English 101 Outcomes and Assessment Tools

Learning Outcomes: the course objectives include comprehensive and basic skills and represent what students should learn in the course. The ability to achieve these outcomes will be the major factor in determining grades for the course.

I. By the end of the quarter, each student will have improve these comprehensive skills:

Understand the relationship between writing, critical reading, and critical thinking.
Learn to write well-reasoned essays using a number of rhetorical modes.
Challenge, analyze, and understand personal values/biases and explore the values held by various cultural groups through reading and writing.
Strive to communicate clearly and actively in classroom discussions.
Integrate comprehensive and skills-based objectives.

II. Throughout the quarter, each student will improve these basic skills:

Participate in the act of writing as a process.
Establish the habit of prewriting, outlining, revising, and editing compositions.
Develop peer editing skills (cooperation, consensus building, confidence, constructive and

amiable verbal/written criticism).
Determine audience and purpose for each piece of writing

to plan and control organization and tone

Develop, organize, and support original ideas for all pieces of writing
Develop a claim, or thesis (an idea stated as an assertion) related to topic clearly and succinctly.
Avoid errors in unity when composing paragraphs.
Write effective introductions and conclusions using a variety of techniques.
Use both personal experiences and knowledge gained through reading or observation of others

as basis for papers.
Apply standards of evidence (sufficiency, plausibility, validity, and reliability) to support claims.
As determined by assignment and purpose, write essays using a variety of rhetorical modes: descriptive, definition, informative, cause/effect, comparison/contrast, problem/solution, and persuasion.
Read drafts to identify need for revision at both sentence and paragraph level.
Write essays that employ a variety of sentence types and patterns.
Employ practices of accepted spelling, grammar, punctuation.
Use language appropriate for the academic reader.

Practice critical reading.
Find and critically evaluate research materials and supplemental readings.
Use vocabulary decoding skills.
Analyze, summarize, and react to assigned readings.
Identify significant issues that relate to a given thesis.
Recognize patterns of organization at the paragraph, essay, and text level.
Respect and consider opposing viewpoints.

Practice critical thinking.

Create an arguable proposition (hypothesis) and clarify and define relevant claims.
Provide sound, cogent evidence for or against relevant supporting claims.
Consider the strengths and weaknesses of the various positions that may be held on a given issue.
Recognize what assumptions have been made, given a particular audience, and what information should be made explicit.
Recognize the difference between empirical, rational, and emotional/irrational persuasive techniques.
Recognize the aesthetic elements used and analyze the best use of rhetorical modes.

Become familiar with research skills.
Understand documentation.
Learn to incorporate accurately.
Understand the need for research strategies.
Be aware of research databases and search techniques.

These course outcomes were adapted from the Washington Association for Online Learning objectives for Composition I and II.

The following assessment criteria will be used to determine grades for writing assignments.

The `A` paper:

A paper of outstanding quality in content, arrangement, style, format, and mechanics. Shows originality of thought in stating and developing a central idea. The central idea is supported by the most well judged reasons available to the author and those reasons are organized in the most concise, clear, and logical fashion. The paper will also contain carefully constructed paragraphs and sentences, it will be properly edited, and it will be mechanically and grammatically flawless. The paper, then, will not only demonstrate competence, but it will excel in the creative and argumentative aspects of writing. The A paper will achieve proficiency because it

contains a focused and insightful or original thesis or statement of purpose
demonstrates an understanding of intended audience

includes appropriate details and sufficient examples to develop and elaborate upon the thesis or

statement of purpose

shows a mastery of language and style appropriate to course level

contains original thinking, insight, and ideas relevant to the thesis or statement of purpose in

addition to information from other sources and experiences

proceeds smoothly and logically

shows evidence of thoughtful revision and careful editing,

follows the rules of correct grammar and spelling

shows an excellent grasp of the assignment.

The `B` paper:

Similar to the `A` paper, this paper will contain a recognizable central idea which is supported by reasons, which are organized in a logical and concise fashion. This paper differs in that the central idea might be more `standardized,` the grammar and mechanics might falter, and the organization might be slightly less than proficient because it

demonstrates some awareness of audience and its relationship to purpose

includes supportive details and examples to develop thesis or statement of purpose

shows competent use of language

contains insight and ideas relevant to the thesis or purpose drawn primarily from outside sources or experiences
is organized: paragraphs are unified and the transitions between ideas are obvious
shows evidence of thoughtful revision and editing
contains few grammatical and spelling errors.

The `C` paper:

A `C` indicates the author has done enough to demonstrate competency--that is all. This means the paper will also have a central idea and will provide reasons to support this idea. The central idea will most likely be a `stock` cultural idea, in which the author is simply reiterating what has already been said about a particular topic by numerous other writers. This paper will convey its purpose to the reader by using reasons. The reasons used, however, will not be the most well judged. The organization of the `C` paper will not be as effective as the `B` or `A` paper. If the author has a number of ways in which the argument might be constructed, he/she chooses the most obvious and remedial format. The paper will have achieved competency because it

contains a thesis or statement of purpose
demonstrates little awareness of audience
includes some details and examples but they are not supportive or insufficient to develop the thesis or statement of purpose
shows basic use of language
contains some ideas that are relevant to the thesis or statement of purpose
shows some organization
shows some logic and unity in paragraphs and ideas
shows evidence of revision, but editing and proofreading are careless
contains several grammar and spelling errors
adheres to the criteria for the assignment.

The `D` paper:

This paper will not have a central idea nor show support of that idea. It will demonstrate little or no knowledge of the relationship between purpose and audience. It will make numerous grammar and mechanical errors, rendering the paper almost unreadable. The paper will have failed to achieve competency because it

lacks focus
includes few, if any, appropriate details and examples
shows a rudimentary use of language
lacks organization, has some connection between paragraphs
shows no evidence of revision, editing or proofreading, numerous errors in grammar and spelling

that hinder meaning.