Academic Learning Compacts

Assessment Possibilities for Humanities

Revised: 1 November 2005

NOTE: The new assessment plan has now been submitted. Since the earlier draft, I have changed the wording on some of the outcomes to make them more measurable. I have also changed measurement tools for the Contemporary Multicultural Studies course, and for the Philosophy, Religion, and Popular Culture track (from embedded questions to paper analysis).

Relevant Links:

According to the recent Academic Learning Compact, each program has to come up with 8-12 specific student learning outcomes that address three areas: Communication, Critical Thinking, and Discipline-specific Knowledge, Skills, Values and Behaviors. These must be specific, measurable, attainable and aggressive, results-oriented, and timely (their words, not mine. You can tell - they spell "SMART"). There are two kinds of measures that are possible, the first of which are preferred to the second by those who are making us do this: direct measures (observation or measurement of student knowledge) and indirect measures (perceived extent or value of learning experiences).

With the new humanities program, we have some places we can put these. Unlike previously, we do have a few places where we should see all humanities majors. First, there is the Encountering the Humanities course at the beginning (and transfer students will also have to take this, so we should get a true picture of where students are at the beginning of the program). Second, there is the Senior Research Seminar, our "capstone" course, where we will again see all the students. Then, there are specific courses that each student in a concentration will take - Classical Ideal for Classical Humanities, Contemporary Multicultural Studies for Multicultural Humanities, and Critical Theory for Critical Humanities.

Now, there is at least one problem that we will face immediately - the senior research seminar is not necessarily a single course, and not necessarily taught by someone who can easily administer the assessment tools, whatever they are. This year, it is John Dominic Crosson's course. So, until we actually have students in a unified course that we know that all graduating seniors will be taking, and have it taught by someone regularly in the department (can we really ask Crosson to do this kind of stuff for us? I don't think so), it will be hard to use that course for assessment. The thing is, that's the very best place for assessment - it's at the end of the program, it is in a context where students are honing their skills quite deliberately. If we want to look successful, that's the place I'd put the assessment.

New Assessment - Outcomes and Measurement Strategies
A. Communication
Outcome 1: Be able to develop and defend a thesis that relates to the analysis and critical discussion of a specific topic in the humanities. (Assesses all tracks and concentrations)

Research paper in the Senior Research Seminar, reviewed for the quality and development of the thesis. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on their thesis development (this is not the paper grade, but the grade on this specific aspect of the paper). Thesis development includes the ability to state a clear thesis with an achievable goal, and to achieve the goal that was set.

Outcome 2: Be able to communicate verbally, with clear purpose, organization, and presentation style. (Assesses all tracks and concentrations)

Oral presentation, position paper, class participation or other graded oral work in the Senior Research Seminar. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on their presentation.

B. Critical Thinking
Outcome 3: Be able to critically analyze political and social systems (including systems of identity construction, including religious identity). (Assesses the Critical Humanities, Philosophy, Religion and Popular Culture concentration and the Religious Studies track.)

Embedded question in the midterm or final exam of Critical Theory. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on this question.

OR in the "Philosophy, Religion, and Popular Culture" track: Analysis of major paper for this outcome in either Ways of Knowing or Ways of Living course. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on their ability to analyze political and social systems. This is not the paper grade, but the grade on this specific aspect of the paper.

OR Embedded question in the foundational Religious Studies course. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on this question.

Outcome 4: Be able to critically analyze contemporary mass or popular culture, including religion. (Assesses the Critical Humanities, Philosophy, Religion and Popular Culture concentration, and the Religious Studies track.)

Embedded question in the midterm or final exam of Critical Theory in which students apply critical theory methods to issues within contemporary mass or popular culture. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on this question.

OR in the "Philosophy, Religion, and Popular Culture" track: Analysis of major paper for this outcome in either Ways of Knowing or Ways of Living course. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on their ability to analyze mass or popular culture, including religion. This is not the paper grade, but the grade on this specific aspect of the paper.

OR Embedded question in the foundational REL course. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on this question.

Outcome 5: Be able to identify and critically analyze different artistic and intellectual forms from different historical periods. (Assesses the Classical Humanities concentration)

Embedded question in the midterm or final exam of The Classical Ideal. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on this question.

Outcome 6: Be able to identify and critically analyze different artistic and intellectual forms from different religions. (Assesses the Multicultural Humanities and Classical Humanities concentrations and the Religious Studies track.)

Critical identification and analysis of artistic and intellectual forms in different religions in a class paper in Contemporary Multicultural Studies. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on their ability to critically identify and analyse different artistic and intellectual forms from different religions. This is not the paper grade, but the grade on this specific aspect of the paper.

