Data Provided by Professor Thorbjornsen

3.15.2011

Assessment Completed by Dr. Padgett

Trinity University Goals / CAS Goals / English Program Goals / ENGL 150 Goals
Intellectually, ethically, and spiritually prepare students for work, civic, and family life by infusing the curriculum with the knowledge, skills, and values that characterize liberal learning. / 1. Read, under- stand, and analyze texts.
2. Communicate effectively in speech and in writing.
4. Locate, evaluate, and synthesize information in the construction of knowledge.
5. Explore and connect fields of knowledge in the liberal arts.
6. Apply diverse modes of inquiry to the study of human societies and the natural world.
7. Develop facility for moral reasoning and examine the moral and religious dimensions of human experience. / 1. Students will learn how to read and interpret texts (printed, filmed, and hypertextual)
critically and analytically.
2. Students will develop facility in original writing in various genres, particularly in argumentative writing.
4. Students will develop the ability to analyze, criticize, and synthesize the structures and ideas encountered in texts. They will gain an understanding of the role language and literature play in the lives and cultures of people, historically and today.
5. Students will become familiar with the traditions and conventions of literature and film in English.
6. Students will develop the ability to reason, write, and speak persuasively through research projects and participation in seminars and class discussions. In their senior seminar, English majors gain expertise and produce original work as independent researchers.
7. Students will gain an understanding of literature as a sociological and political event and as a commentary on human values, particularly values related to justice, gender, and race. / 1. Students will be able to read critically and analyze literary texts orally in class discussion and in writing.
2. Students will know terminology appropriate to the study of literature, literary criticism, and literary theory.
3. Students will be able to use close textual analysis to build interpretations of literary texts.
2. Students will know terminology appropriate to the study of literature, literary criticism, and literary theory.
4. Students will know basic research methods in literary study, including the evaluation of sources, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and documenting both primary and secondary sources, using MLA style.
5. Students will know what constitutes plagiarism and ways to avoid it.
6. Students will be able to appreciate the variety of human experience and the cultures explored in the literature read.
Intellectually, ethically, and spiritually prepare students for work, civic and family life by infusing the curriculum with principles of equity, justice, and honor. / 7. Develop facility for moral reasoning and examine the moral and religious dimensions of human experience. / 7. Students study literary traditions, literature by and about women, and literature written in English by and about members of diverse cultures in the US and internationally. Students will gain an understanding of literature as a sociological and political event and as a commentary on human values, particularly values related to justice, gender, and race. / 6. Students will be able to appreciate the variety of human experience and the cultures explored in the literature read.
Intellectually ethically, and spiritually prepare students for work, civic, and family life by emphasizing integration of liberal learning with professional preparation. / 1. Read, understand, and analyze texts.
2. Communicate effectively in speech and in writing.
4. Locate, evaluate, and synthesize information in the construction of knowledge.
6. Apply diverse modes of inquiry to the study of human societies and the natural world.
8. Develop capacities for responsible citizenship and leadership in diverse communities. / 1. Students will learn how to read and interpret texts (broadly defined) critically and analytically.
2. Students will develop facility in original writing in various genres, particularly argumentative writing.
4. Students will develop the ability to reason, write, and speak persuasively through research projects and participation in seminars and class discussions. In their senior seminar, English majors gain expertise and produce original work as independent researchers. / 1. Students will be able to read critically and analyze literary texts orally in class discussion and in writing.
3. Students will be able to use close textual analysis to build interpretations of literary texts.
4. Students will know basic research methods in literary study, including the evaluation of sources, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and documenting both primary and secondary texts, using MLA style.

ENGL 107 Assessment

ENGL 107/6 and 107/8, Fall 2010: College Composition

Professor Wendy Thorbjornsen

This assessment seeks to evaluate the student achievement of Objective 4 on the ENGL 107 syllabus (Professor Wendy Thorbjornsen) by examining scores achieved on pre- and post-course writing samples in two sections taught in Fall 2010: ENGL 107/6 and ENGL 107/8 (both taught by Wendy Thorbjornsen). (See Table 1 below for the writing prompt used to elicit these samples.) (You may find Professor Thorbjornsen’s syllabus at the end of this assessment in Appendix 1.)

I. Objective 4 on syllabus: Write and defend an original thesis statement and integrate it into an academic paper.

Elaboration of objective 4: Write an original thesis statement. Discipline-based criteria as enumerated by Indiana University’s Writing Tutorial Services ( and as taught by Trinity’s English Program:

1. Thesis takes a strong and specific stand.

2. The thesis warrants a defense.

3. The thesis tackles one main idea.

4. The thesis predicts the development of the essay.

A. ENGL 107/6 Thesis Statements from Pre-Course Writing Sample in response to the prompt (see Table 1 for prompt).

Eight students wrote the post-course sample; of those, one did not write a pre-course sample.

