Last year was the first year for which we turned in a YAP (for ), so I can't attach one for

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1 Annual Assessment Report Department of English Previous Yearly Action Plan Last year was the first year for which we turned in a YAP (for ), so I can't attach one for Assessment measures used in Because we are aware that the ability to think critically is much valued by our graduates in their future jobs, for we decided to assess argumentation, a core critical thinking process, in senior writing. Specifically, we decided to measure the extent to which, in the language of our goals document, our students are able to think critically, by constructing arguments about literary texts, supporting claims with textual evidence, and making well-justified inferences about the meanings of texts formulating provocative questions and responses to those questions developing and defending original positions and points of view We used both direct and indirect measures. For the direct measures, we selected the final papers of students in our senior seminar as our writing sample. We developed a rubric for assessing the goals listed above, and designed a process for gathering data whereby the Senior Seminar faculty individually applied the rubric to their own students' final papers. The rubric is attached to this report as Appendix 1. For the indirect measures, we included the following three part question in our senior exit interview: This year, we are assessing in particular how well we help our students learn to think critically and construct arguments. Over your time here, how well do you think your English classes have helped you learn to construct arguments about literary texts, supporting claims with textual evidence and making well-justified inferences about the meanings of texts? formulate provocative questions and responses to those questions? develop and defend original positions and points of view? 3. Summary of Results Direct measures: final papers for students in all sections of Senior Seminar were assessed. (Since second-semester juniors can take Senior Seminar, it is not necessarily the case that the final papers of all seniors were assessed, and papers by

2 a few juniors may have been included. But the numbers of juniors is always small; the assessment sample was pretty close to a complete representation of our graduating senior class.) Numeric results were as follows. Scores of 1-2 are considered emerging; 3-4, developing; 5-6, mastering. section 1: 3, 4, 4/5, 5, 4/5, 5, 5+, 4 section 2: 3, 4, 3, 5, 2, 5, 5, 5 section 3: 3, 5, 5, 3, 6, 6, 5, 2, 4, 4.5, 6 The qualitative results are discussed in section 5 below. The chair's summary of these results is attached as Appendix 2. Indirect Measures: 28 out of 36 graduating seniors signed up for exit interviews. The exact number interviewed is unknown (some seniors who sign up don't show, and some students who haven't signed up show up with their friends). The interviewers' summaries of the appropriate sections of these interviews is attached as Appendix How the Results Were Evaluated The results of both the indirect and the direct measures were evaluated in stages. Exit interviews were summarized by the exit interviewers and collated by the chair; results of the writing assessment were discussed by Senior Seminar faculty and summarized by the chair. Both sets of summaries were then brought to the department as a whole for discussion in department meeting set aside for this purpose. The numeric data (see the writing rubrics, which are numbered 1-6) were available to all faculty but were not averaged (we found the qualitative data far more useful than the quantitative data). 5. What We Learned Generally speaking, we do very well in developing students' ability to construct arguments, although there is room for improvement, especially in the development of what one might call supporting abilities. Indirect Measures In exit interviews, students said that the construction and development of an argument supporting claims with evidence and making well-justified inferences about texts was the focus of nearly every course they took: "we're like trained machines," said one. Many said that they learned more about constructing arguments in English classes than they did in other courses and that their ability to argue set them apart from non-english majors.

3 Students felt as well that they were able to formulate provocative questions and responses to those questions, though this varied somewhat from class to class. The heavy emphasis on class discussion and the wide variety of materials they studied were important parts of their development in this area. Senior Seminar was especially praised, largely because so much time was spent on the various stages of the final paper before it was due. Some said they would like to have had attention paid more explicitly in earlier classes to developing a topic as opposed to simply writing about it. They also felt able to develop and defend original positions, although there was some disagreement about what this meant. Those who interpreted developing an original position to mean explaining what they think and having support for their arguments felt that the major prepared them very well; small classes and consistent encouragement from faculty were singled out as helpful factors, and Senior Seminar again came in for particular praise. Some interview sections, however, took this to mean coming up with ideas that no one had ever had before, and they thought that this varied by class. In a field with an enormous critical literature, such as Shakespeare, they didn't think they could manage it, but in contemporary literature classes they could. Some said that Senior Seminar was the first time they felt pressure to come up with an original idea in the latter sense. Results of Direct Measures The students' final papers in Senior Seminar revealed a more complex story. In terms of the specific qualities addressed in our goals statement, students did well overall: many if not most of the arguments were ambitious and original, and most supported claims with substantial evidence. There was variation in how consistently they supported claims with evidence, however, and in the degree to which they used appropriate secondary sources. Where there were significant weaknesses in the arguments, however, it usually had to do with less with argument-specific abilities than with weaknesses in structure or clarity: the papers' claims usually had evidence, but the argument wasn't fully worked out yet, skipping steps or presenting some ideas unclearly. One faculty member said that the papers with good thesis statements nearly all had solid arguments thereafter; those that did not, e.g. that had a thesis that was descriptive rather than argumentative, had all kinds of problems with argumentation in the body of the paper. 6. What We Plan to Do with the Information The department's discussion of the results turned fairly quickly into a discussion of consistency and of the shape of the larger curriculum. Clearly, we do some things very well. But we don't do them in a consistent way. Argument-specific skills are developed in nearly every class, but the degree to which the use of, for example, secondary sources is emphasized varies considerably. We don t have a consistent set of policies about what a particular type or level of class should do, and as a result

