How the History Department is Assessing Writing Competency

1. How the History Department is Assessing Writing Competency

2. A Brief history (or -- How we began assessing writing Competency) • Based on observations made from previous assessment efforts (“closing the loop”)

3. A Brief history (or -- How we began assessing writing Competency) • Based on observations made from previous assessment efforts (“closing the loop”) • The development of an assessment tool that can be implemented in courses requiring formal writing

4. A Brief history (or -- How we began assessing writing Competency) • Based on observations made from previous assessment efforts (“closing the loop”) • The development of an assessment tool that can be implemented in courses requiring formal writing • Elements to include: • Simplicity • Flexibility • Relevancy

5. A Brief history (or -- How we began assessing writing Competency) • Based on observations made from previous assessment efforts (“closing the loop”) • The development of an assessment tool that can be implemented in courses requiring formal writing • Elements to include: • Simplicity • Flexibility • Relevancy • Result: a plan that includes a new assessment tool, an existing course , a new course, and an existing showcase

6. New Assessment tool a Matrix • Reflects departmental student learning goals and outcomes • Communication • Critical Thinking • Professional Proficiency • Objective Knowledge

7. New Assessment tool a Matrix • Reflects departmental student learning goals and outcomes • Communication • Critical Thinking • Professional Proficiency • Objective Knowledge • Measures specific skills according to discipline- specific standards

8. New Assessment toola Matrix • Reflects departmental student learning goals and outcomes • Communication • Critical Thinking • Professional Proficiency • Objective Knowledge • Measures specific skills according to discipline- specific standards • Allows individual faculty to adjust for specific assignments

10. an Existing course A benchmark course (Required) • Hist 205 (Historians’ Craft) had long addressed skills for research and writing • Designed as an introductory course to precede “writing intensive” upper division courses in major • Assessment recognized that skills taught early were not being retained through to the end of many students’ program

11. A New course A Capstone course (Optional) • Hist 454 (Research and Writing Seminar) has been created to direct students in developing individual research projects and utilizing professional skills to produce finished papers • Optional, acknowledging the varying needs/interests of our majors

12. An existing Showcase (celebrating student Achievement) • The Stone House Review • A journal sponsored by Phi Alpha Theta and the History Department • Published since 1991 • Featuring the best of submitted history papers • A decline, however, in submissions in recent years • With a renewed focus emphasizing writing • A rise in submissions last year (admittedly, too soon to make any correlations) • Nevertheless, an opportunity to highlight (if not assess) success