Student 1 Thesis from pre-course sample: “In my neighborhood, children are socializing in the parking lot at ridiculous hours. This issue is a problem because they lurke [sic] around dark corners and safety is a concern. Being aware of your surroundings is apart [sic] of self-protection so if children doing no harm would like the pleasure of being beat down and mased [sic], they should move out of the way.” Analysis based on criteria listed above: 1. Thesis takes a weak and general stand. 2. This thesis does not warrant defense. 3. The thesis covers several issues rather than one. 4. The organization of the essay remains unclear from the thesis.

Student 1 Thesis from post-course sample: “My lovely neighborhood that resides near Eastern Market in Capitol Hill hardly has anything the matter with it. Well, hardly anything except the eye sore of children playing out in the street while there is a park two blocks from home. The children that play in the street are not safe and the [sic] put others at risk.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis takes a much more specific stand, directly related to a named neighborhood and identifying clearly the problem (playing the streets) and the solution (a neighborhood park). 2. The thesis warrants defense. 3. The thesis sticks to a single issue. 4. The thesis predicts the essay’s organization (problem/solution). In short, the student has shown dramatic progress in the ability to write a strong, and specific thesis statement.

Student 2 Thesis from pre-course sample: “Many kids in Wards [sic] 6 live in rough neighborhoods, where crime and violence is [sic] high. Many of these kids don’t have a positive place to go after school. Therefore they attend Rosedale Recreation Center. As of 2010, Mayor Adrienne [sic] Fenty has decided to knock down and rebuild the entire recreation center so that it is a better facilite [sic] for the urban youth. Unfortunately, as this may be a good idea and helpful to the community there are 3 problems with this enhancement to our community; (1) long periods of time to build it effects [sic] traffic (2) where will the community go in the mean time [sic] (3) crime has risen in our youth.” Analysis based on critera: 1. Thesis takes a strong and specific stand. 2. The thesis warrants defense. 3. Thesis tackles one main idea. 4. The thesis predicts the essay’s organization.

Student 2 Thesis from post-course sample: “To me, my neighborhood has had many criminal activities occur over the years, but many things have changed over the years. Laws that people once disobeyed are being enforced. Most prominate [sic] is the presence of police on various street corners usually where violent crimes occur. With more presense [sic] of the police in my neighborhood, fewer drugs dealers post [sic] street corners, fewer car theft [sic], and speeding and traffic voliation [sic] occurances [sic].” Analysis based on criteria: 1. Thesis is poorly worded as a fragment, lacks parallelism, and thus weakly argues the student’s position. 2. The thesis warrants defense. 3. The thesis addresses a single issue, but not very coherently. 4. The thesis does predict the overall organization, but because the thesis lacks parallelism in its elements, it may not be able to predict the organization for the reader very effectively. To sum up, the student’s pre-course thesis had greater strengths than the one in the post-course sample.

Student 3 thesis from pre-course sample: not available.

Student 3 thesis from post-course sample: “The amount of traffic which speeds through our neighborhood has become a safety issue. However, within the last year, the community has worked together to increase awareness as it pertains to the safety of our community and educate the public.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. Thesis takes a strong and specific stand. 2. The thesis warrants a defense. 3. The thesis addresses one main idea: traffic safety. 4. The thesis predicts the development of the essay well.

Student 4 thesis from pre-course sample: “ Ann issue that has affected a neighborhood in which I’ve lived in was no security, and not enough buildings. The issue was addressed [sic] by putting a police station close to the metro. It was also addressed [sic] by building buildings, and a Seven-Eleven.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis takes a strong and specific stand on two issues. 2. The thesis warrants a defense. 3. The thesis addresses two related ideas—safety and development. 4. The thesis predicts the development of the essay well.

Student 4 thesis from post-course sample: “Have you ever been in a situation, in which you can’t sleep because of people making noise? Well that is the case in my neighborhood. There are two restaurants in which people go and dine. Both restaurants close at 3 in the morning, which makes it hard for people who live close to sleep. Restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages should close at 12 AM, during weekdays, to prevent incidents.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis takes a strong and specific stand. 2. The thesis warrants defense. 3. The thesis addresses a single issue. 4. The thesis predicts the development of the essay well. The student has been able to develop a more succinct and single thesis.

Student 5 thesis from pre-course sample: “An issue that has affected my neighborhood was shoot outs. This issue has not been fairly addressed, but we all just learned how to protect ourselves from harm or danger.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis addresses a specific issue, but it does not take a very specific stand on the issue. 2. The thesis warrants defense. 3. The thesis tackles a single issue. 4. The thesis does not predict the development of the essay well.

Student 5 thesis from post-course sample: “Violence is the number one thing that makes my neighborhood hard to live in. People don’t come outside like they use [sic] to and children rarely play with each other. Violence in my neighborhood makes tragic events happen frequently.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis does not take a strong stand. 2. The thesis may warrant defense, depending on the specificity of the violence. 3. The thesis doest not focus on a single issue. 4. The thesis is too broad to predict the development of the essay well. The student does not seem to have grasped the concept of a thesis adequately.

