Assessment of General Education Requirement

I.B. Using Information Effectively

 

 


Learning Goals  
Students who successfully complete this General Education requirement should be able to:

  1. Identify potential sources of information related to a given field of study.
  2. Find information that is appropriate for and relevant to a given field of study.
  3. Explain information and ideas clearly visually, orally, and in writing.
  4. Organize information visually, orally, and in writing to present a sound central idea supported by relevant material in a logical order.
  5. Use information to answer questions and/or solve problems.
  6. Use technology to analyze and summarize information and/or communicate it to others.
  7. Use the work of others accurately and ethically.

Assessment Strategy  
Faculty assess these goals by evaluating samples of student papers, projects, and presentations using a common rubric. A score of “minimally adequate” is considered minimally acceptable for college-level proficiency.

Recent Assessment Findings
The faculty’s goal is that at least 90% of student projects are minimally acceptable for college-level proficiency. (A higher percentage would be an inappropriate target, as some students fail the course—and these would not be expected to demonstrate proficiency—and because some students who have difficulty on the particular assignment being evaluated demonstrate proficiency on other assignments.)

The faculty have rated student papers, projects, and presentations as follows:

95% at least “marginally adequate” in terms of identification of potential sources of information

92% at least “marginally adequate” in terms of finding appropriate and relevant information

92% at least “marginally adequate” in terms of explaining information and ideas clearly in writing

  100% at least “marginally adequate” in terms of explaining information and ideas clearly through oral communication

  90% at least “marginally adequate” in terms of organizing information in writing to present a sound central idea supported by relevant material in a logical order

100% at least “marginally adequate” in terms of organizing information orally to present a sound central idea supported by relevant material in a logical order

92% at least “marginally adequate” in terms of using technology to analyze and summarize information and/or communicate it with others

91% at least “marginally adequate” in terms of using information to answer questions and/or solve problems

  98% at least “marginally adequate” in terms of using the work of others accurately and ethically

How the Results Are Being Used
 Because the faculty have concluded that these results demonstrate college-level proficiency, they have not used the results for teaching/learning enhancement, although they continue to discuss ways to optimize students’ learning experiences. The faculty will continue their assessments and will monitor future results to ensure that they remain at satisfactory levels.

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    Last updated: 4.1.05

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