4 students following different trajectories through the major develop quite different sets of abilities. This is especially true at the sophomore level, although the evidence for this arises not from the specific information discussed above but from other sources. In parts of the senior exit interviews that were not specifically devoted to argumentation, for example, students noted wide variation in the expectations of teachers of English 280: Practical Criticism, our introduction to the major, as well as other sophomore level classes. We have known for some time that our sophomore level curriculum needs work and that consistency is an issue (see, e.g., our assessment report from last year). Our work on these issues is ongoing, and is proceeding along two fronts simultaneously. First, we are working on revision of our "English Department Writing Guidelines for Literature Courses," a document adopted in Spring 1996 that specifies the amounts and types of writing each level of literature course should require, and to a lesser extent the types of student learning each course should develop. (This document is attached as Appendix 4.) Needless to say, the document is long out of date, and has largely been forgotten. Second, we are continuing our conversation based not only on current assessment results but also our self-study, a survey of trends on other schools, and our external review about how to revise the sophomore level curriculum. 7. Summary In , the English Department assessed the abilities of graduating seniors in the area of argumentation, using both indirect and direct measures. Indirect measure: using the language of our English Department Goals document, we added questions to senior exit interviews about how graduating English majors perceive their abilities to support claims with text evidence, make well-justified inferences about the meanings of texts, formulate provocative questions, and develop and defend original points of view. Direct measure: we constructed a rubric for assessing these qualities and applied them to the final papers of students in all sections of Senior Seminar in On balance, our seniors have well-developed argumentation skills, but there is room for improvement, especially in supporting skills such as structuring long papers and using appropriate secondary sources. The results of the assessment are being used as the basis for an ongoing restructuring of the curriculum and a revision of our Guidelines for Literature Courses document, last revised in 1996.

5 Appendix 1. Rubric for Assessment of Argumentation in Senior Seminar Papers Paper # 2013 Assessment Rubric: Argumentation Materials to be assessed: final Senior Seminar papers Criterion: to what extent does the student show the ability to do the following? think critically, by constructing arguments about literary texts, supporting claims with textual evidence, and making well-justified inferences about the meanings of texts formulating provocative questions and responses to those questions developing and defending original positions and points of view emerging developing mastering The paper does not make an argument about the meaning of the text (it may merely summarize the plot or offer unsubstantiated personal responses); or the paper's argument is predicated upon a demonstrable misreading of the text; or the argument is unsupported with evidence from the text. The paper's argument is original and is supported with evidence from appropriate sources, but some inferences may be questionable and some individual claims may be unsupported; or the reasoning and use of evidence in the paper is consistently sound, but the argument is not strikingly original or ambitious. The paper supports a subtle and ambitious argument with solid reasoning and clearly interpreted and well integrated evidence from appropriate sources. Notes:

