & WAC Outcomes Institutional Student Learning Outcomes

• Effective Communication The ability of students to write, read, speak, and listen in order to communicate effectively.

• Quantitative Skills The ability of students to perform quantitative analysis, using appropriate resources.

• Critical Thinking The ability of students to analyze information, reason critically and creatively, and formulate ideas/concepts carefully and logically from multiple perspectives and across disciplines.

• Social Awareness and Diversity The ability of

students to recognize cultural traditions and to understand and appreciate the diversity of the human experience, past and present.

• Ethical Responsibility The ability of students to make, with respect to individual conduct, judgments based on systems of values.

(Adopted by the College Assessment Committee, May 2006)

The Results

The Scholarship

• Instructor Reflective Responses

• Student Reflective Responses

Reflective Faculty Responses

Reflective Student Responses• I have been able to analyze readings and information that I was not

able to understand before taking this class. It enabled me to dig deeper and find the meaning behind the information.

• The class helped me to become a better writer because throughout the course, through essays, I learned to clearly express my views and interpret the readings that were assigned.

• This course has helped me develop my writing skills and has improved my grammar. We have touched on oral communication frequently and I am very comfortable speaking in front of large groups of people. I feel very comfortable working with others of different backgrounds because of group projects.  I would have liked to have done more group projects and to have had my writing assessed by my classmates more often.

• WAC course that I was taking, helped me to realize values in life. I also learned how to understand reading of the true english language. Also, having discussions in class about reading was very helpful too.

Reflective Student Responses• I didn't really like the writing for this course because I did not see why

we had to do it. But after I had completed the writing it all made sense and then I was ok with the work.

• THIS COURSE HELPED ME BETTER ANALYZE AND INTERPRET GRAPHICAL EQUATIONS AND HAS HELPED COMMUNICATE BETTER.

• It helped to develop my ability to writing better and making my essay better.

• As a course, it has helped to develop my writing skills in use words and its definition the correct way. It has also taught me that you must use words the appropriate way with correct grammar.

• I have overcome my fear and intimidation of writing with the help of my instructors demands for essays and the support of the WAC instructors.

Faculty ePortfolios: a sample

Diamonds in the Rough

• CSM Center for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

• Plans for a new Integrative Learning Center• CSM Scholar Program to be launched in the

fall• PodTeaching Innovators Program launched in

May

Faculty ePortfolios: a sample

Digital Teaching and Learning Consortium

ePortfolio Workshops: 6/18 (CSM), 6/19 (Carnegie Foundation)by Ruth Cox - Tuesday, June 12 2007, 06:44 PM As a reminder, or in case you didn't get the word, we want to invite you to join us for all or part of 2 exciting ePortfolio Sessions next week, June 18 & 19.

Afternoon 1: Monday, June 18, 2 to 5 pmWhat: Planning workshop: Get together in pilot groups to plan how students will use ePortfolios while transferring between campuses and to discuss other aspects of ePortfolio use.Where: College of San Mateo, Bldg. 12, Room 170CONTACT: Jean Mach to RSVP and to obtain a parking permits (mach@smccd.edu).

Morning 2 Session: Tuesday, June 19, 9 am @ Carnegie Foundation (Palo Alto)Special chance to meet in person with KEEP developer Toru Ilyoshi and others from the Knowledge Media Lab, share what our campuses are doing with them, and learn more about new features in KEEP.Where: Carnegie Foundation (directions: http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/general/index.asp?key=55)Parking is available in the Foundation lot, or Stanford golf course lot (and walk up hill).

LUNCH (hosted by Carnegie Foundation)

Afternoon 2: Tuesday, June 19, 2 to 5 pmWrap-up Workshop to integrate, consolidate, finalize plansWhere: Back at the College of San Mateo, Bldg. 12, Room 170

These will all be working sessions, with a chance to meet with others to discussplans for ePortfolio development on your campus, no matter what tools/approaches you are taking--the information should be relevant.

Plans for Fall 2007• Involvement of more faculty

• More ePortfolios for students

• Faculty Course ePortfolios

• WAC Packs

• “Talking about Teaching” in the new SoTL Center

• ePortfolio partnership with CSU East Bay, focused on WAC and Learning Communities