Course, degree program, and Liberal Studies assessment
- Clearly identify which aspects of the culminating experience and additional assignments will fulfill assessment obligations for the degree program and ensure faculty members teaching the course implement the assignments and understand their importance to degree program and Liberal Studies assessment.
- Develop clear guidelines for assignments and determine what assignment parameters need to remain consistent across all faculty members teaching the course.
- Develop explicit evaluation criteria (e.g., rubrics) to ensure grading is consistent across all faculty members teaching the course; inform students of the evaluation criteria
Examples of Grading Criteria Accordion Closed
- Assigning portions of the grade across multiple assignments that, combined, create the culminating experience:
- •10% Resume and skills inventory
- •10% Paper on what it means to be a communications major
- •10% Peer critiques
- •20% Agency partnership contract
- •40% Project binder
- •10% Public presentation
- Dividing a single project (writing, in this case) into different points that are devoted to the final grade:
- 70 points -concept, execution &presentation of the proposed topic/project
- 10 points -research used in identifying the challenge & developing the strategy for the final paper
- 10 points -grammar, syntax, writing style, & critical thinking displayed in the paper
- 10 points -class participation & peer review
- –100 points total
- Assigning values to letter grades, for students to understand how their graded performance relates to performance in the “real world:”
- A:In a business environment this work would distinguish you as a top professional in your organization. It represents work that is outstanding in every way (e.g., strong research, smart thinking, appropriate style, syntax, & grammar; demonstrates strategic use of media relations).
- B:In a business environment this work would reflect well on you and your organization. You completed the assignment, fulfilled all requirements, and contributed additional ideas and/or insights but the likely results would be relatively ordinary & might not meet your primary objectives. The assignment would be judged as adequate but undistinguished
- C:You completed the assignment &fulfilled the requirements but the work would not achieve your objectives without major revisions in logic, target media selection, or approach strategy.
- D:Since the entire grade for the class is based on the final project, a grade of D is not available.
- F: You did not submit the assignment.
After you have successfully developed the assignment(s) and assessment guidelines to use the assignment across class sections, you will be ready to move on to incorporating your Capstone assignments into your Degree Program’s Assessment Plan