6 Appendix 2. Summary of Qualitative Sections of Rubrics Assessing Argumentation in Senior Seminar Papers section 1: 3, 4, 4/5, 5, 4/5, 5, 5+, 4 Most of the arguments were surprisingly ambitious and original; even the writers whose papers were least successful were at least testing themselves by pursuing some original insight. There were no papers in the emerging category, and the majority were in the high developing or low mastering area. The weaknesses were predominantly of three types. While there were no papers that didn't have substantial evidence from the text or other sources, the evidence was uneven in quite a few, with some claims being fully supported while others got shorter shrift. In other papers, the primary weaknesses in the argument were weaknesses of structure: the papers' claims generally had evidence, but the argument wasn't fully worked out, skipping some steps or presenting some ideas unclearly. All students wrote at least two full drafts and did other preparatory work, with enough one-on-one grilling to ensure substantial revisions, but most of the arguments would have benefitted from another revision. Finally, in some cases the implications of the papers weren't addressed fully; it wasn't clear why the argument mattered (though in all cases the arguments had important implications; they simply weren't addressed). All the papers did use secondary sources, and for the most part, where secondary sources were used, they were used effectively (e.g to credit ideas, to bolster support for local arguments, to provide a starting point for a contradictory argument, etc.) Five of the papers used theoretical frames (Foucault, Baudrillard, two Jung, analysis/synthesis), and all five did a good job of using one or a small number of sources intensively over a substantial portion of the argument. The biggest weakness in the use of secondary sources was the failure to provide a review of sources, a global picture of what had been already been written and this despite the fact that a survey of sources was a required step of the project. In some cases, this can be attributed to the fact that there really aren't many sources on the specific topic at hand. But I would still say that our students have difficulty synthesizing critical materials. section 2: 3, 4, 3, 5, 2, 5, 5, 5 As a whole, the papers from students in this class followed many of the same patterns that those in section 1 did: many of the arguments were ambitious and original (though in one case the latter is specified as being "original to the writer"); several would have benefitted from another revision, i.e. the problems didn't have so much to do with evidence as with clarity and coherence; in some cases the evidence was uneven. The use of secondary sources was uneven, but to some extent in different ways from the ways in which my students use of secondary sources was uneven. One student (described as "not ready for 480") wrote a paper that turned into a "lengthy summary of largely undigested work"; other papers evinced an overreliance on (or excessive quotation of) secondary sources. Other papers (like many of my students') needed more secondary sources or a better use of them, e.g. the paper that needed "a more consistent and thorough infusion and synthesis of

7 secondary sources to bolster its generally 'sound' argument," a phrase that could have applied to many of my students' papers. It is apparent at times that the unconventional subject matter and approaches of the papers (Word and Image) left Dan struggling to find equivalences between those papers and more conventional lit crit papers. section 3: 3, 5, 5, 3, 6, 6, 5, 2, 4, 4.5, 6 Similar patterns prevail in this section as well, although this professor places special emphasis on thesis statements: the papers with good thesis statements generally had solid arguments thereafter; those that did not (e.g. that had a thesis that was descriptive rather than argumentative) had all kinds of problems with argumentation in the body of the paper. The authors of the best papers were creative and ambitious, mustered evidence for their claims successfully, and chose secondary and contextual sources well. The weaker students struggled with organization, finding appropriate sources, supporting claims with textual evidence, and pushing toward the "so what" of the argument.

8 Appendix 3. Interviewers' Summaries of Senior Exit Interview Sections Pertaining to Argumentation Groups 1 and 2: construct arguments about literary texts, supporting claims with textual evidence and making well-justified inferences about the meanings of texts? Students felt the careful construction and development of an argument was the focus of just about every literature class they took. They expressed that they felt well prepared before writing the first paper in every class. We re like trained machines, one student said. They felt that these skills are what separated them from students in other departments. They also noted there wasn t a lot of repetition; each class built on the one before it. They felt there was a clear distinction between the different levels in the English Department. formulate provocative questions and responses to those questions? Students appreciated the exposure to a wide variety of material and noted that this diversity helped them formulate and explore questions. Students particularly appreciated the discussion-based nature of English classes and opportunities to lead discussions in class. They found these experiences valuable in helping them learn how to think and ask questions on the spot and how to be productive in group settings. Students noted that English majors think in a way students in other majors do not and they feel this gives them an edge. develop and defend original positions and points of view? Students observed this was particularly stressed in Senior Seminar. They acknowledged the difficulty in developing original positions, but felt challenged and encouraged in that direction. Groups 3 and 4: a) On arguments, evidence, and inferences: YES, better than their other majors. b) Formulating questions: YES, especially in reflection or response papers and in class discussions. c) Original positions: in some classes, yes, but in others no. In Shakespeare courses, for an example, they didn t feel that they could manage it, but in others, esp. contemporary lit. classes, they could. They knew how to pick apart a critical argument to tweak an idea, but they didn t consider that really original. Senior Seminar was cited as the first time they felt the pressure to come up with an original idea.

9 Groups 5 and 6: construct arguments about literary texts, supporting claims with textual evidence and making well-justified inferences about the meanings of texts? Yes; this was a central focus in a lot of classes. Senior Seminar was especially strong in this regard. formulate provocative questions and responses to those questions? This varied from class to class, but for the most part, yes. Some classes were very good at getting to big question, not as strong in helping students find answers. Senior Seminar was praised in this area as well, largely because so much time was spent on various stages of the final paper before it was due. Students wanted to see papers discussed more explicitly as a part of their classes, and more time spent on developing a topic (as opposed to writing about it). develop and defend original positions and points of view? Yes. The small courses force students to argue for their point of view; English faculty are good about pushing students to explain what they think and have support for their arguments, rather than just reiterating what has been said before.

10 Appendix 4.

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