OR Embedded question in The Classical Ideal. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on this question.

OR Embedded question in Religion in America or another course central to the Religious Studies major. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on this question.

Outcome 7: Be able to critically identify and analyze ways of approaching different cultural contexts using a variety of theoretical approaches (values clarification, border crossings, feminism, theory on race, environmental racism, queer theory, etc.). (Assesses the Multicultural Humanities concentration)

Analysis of a class paper in Contemporary Multicultural Studies Critical. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on their ability to critically identify and analyse ways of approaching different cultural contexts using a variety of theoretical approaches. This is not the paper grade, but the grade on this specific aspect of the paper.

C. Discipline specific knowledge, skills, values, and behaviour.
Outcome 8: Be able to recognize and generate good questions in the humanities, and distinguish them from the questions central to other disciplines and professions. (Assesses all tracks and concentrations)

Graded prospectus for the final paper in the Senior Research Seminar. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on their ability to identify and generate good questions in the humanities, on the prospectus. This is not the paper grade, but the grade on this specific aspect of the paper.

Outcome 9: Be able to identify appropriate research venues to gain critical scholarly information about specific research topics in the humanities, including Religious Studies. (Assesses all tracks and concentrations)

Graded prospectus including bibliography of scholarly sources for the final paper in the Senior Research Seminar. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on their ability to identify appropriate research venues to gain critical scholarly information about specific research topics, on the prospectus. This is not the paper grade, but the grade on this specific aspect of the paper.

Outcome 10: Be able to describe and apply interdisciplinary knowledge and interdisciplinary methods of investigation to questions in the humanities. (Assesses all tracks and concentrations)

Requirement & grading of interdisciplinary work in the final paper for the Senior Research Seminar. 100% of the humanities majors will achieve at least a B on their ability to work with interdisciplinary sources, theories, and analytic or critical approaches. This is not the paper grade, but the grade on this specific aspect of the paper.

Outcome 11: Be able to identify and critically discuss the relevance of critical research in the Humanities to contemporary social, cultural, political, and economic scholarship. (Assesses all tracks and concentrations)

Exit interview with all students enrolled in the Senior Research Seminar. Emphasis would be on the ability to articulate relationships between research and values/behaviors.

Location of Measures

Enc. Hum
Classical Ideal
Cont. Mult. St.
Critical Theory
Sen. Sem.
P, R & PC
REL
A. Communication
1. Thesis Development Research Paper * *
2. Verbal Presentation Presentation * *
B. Critical Thinking
3. Analyze Pol/Soc systems Embedded question Paper Analysis Embedded question
4. Analyze Mass Culture Embedded question Paper Analysis Embedded question
5. Historical Analysis Embedded question
6. Religious Analysis Embedded question Paper Analysis Embedded question
7. Cultural Analysis Paper Analysis
C. Disc. Specific Knowledge
8. Humanities Questions Prospectus * *
9. Research Methods Prospectus/Bib. * *
10. Interdisciplinarity Research Paper * *
11. Research Relevance Exit Interview * *
* - an asterisk indicates that the measure used for the parallel concentrations would also apply to the Philosophy, Religion, and Popular Culture and the Religious Studies tracks, and would be conducted in the Senior Research Seminar, a course common to all concentrations and tracks.

I've included Philosophy, Religion, and Popular Culture and the Religious Studies track here, although there are some particular problems for those. One is that there is no course in REL right now where we know we'll get all the students (and, that is in the department - we can't really ask other departments to do our assessment). P, R &PC has two courses - Ways of Knowing and Ways of Living, so those can be used. All programs have identified the Senior Research Seminar as part of the program, so that is one place where we'll get everyone. In REL, the introductory/foundational courses are not as easily identifiable as students have a choice; however, they can be combined as "disciplinary approaches to the study of religion" (e.g., Phil. of Rel., Soc. of Rel., Psych. of Rel., Rel. in America, Rel. and the Arts).

Another problem with this is that the Senior Research Seminar is somewhat constrained by the assessment requirements here. I mean, I've written in that a prospectus has to be assessed, which means that one has to be done. We have it that interdisciplinarity is going to be assessed here, which means that it also has to be a focus of the course (at least, it has to show up in the final papers for the students). We have a verbal presentation indicated - that too has to be done somehow. We haven't yet mentioned things like a required exit interview, or peer critique and revision of papers done for earlier courses. So, whoever teaches this course will have to recognize that these assessment things have to be done. It will have to be a program requirement for us.

