Assessment Plan for the New Media Communication Major

Scott L. Jones 5/17/2006

Mission Statement

The New Media Communication degree program will provide students with the opportunity to explore the theory, tools, and practice of new media communication. Students will learn to communicate orally and in writing in professional contexts, especially online, new media contexts. The program enables students to achieve goals relating to their education, career, and professional development, thus serving the university’s mission of enhancing the educational and professional attainment of the residents of North Central Indiana.

Goals and Outcomes

1. Content

Outcomes:

Students will be able to

1.  Apply major theories of communication

  1. Identification
  2. Description
  3. Application to example

2.  Apply major theories of online communication

  1. Identification
  2. Description
  3. Application to example

3.  Apply basic theories of document design

  1. Identification
  2. Description
  3. Application to example

2. New media tools

Outcomes

Students will be able to use tools to

1.  Design effective web sites

2.  Design effective print publications

3.  Edit photos

4.  Create animations

3. Professional practice

Outcomes

Students should be able to

  1. Analyze communication situations
  2. Audiences
  3. Purposes
  4. Media
  5. Integrate the above
  6. Plan and manage communication projects
  7. Divide tasks
  8. Establish deadlines
  9. Meet deadlines
  10. Work collaboratively

4. Communication

Outcomes

Students should be able to

  1. Write effectively in professional and online contexts
  2. Genre
  3. Structure
  4. Style
  5. Content
  6. Design and use graphics
  7. Appropriate
  8. Ethical
  9. Appealing

5. Self Assessment

Outcomes

Students should be able to

1.  Evaluate their own new media works

  1. Self
  2. Peers
  3. Usability test

Curriculum Map

See attached file.

Assessment Activities Planned for 2006-2007 Academic Year

We will assess the outcome “Students will write effectively in professional and online contexts.”

This will be assessed in N315, W321 and W231 in the following ways by checking the students’ performance on the final writing assignment of each course, and the Web site project in N315.


Outcome: “Students will write effectively in professional and online contexts”

Component / Inadequate / Fair / Good
Genre / Student does not include appropriate genre elements and includes inappropriate genre elements / Student includes appropriate genre elements and does not include inappropriate elements / Student shows mastery of appropriate genre elements and does not include inappropriate elements
Structure / Lacks logical order and cohesiveness / Organized in logical and cohesive sequence / Well organized ideas in strong paragraphs that flow well
Style / Unsuitable tone, sentence structure, and mechanics / Appropriate tone, sentence structure, and mechanics / Superior use of appropriate tone, varied sentence structure, and excellent use of mechanics
Content / Inadequate and/or inappropriate information / Adequate and appropriate information for primary audience / Includes all appropriate information for primary and secondary audiences and no inadequate information

It will be acceptable for 85% of students to achieve at least fair results in these components.

Ongoing Assessment

The New Media Communication Assessment plan is currently incomplete. It is likely that some outcomes (and their components) will need to be added, and some existing outcomes need their components to be revised or included. This work will be done in Fall 2006 when the New Media Communication faculty can gather and work out the necessary details.