Student 6 thesis from pre-course sample: “Do you think that your child is safe beeing [sic] outside after it gets dark? Do you feel safe coming home after 10 p.m.? If so then this is a meeting you would want to be at. We’re going to be discussing the problems the kids cost and how they could be fixed.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis does not take a stand. 2. The thesis may warrant defense but remains unclear in its advocacy. 3. The thesis alludes to issues, but without clarity. 4. The thesis does not give the reader a sense of the direction the essay will take.

Student 6 thesis from post-course sample: “Will [sic] the neighborhood I live in is not a safe neighborhood at all. Once it gets dark you wouldn’t want to come out your [sic] house. The crime in my neighborhood use [sic] to be so bad that police wouldn’t want to come to the neighborhood. I am going to talk about the problems in the neighborhood, how the issue was addressed, and if I agree with the solution.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis does not take a stand but presents a statement of the essay’s purpose instead. 2. The thesis may warrant defense. 3. The thesis does not specify what issues are at stake beyond the vague issue of safety. 4. The thesis does predict the development of the essay, but it is too broad to fit the narrow scope of the essay. Student did not substantially improve in her ability to write a thesis.

Student 7 thesis from pre-course sample: “I’m a DC resident and there are some issues that have affected my neighborhood. The issue I believe affects my neighborhood the most is drugs. Drugs affects [sic] my neighborhood because some people sell the drugs and some people need the drug.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis identifies an issue—drug usage—but does not take a stand. 2. The thesis would have warranted a defense if a stand had been taken. 3. The thesis does single out an issue, but the problem it identifies is not the problem. 4. The thesis does not adequately predict the development of a problem/solution essay.

Student 7 thesis from post-course sample: “Crime is an issue that has affected my neighborhood surrounding; police need to inforce [sic] the law and try to prevent crimes.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis takes a stand, albeit vague. 2. The thesis warrants a defense. 3. The thesis addresses an issue, but one that is very broad. 4. The thesis does predict the development of the essay in its broad outline. Student has improved in her thesis-writing but still needs further work on developing a thesis addressing a specific issue.

Student 8 thesis from pre-course sample: “People in my neighborhood don’t volunteer to help the elderly people when they are doing everything [sic] errands, like for example, I was getting some food from the grocery store and this eldery [sic] lady was walking behind this other woman, and the elderly lady was trying to pick up some groceries off of the shelf, but she could not reach the shelf, the lady was shaking her head and saying that the elderly lady needed some help from someone other than her, she was really mean and nasty….” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis does not take a specific stand.

2. The thesis warrants a defense if the student could identify the issue clearly and in a coherent sentence. 3. The thesis addresses an issue but with little control over the writing. 4. The thesis does not predict the development of the essay.

Student 8 thesis from post-course sample: “An issue that has not been addressed? Is that young groups of people hang out in front of liquor stores and libraries after school gets out…. People need to do more and speak up about this problem of young people hanging out by stores and libraries doing nothing at all.” Analysis based on criteria: 1. The thesis takes a weak stand. 2. The thesis warrants a defense but needs stronger identification of the problem and the solution. 3. The thesis singles out an issue without saying why the issue is a problem. 4. The thesis somewhat predicts the development of a very broadly conceived essay. The student shows real improvement, but she continues to need on-going instruction in the writing of a thesis.

B. Conclusions: In reviewing the thesis statements offered by students in ENGL 107/6 (Fall 2010), we note the following:

Of the 17 students who completed at least one part of pre- and post-course samples, only 8 completed the post-course sample.
Of these 17 students, 2 earned a grade of A-, 5 earned grades in the B range, 1 earned a C, 6 earned a D, 1 earned an F, 1 earned a P, and 1 withdrew. Fully 8 of the students failed to complete the course at a satisfactory level of performance.
Students 1, 3, 4, 7, and 8 showed varying degrees of improvement in the writing of a thesis statement. Student 1, who showed the most improvement, took the course Pass/Fail and passed. Student 3 did not write the pre-course sample but showed strength in the writing of thesis in the post-course; she earned a grade of B- in the course. Student 4 showed improvement and earned a grade of B. Student 7 showed improvement but still needs further work in developing a thesis centered on an issue; her grade in the course was a B-. Student 8 also improved but needs substantial further instruction in the writing of a thesis; she earned a grade of D in the course.
Students 2, 5, and 6 failed to show significant improvement. While Student 2 wrote a strong thesis in the pre-course sample, her post-course thesis was considerably weaker, even though the student received an A- in the course. It seems safe to assume that her post-course thesis-writing was not indicative of her abilities. Student 5 showed little improvement and earned a grade of D+ in the course. Lastly, Student 6 showed no substantial improvement and earned a grade of D.
A strong correlation exists between improvement in thesis-writing resulting from learning in the course and final course grades.
Those students who did not learn how to improve thesis writing also did not perform well in the course, with one exception.
It appears that when students meet the learning objective that they succeed well.
These results correlate well with the results presented in Table 2, which gives the score on the pre-course sample assigned by the instructor and the score on the post-course sample in a blinded assessment by Dr. Jacqueline Padgett.

II. Assessment of Scores on Writing Samples.