Communicate Effectively

Lane's Assessment Team continues to evaluate Lane's core learning outcomes using artifacts of student learning that are routine assignments in existing courses. This general education assessment effort assumes that to communicate effectively is an objective in the majority of Lane's transfer courses. By examining entry level and exit level artifacts of student learning, we expect to learn to what extent student skills in communicating effectively are developed at Lane.

Assurances to students:

Students participate anonymously.
Submitted artifacts will be recorded by L number only for purposes of sorting entry level and exit level students (IRAP will conduct the sort).
Submitted artifacts will be reviewed by faculty and deans outside the area of study.
This assessment is independent of the student's grade, which will be awarded by the class instructor.
Paper copies of student artifacts will be destroyed at the end of the assessment cycle to protect anonymity of students; other artifacts will be returned to the class instructor during finals week of the term they are submitted.

Assurances to faculty:

Faculty are invited (not required) to submit artifacts.
Results of the assessment will not be used for faculty evaluation.
Results will not be reported by CRN or by L#, but at the institutional level.
Reports of results will occur in fall term following the assessment year.
Faculty will have opportunities to discuss overall (institutional) results of the assessment, but discipline level results will not be a product of this assessment.

Process for faculty submitting artifacts:

Provide copies of artifacts with L#s, but without grades or comments. (Division deans may have resources to help provide copies and return originals to faculty.)
Submit class sets to IRAP.
Participating faculty are welcome to join in scoring sessions during spring term.

Artifacts submitted should meet the following criteria:

Artifact size: if a written artifact, one page minimum, ideally about three pages; if a video, three to five minutes; if a physical artifact (sculpture, painting, etc.) the artifact must be easily accessible to the evaluation team.
Assignment as given to students must accompany artifact.
Assignment should address at least one aspect of the four content criteria sections listed below.
Main objectives and relevant vocabulary should be listed on assignment sheet, or be included with artifacts.

Assignment Content Criteria

The assignment requires the student to demonstrate at least one cognitive skill for each of the four sections below. Specific objectives and relevant vocabulary should be listed on assignment sheet, or included with artifacts.

Section 1. Organization and support.

The assignment should include as an objective or learning outcome at least one of the following:

Develop a clear organizational structure
Include the use of appropriate support material, such as illustrations, documentation, attributing sources, citations, etc.

Section 2. Content and technique.

The assignment should include as an objective or learning outcome at least one of the following:

The message or content considers the role of audience
The message or content uses appropriate technical development relative to the format, genre or discipline.
The message or content creates a hypothesis, narrative, or other meaning through the use of technique relative to the format, genre or discipline.

Section 3. Presentation and style.

The assignment should include as an objective or learning outcome at least one of the following:

Propose solutions, develop hypotheses, or develop a thesis relevant to the format, genre or discipline.
The presentation is appropriate and relevant to the format, genre or discipline.
The style and/or tone of the message or content supports its effectiveness.

Section 4. Purpose.

The assignment should include as an objective or learning outcome at least one of the following:

The purpose of the message or content is clear.