Universityof

atLafayette Louisiana
[CourseembeddedAssessment:Written
Communication]
NinetyfourENGL102paperswereselectedfrom6randomlyidentified
sectionsinFall2008.Attheendofthesemester,ateamofonecoordinator
(Dr.ClancyRatliff,DirectoroftheFirstYearWritingProgram)andseven
expertevaluatorsassembledtoassesseachofthestudentsubmitted
manuscriptsona4dimensionalrubricutilizingthreelevelsofperformance
(1=poor,2=satisfactory,3=outstanding).Eachpaperwasevaluatedbytwo
independentassessors.Reliabilitiesbetweentheseratersoneachdimension
andontheoverallscoreare:Content=.58,Organization=.61,Research
=.72,LanguageIssues=.41,Overall(mathematicalmeanoffourdimensions
equallyweighted)=.70.

2009
OfficeofLearningEffectiveness
AssessmentofStudentLearningReport
1/23/2009
Expected
of2(satisfact

esults|OnlyontheLanguageIssuesdimensionwastheexpectedperformanceattained.
Performance|Atleast70%oftheassessedstudentproductswouldattainanoverallrating
ory)orgreater.
R

OverallResults(n=94)
Poor Satisfactory Outstanding
Content
Mean=2.05
Med
Mod
ian=2 0 .
e=2.5
33% 67%
Organization
Mean=1.93
Median=2 0 .
Mode=2.0
39% 61%
Research
Mean=1.84
Median
Mode=
=1 5 .
1.0
52% 48%
LanguageIssues
Mean=2.07
Median=2 0 .
Mode=2.0
21% 79%
Overall
Mean=1.97
Median=1.875
Mode=1.875
51% 49%

nterpretation| After reviewing the results, Dr. Ratliff, on behalf of the CEA team, offered the following I
contextualcaveatsthatmayhaveskewedthedata.Theseissuesshouldbeconsideredwheninterpretingtheresults.

1. The s were taking the second semester of the firstyear writing course
outofs
ample was comprised of students who
equence.StudentswhotakeENGL102inthefallsemesteroftenfallintooneofthefollowinggroups:
studentswhoretake102afterfailingit
studentswhooriginallystartedoutindevelopmentalwriting(forexample,tookEnglish90infall2
inspring2008,then102infall2008)
007,101
studentswhoparticipatedinthehighschooldualenrollmentprogramfortheirEnglish101credit

2. Hurr
instruct
icanes Gustav and Ike had a disruptive influence on courses in the fall 2008 semester. According to
orfeedbackreceived:
there seemed to be a much higher than usual rate of attrition in classes. We had to gather papers from six
e sectionsofENGL102inordertocompileasampl of92papers.SincetheenrollmentcapinENGL102is27,
weweresurprised.Eachsectionlostabout12students.
even for the students who remained, there was a higher than usual rate of absenteeism in fall 2008 and,
ion from class work. Teachers speculated that students and their
anesthathadaspillovereffectontheiracademicwork.
according to teachers, a general distract
familiessufferedsetbacksfromthehurric

RecommendedInterventions
(1) ClarifytheLanguageIssuesdimensionoftherubrictoaugmentinterraterreliability.
(2) Repeat
(3) Ask e theresults,withparticularemphasison:
theCEAinaSpringsemester.
th firstyearwritingteamforinsight/recommendationsinto
. Assistingstudentswithevolvingtheirresearchskills.
. Assistingstudentswithorganizationalissuesinwriting.
a
b

Attachments to Follow:



SPSS Data Results
Rubric
Excel File with Raw Data
1 (poor) 2 (satisfactory) 3 (outstanding)
Content
- Topic is too
broad and
general for a
paper of its
length
- No clear main
idea or
sustained
position in
the paper (or
argument is
incredible to
an academic
audience)
- Treatment of
the subject is
superficial
and facile
- Paper is
overly reliant
on cliches or
culturally
conditioned/
ethnocentric
assumptions
and bias
- Argument, if
present, is
unsupported
by evidence,
or evidence is
insufficient
- Topic is
manageable for
a paper of its
length
- Amount of
evidence is
sufficient
- Demonstrates
critical thinking
(ability to
recognize
complexity,
biases, and
stereotypical
representations;
distinguishing
fact from
opinion)
- Sets forth a
clear thesis/
position on the
issue
- Contains some
acknowledgment
of opposing/
divergent views
- Topic is
narrow
enough to
allow for a
rigorous,
nuanced
treatment of
the subject
- Evidence is
ample to
support
position taken
- Evidence is
evaluated/
analyzed, not
simply
presented
- Opposing/
divergent
views are
carefully
considered
and
thoughtfully
refuted
- Argument is
fresh, not
typical or
predictable for
a first-year
student
Organization
- Introduction
does not
orient the
reader to the
concerns of
the paper or
contextualize
the subject of
the paper
- Arrangement
of the paper
is haphazard
and random
- Paragraphs
do not have
transitions
that guide
the reader
- Paper contains a
clear
introduction,
development,
conclusion
- Divided into
discrete
sections, each
supporting the
thesis
- Logical, smooth
transitions
between
sections
- Plan of
development
stated
(forecasting
- Paper is not
only well-
organized but
shows an
unusually
keen
consideration
of the
audience:
questions are
anticipated
and answered,
arguments
seem
arranged
artfully for the
most
from one idea
to the next
- Conclusion is
absent or
abrupt
statement, self-
announcing
structure to
argument)
persuasive
effect
Research
- Information
that clearly
comes from
sources is not
cited
- More quoted
material is
present than
prose written
by the
student
- Information
comes from
sources that
are not
acceptable
for an
academic
paper
- Works cited
list not
present
- Sources are
integrated into
student's
argument
(student is in
control of the
source material;
no "data dump")
- Sources are
credible
according to
academic
standards
- Works cited list
is present even
if documentation
format is
incorrect
- Source
material is
integrated
seamlessly
into the
student's
argument
- Bibliography is
even-handed
(sources both
in support of
and contra
student's
argument)
- Paper contains
works cited
page in
correct
documentation
format
Language Issues
- Frequency of
error (of any
type)
detracts from
the content
of the paper
- Paper
contains
faulty word
choices or
malapropisms
- Grammar and
punctuation are
mostly correct
- Syntax is clear
- Student shows
command of
language (word
choice/
vocabulary)
- Varied sentence
structure
- Correct spelling
- Paper is
virtually free
of error
- Writer shows
an unusual
felicity with
regard to word
choice, turns
of phrase (ex.
uses obscure
words, bon
mots)
- Sentence
structure is
complex but
not
cumbersome
5 1 1 2 2 5 1 1 1 3 5 1 1 5 5 5
24 2 3 3 2 5 2 3 3 2 5 2 3 3 2 5
43 3 2 2 3 5 2 2 2 2 2 5 2 2 5 25
62 1 2 2 2 75 2 2 2 2 2 5 2 2 2 875