One course that is not being used is the Encountering the Humanities course, the introductory course that all humanities students will have to take. Are there assessment things we can do there? Do we want, for instance, pre- and post-tests for the program (with a test there and the same test in the Senior Research Seminar), which are more content related?

FYI: Here's the old assessment strategy:

Our Old Assessment Outcomes and Measures
Outcome 1: Students completing the BA program in Humanities will be able to critically discuss different meanings interpreted from a variety of artistic and intellectual forms from several historical periods.

Measures:

1. Seniors will be given an exit exam in which they are asked to critically discuss art and ideas (e.g. painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, philosophy, music, dance, theatre) from various historical periods. 90% of seniors will score 80% or better on this task. 100% of seniors will score 65% or above.

2. Senior portfolios (an exit requirement) will be evaluated for student ability to analyze artistic and intellectual forms from diverse historical periods. On the ratings form provided, a three person committee will rate students' analytical ability as 'poor,' 'fair,' 'good,' or 'excellent.' 90% of seniors will be rated 'good' or 'excellent.' 100% or seniors will rate 'fair' or better.

3. Graduating seniors will be given the following program specific questions on the Graduating Senior Survey: 'I have developed skills related to critical interpretation of the arts;' 'I can develop and defend an interpretation of a cultural artifact or practice.' 100% of students will agree. 90% of students will strongly agree.

Outcome 2: Students completing the BA program in Humanities will be able to critically discuss different meanings interpreted from a variety of artistic and intellectual forms from different religions and world cultures.

Measures:
1. Seniors will be given an exit exam in which they are asked to critically discuss forms of art from western and non-western religions and cultures. 90% of seniors will score 80% or higher on this task. 100% will score 65% or higher.

2. Senior portfolios will be evaluated for student ability to analyze artistic and intellectual forms from diverse religions and world cultures. On the ratings form provided, a three person committee will rate students' conversancy as 'poor,' 'fair,' 'good,' or 'excellent.' 90% of students will be rated 'good' or 'excellent.' 100% of students will rate 'fair' or better.

3. Graduating seniors will be given the following program specific questions on the Graduating Senior Survey: 'I can identify a variety of art forms and cultural practices from different geographic places;' 'I understand how a work of art can be understood from multiple perspectives;' 'I can interpret a work of art from a variety of critical perspectives;''I can identify spiritual ideals and/or values underlying religious practices;' 'I can analyze an ethical issue from a variety of religious perspectives.' 100% of students will agree. 90% of students will strongly agree.

Outcome 3: Students completing the BA program in Humanities will be able to develop and defend a thesis that relates to their analysis and critical discussion of a specific topic in the humanities.

Measures:

1. Seniors will be given an exit exam in which they are asked to write an essay containing a clear thesis and well supported argument about a critical discussion of a particular topic in the humanities. 90% of students will score 80% or better on this task. 100% of students will score 65% or above.

2. Senior portfolios will be evaluated for student ability to develop and defend a thesis relating to an analysis and critical discussion of a speciic topic in the humanities. On the ratings form provided, a three person committee will rate students' development and defense of a thesis in research paper(s) included in their portfolios as 'poor,' 'fair,' 'good,' or 'excellent.' 90% of seniors will be rated as 'good' or 'excellent.' 100% or seniors will rate 'fair' or better.

3. Graduating seniors will be given the following program specific question on the Graduating Senior Survey: "I can develop and defend an interpretation of a cultural artifact or practice." 100% of students will agree. 90% of students will strongly agree.

Problems with how we have been doing things:
1. We usually get very incomplete data. The final surveys are rarely done, for instance, and the exit exams are optional and therefore are also often not done.
2. Honours students don't do portfolios, so our (likely) best students are not included in our assessment.
3. The final survey is an indirect measure - it asks for students' impressions, it does not test their abilities by some criteria.

	Enc. Hum	Classical Ideal	Cont. Mult. St.	Critical Theory	Sen. Sem.	P, R & PC	REL
A. Communication
1. Thesis Development					Research Paper	*	*
2. Verbal Presentation					Presentation	*	*

B. Critical Thinking
3. Analyze Pol/Soc systems				Embedded question		Paper Analysis	Embedded question
4. Analyze Mass Culture				Embedded question		Paper Analysis	Embedded question
5. Historical Analysis		Embedded question
6. Religious Analysis		Embedded question	Paper Analysis				Embedded question
7. Cultural Analysis			Paper Analysis

C. Disc. Specific Knowledge
8. Humanities Questions					Prospectus	*	*
9. Research Methods					Prospectus/Bib.	*	*
10. Interdisciplinarity					Research Paper	*	*
11. Research Relevance					Exit Interview	*	*