Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan

for General Education Goals: Technological Literacy

George Pullman and Marti Singer, Department of English, GSU

I. Description of Outcomes:

a. Technological literacy is defined by the following outcomes:

i. Ability to use existing technologies to accomplish writing and research objectives.

ii. Ability to learn new technologies and a willingness to do so.

II. How ENGL1101 Contributes to the Technological Literacy Goal

a. The vast majority of our students take ENGL 1101 as a required part of Area A in the Core curriculum. This course introduces students to academic research and writing. As such it is a perfect space for students to develop their computer literacy. All sections will be taught in computerized environments.

III. Assessment Methods

a. This summer’s pilot will use 4 sections to field-test a common set of assignments and standards for

i. Discovering and learning how to use campus computer facilities (labs, student.gsu.edu, gosolar, the aquarium etc.);

ii. Doing academic research online, including Boolean search operators and evaluating the validity of sources;

iii. Designing and building web texts that display knowledge of usability and navigation as well as a clear understanding of the separation of form from content.

iv. Writing, sharing, and reviewing documents online, using MS Word’s commenting features and email.

IV. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures

a. The data will consist of the documents students produce in each class.

b. Instructors will write a descriptive analysis of results from this formative assessment and will provide several representative examples from the data.

c. The program director and associate director will compile a summative assessment based on data.

V. Using the Results for Feedback and Improvement

a. All assessment results will be discussed in the annual August training workshop and in professional development sessions in which all 1101 instructors participate throughout the year.

b. Teaching portfolios are required of all instructors and are reviewed each spring so that changes can be made to course outcomes before the August training.

c. The Lower Division studies, a standing departmental faculty committee, will also review these results and use them to offer new policies and procedures for the 1101 course.

d. Through these processes for analyzing assessment results, we will review our program and our instruction, and make changes to the outcomes and curriculum on a regular basis.