81 2 2 1 2 3 1 2 2 2 2 1 875
Paper Content1 Organization1 Research1 LanguageIssues1 Overall1 Content2 Organization2 Research2 LanguageIssues2 Overall2 ContentAvg OrganizationAvg ResearchAvg LanguageIssuesAvg OverallAvg
1 1 2 1 3 1.75 2 2 1 2 1.75 1.5 2 1 2.5 1.75
2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1.5 1 1 1.5 1.5 1.25
3 3 2 3 3 2.75 3 3 3 3 3 3 2.5 3 3 2.875
4 2 2 1 1 1.5 2 1 1 1 1.25 2 1.5 1 1 1.375
5 1 1 2 2 1.5 1. 1 1 1 3 1.5 1. 1 1 1.5 1. 2.5 2. 1.5 1.
6 2 1 2 2 1.75 3 2 3 3 2.75 2.5 1.5 2.5 2.5 2.25
7 1 2 1 3 1.75 2 1 1 2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1 2.5 1.625
8 3 2 2 2 2.25 2 1 1 2 1.5 2.5 1.5 1.5 2 1.875
9 2 1 3 2 2 2 1 3 2 2 2 1 3 2 2
10 3 2 2 2 2.25 2 1 2 2 1.75 2.5 1.5 2 2 2
11 2 1 1 1 1.25 2 2 1 2 1.75 2 1.5 1 1.5 1.5
12 3 3 2 2 2.5 3 3 2 2 2.5 3 3 2 2 2.5
13 3 2 2 3 2.5 2 2 1 2 1.75 2.5 2 1.5 2.5 2.125
14 3 3 3 2 2.75 1 2 2 2 1.75 2 2.5 2.5 2 2.25
15 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2.75 3 2.5 3 3 2.875
16 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2.75 3 2.5 3 3 2.875
17 2 1 3 1 1.75 1 1 2 2 1.5 1.5 1 2.5 1.5 1.625
18 3 2 2 2 2.25 3 2 2 3 2.5 3 2 2 2.5 2.375
19 2 2 3 2 2.25 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2.5 2 2.125
20 3 2 2 1 2 3 3 2 2 2.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 2.25
21 3 2 1 2 2 3 3 1 3 2.5 3 2.5 1 2.5 2.25
22 1 1 2 2 1.5 2 2 3 3 2.5 1.5 1.5 2.5 2.5 2
23 3 2 3 3 2.75 2 3 2 2 2.25 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5
24 2 3 3 2 2.5 2. 2 3 3 2 2.5 2. 2 3 3 2 2.5 2.
25 2 2 2 1 1.75 2 2 1 2 1.75 2 2 1.5 1.5 1.75
26 3 3 2 3 2.75 2 2 2 2 2 2.5 2.5 2 2.5 2.375
27 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5
28 3 3 3 2 2.75 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2.5 2.875
29 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
30 3 2 3 3 2.75 3 2 3 2 2.5 3 2 3 2.5 2.625
31 2 3 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 1.75 2 2.5 1 2 1.875
32 1 2 1 1 1.25 1 2 1 1 1.25 1 2 1 1 1.25
33 1 2 1 2 1.5 2 2 1 2 1.75 1.5 2 1 2 1.625
34 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2.75 3 3 3 2.5 2.875
35 1 2 2 1 1.5 2 2 2 3 2.25 1.5 2 2 2 1.875
36 1 1 2 2 1.5 1 1 1 2 1.25 1 1 1.5 2 1.375
37 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
38 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1.5 1 1.5 1 1.5 1.25
39 3 3 2 2 2.5 1 2 1 1 1.25 2 2.5 1.5 1.5 1.875
40 2 3 2 1 2 3 2 1 1 1.75 2.5 2.5 1.5 1 1.875
41 3 2 3 3 2.75 2 2 3 2 2.25 2.5 2 3 2.5 2.5
42 1 2 1 2 1.5 2 2 2 2 2 1.5 2 1.5 2 1.75
43 3 2 2 3 2.5 2. 2 2 2 2 2 2.5 2. 2 2 2.5 2. 2.25 2.
44 2 1 1 1 1.25 3 2 2 2 2.25 2.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.75
45 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2.75 3 3 2.5 3 2.875
46 2 3 3 3 2.75 2 2 1 2 1.75 2 2.5 2 2.5 2.25
47 1 2 1 2 1.5 1 1 3 2 1.75 1 1.5 2 2 1.625
48 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5
49 2 2 3 1 2 3 3 2 3 2.75 2.5 2.5 2.5 2 2.375
50 3 2 2 2 2.25 1 1 1 2 1.25 2 1.5 1.5 2 1.75
51 2 2 3 2 2.25 3 3 3 2 2.75 2.5 2.5 3 2 2.5
52 2 2 3 2 2.25 3 3 2 2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2 2.375
53 3 2 2 2 2.25 3 2 1 2 2 3 2 1.5 2 2.125
54 3 3 2 2 2.5 2 2 3 2 2.25 2.5 2.5 2.5 2 2.375
55 1 1 2 2 1.5 1 1 2 2 1.5 1 1 2 2 1.5
56 2 1 1 2 1.5 1 2 2 2 1.75 1.5 1.5 1.5 2 1.625
57 2 3 3 3 2.75 3 3 2 3 2.75 2.5 3 2.5 3 2.75
58 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1.75 1 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.375
59 1 1 2 2 1.5 2 2 1 1 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
60 2 1 2 2 1.75 3 3 3 3 3 2.5 2 2.5 2.5 2.375
61 2 1 1 2 1.5 2 1 1 2 1.5 2 1 1 2 1.5
62 1 2 2 2 1.75 1. 2 2 2 2 2 1.5 1. 2 2 2 1.875 1.
63 1 2 1 1 1.25 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.5 1 1 1.125
64 2 1 1 2 1.5 1 1 1 2 1.25 1.5 1 1 2 1.375
65 3 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 1.75 2 2 1.5 2 1.875
66 2 2 1 2 1.75 3 3 1 3 2.5 2.5 2.5 1 2.5 2.125
67 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2.25 2.5 2 2 2 2.125
68 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
69 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
70 2 3 3 2 2.5 2 2 3 2 2.25 2 2.5 3 2 2.375
71 3 3 3 2 2.75 2 3 3 2 2.5 2.5 3 3 2 2.625
72 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 2.75 2.5 2 2.5 2.5 2.375
73 2 2 1 3 2 2 2 1 2 1.75 2 2 1 2.5 1.875
74 2 3 3 3 2.75 2 2 1 2 1.75 2 2.5 2 2.5 2.25
75 2 1 1 2 1.5 1 1 1 2 1.25 1.5 1 1 2 1.375
76 3 2 1 3 2.25 2 2 1 2 1.75 2.5 2 1 2.5 2
77 2 2 1 1 1.5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1.5 1.5 1.75
78 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2.25 3 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.625
79 2 1 2 2 1.75 2 2 1 3 2 2 1.5 1.5 2.5 1.875
80 1 1 1 2 1.25 1 2 2 3 2 1 1.5 1.5 2.5 1.625
81 2 2 1 2 1 75 1.75 3 1 2 2 2 2 5 2.5 1 5 1.5 1 5 1.5 2 1 875 .
82 1 1 1 2 1.25 3 1 1 2 1.75 2 1 1 2 1.5
83 2 1 1 2 1.5 3 3 1 1 2 2.5 2 1 1.5 1.75
84 2 2 1 1 1.5 1 1 1 1 1 1.5 1.5 1 1 1.25
85 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1.5 1 1 1.5 1.5 1.25
86 1 1 2 2 1.5 1 2 1 2 1.5 1 1.5 1.5 2 1.5
87 2 2 2 3 2.25 2 2 1 2 1.75 2 2 1.5 2.5 2
88 2 2 1 2 1.75 2 2 1 3 2 2 2 1 2.5 1.875
89 2 2 1 2 1.75 1 2 1 2 1.5 1.5 2 1 2 1.625
90 1 1 1 2 1.25 2 1 1 2 1.5 1.5 1 1 2 1.375
91 1 1 1 2 1.25 1 1 1 2 1.25 1 1 1 2 1.25
92 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1.25 1.5 1.5 1.5 2 1.625
93 3 2 3 3 2.75 1 1 2 1 1.25 2 1.5 2.5 2 2
94 3 2 2 2 2.25 2 3 2 2 2.25 2.5 2.5 2 2 2.25
1.99 1.95 2.04 1.93 1.84 2.07 1.97
GET DATA /TYPE=XLSX
/FILE='C:\MyFiles\MyFiles\UL SACS Gen Ed Assessment\Fall 2008 English 102 CEA Excel.xls
x'
/SHEET=name 'Sheet1'
/CELLRANGE=full
/READNAMES=on
/ASSUMEDSTRWIDTH=32767.
DATASET NAME DataSet1 WINDOW=FRONT.
SAVE OUTFILE='C:\MyFiles\MyFiles\UL SACS Gen Ed Assessment\Fall 2008 English 102 CEA Data
.sav'
/COMPRESSED.
FREQUENCIES VARIABLES=Content1 Organization1 Research1 Language1 Overall1 Content2 Organi
zation2 Research2 Language2 Overall2 Conten
tx Organizationx Researchx Languagex Overallx
/STATISTICS=MEAN MEDIAN MODE
/ORDER=ANALYSIS.
Frequencies
[DataSet1] C:\MyFiles\MyFiles\UL SACS Gen Ed Assessment\Fall 2008 English 102 CEA Data.sa
v
Organization2 Content2 Overall1 Language1 Research1 Organization1 Content1
Valid
Missing
Mean
Median
Mode
N
2 2 1.5000 2 1 2 2
2.00 2.00 2.000000 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00
1.93 2.01 1.992021 2.05 1.90 1.94 2.07
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
94 94 94 94 94 94 94
Statistics
Researchx Organizationx Contentx Overall2 Language2 Research2
Valid
Missing
Mean
Median
Mode
N
1.0000 2.0000 2.5000 1.7500 2 1
1.500000 2.000000 2.000000 2.000000 2.00 2.00
1.835106 1.930851 2.042553 1.949468 2.10 1.77
0 0 0 0 0 0
94 94 94 94 94 94
Statistics
Overallx Languagex
Valid
Missing
Mean
Median
Mode
N
1.8750 2.0000
1.875000 2.000000
1.970745 2.074468
0 0
94 94
Statistics
Page 1
Frequency Table
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
2
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 34.0 34.0 32
66.0 39.4 39.4 37
26.6 26.6 26.6 25
Content1
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
2
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 23.4 23.4 22
76.6 46.8 46.8 44
29.8 29.8 29.8 28
Organization1
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
2
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 28.7 28.7 27
71.3 33.0 33.0 31
38.3 38.3 38.3 36
Research1
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
2
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 25.5 25.5 24
74.5 54.3 54.3 51
20.2 20.2 20.2 19
Language1
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
1.25
1.5
Valid
34.0 19.1 19.1 18
14.9 8.5 8.5 8
6.4 6.4 6.4 6
Overall1
Page 2
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1.75
2
2.25
2.5
2.75
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 8.5 8.5 8
91.5 12.8 12.8 12
78.7 7.4 7.4 7
71.3 11.7 11.7 11
59.6 12.8 12.8 12
46.8 12.8 12.8 12
Overall1
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
2
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 29.8 29.8 28
70.2 41.5 41.5 39
28.7 28.7 28.7 27
Content2
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
2
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 20.2 20.2 19
79.8 52.1 52.1 49
27.7 27.7 27.7 26
Organization2
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
2
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 20.2 20.2 19
79.8 36.2 36.2 34
43.6 43.6 43.6 41
Research2
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
2
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 21.3 21.3 20
78.7 67.0 67.0 63
11.7 11.7 11.7 11
Language2
Page 3
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
1.25
1.5
1.75
2
2.25
2.5
2.75
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 4.3 4.3 4
95.7 9.6 9.6 9
86.2 10.6 10.6 10
75.5 9.6 9.6 9
66.0 17.0 17.0 16
48.9 20.2 20.2 19
28.7 13.8 13.8 13
14.9 10.6 10.6 10
4.3 4.3 4.3 4
Overall2
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 14.9 14.9 14
85.1 27.7 27.7 26
57.4 24.5 24.5 23
33.0 17.0 17.0 16
16.0 16.0 16.0 15
Contentx
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 8.5 8.5 8
91.5 24.5 24.5 23
67.0 27.7 27.7 26
39.4 23.4 23.4 22
16.0 16.0 16.0 15
Organizationx
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 13.8 13.8 13
86.2 18.1 18.1 17
68.1 16.0 16.0 15
52.1 25.5 25.5 24
26.6 26.6 26.6 25
Researchx
Page 4
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 6.4 6.4 6
93.6 30.9 30.9 29
62.8 41.5 41.5 39
21.3 13.8 13.8 13
7.4 7.4 7.4 7
Languagex
Cumulative
Percent Valid Percent Percent Frequency
1
1.125
1.25
1.375
1.5
1.625
1.75
1.875
2
2.125
2.25
2.375
2.5
2.625
2.75
2.875
3
Total
Valid
100.0 100.0 94
100.0 1.1 1.1 1
98.9 6.4 6.4 6
92.6 1.1 1.1 1
91.5 3.2 3.2 3
88.3 7.4 7.4 7
80.9 8.5 8.5 8
72.3 8.5 8.5 8
63.8 5.3 5.3 5
58.5 7.4 7.4 7
51.1 11.7 11.7 11
39.4 7.4 7.4 7
31.9 8.5 8.5 8
23.4 7.4 7.4 7
16.0 6.4 6.4 6
9.6 6.4 6.4 6
3.2 1.1 1.1 1
2.1 2.1 2.1 2
Overallx
Page 5