Program: Hawai'i English Language Program
Date: Mon Nov 16, 2015 - 11:11:14 am
1) Below are your program's student outcomes (SOs). Please add or update as needed.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
While the HELP Mission Statement and program goals list several stakeholders, the primary focus is on the second language learner, many of whom are interested in future university studies while others are interested only in personal development. For both types of students, we provide the following Program Learning Outcomes:
1. Effective Writing Skills
Students demonstrate the ability to write well-organized, well-developed, and well-supported paragraphs and essays of varying lengths and rhetorical styles at each level of the program.
2. Effective Reading Skills
Students demonstrate the application of reading strategies to extract meaning and ideas from a variety of texts in different genres and at different levels of complexity as experienced at each level of the program.
3. Effective Listening and Speaking Skills
Students demonstrate the ability to apply listening strategies to comprehend, interpret, and respond to discourse that is either non-participative or participative as well as produce spoken language to express themselves and their relationship with others in a variety of social and academic situations in developing stages at each level of the program.
4. Grammar Competency
Students demonstrate a solid foundation in the form, meaning, and use of grammatical structures in speaking, reading, and writing in increasing complexity at each level of the program.
5. Personal and Social Responsibility
Students demonstrate personal development in becoming autonomous lifelong learners who engage in self-assessment, critical thinking, ethical reflection, cooperative and collaborative teamwork, and participate in activities with the larger community both on and off campus.
2) Your program's SOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.
Program's Website. URL: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/eslhelp/wordpress/?page_id=28#OurMission
Student Handbook. URL, if available online: Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure. URL, if available online: UHM Catalog. Page Number: Other: Teacher's Handbook Other: 3) Provide the program's activity map or other graphic that illustrates how program activities/services align with program student outcomes. Please upload it as a PDF.
4) Did your program engage in any program assessment activities between June 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015? (e.g., establishing/revising outcomes, aligning activities to outcomes, collecting evidence, interpreting evidence, using results, revising the assessment plan, creating surveys, etc.)
Yes
No (skip to question 14)5) For the period between June 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the student outcomes that were targeted, if applicable.
Question: Are the course learning outcomes clear and assessable?
The targeted outcomes were those for the following courses at all four proficiency levels: reading,
writing, listening/speaking,
2014 HELP SLOs
Listening and Speaking 100
1. Participate in simple face-to-face conversations using learned material, including asking and answering questions about basic needs.
2. Use strategies to check for understanding and demonstrate understanding of simple questions, answers, and
statements
3. Listen for and recognize main ideas and specific pieces of information in intensive listening passages
4. Demonstrate familiarity with basic pronunciation features of spoken English, e.g. relaxed speech, reductions, and
rhythm and intonation
5. Be independent learners and use a variety of technology as well as be cooperative and collaborative teammates
with classmates
200
- Recognize and/or predict main ideas from short authentic audio materials or longer modified materials
- Utilize note-taking strategies for authentic lectures, utilizing symbols and abbreviations
- Increase familiarity with basic pronunciation features, e.g. relaxed speech, reductions, rhythm and intonation, and connected speech.
- Maintain conversations by agreeing and disagreeing, and asking follow-up questions appropriately.
- Make short presentations before small group or whole class.
300
- Recognize lecture language that signals the topic of a lecture, a transition between ideas, a definition, cause and effect, and comparisons and contrasts
- Utilize note-taking strategies for authentic lectures utilizing symbols and abbreviations
- Create informal outlines and graphic organizers
- Use functional language in order to ask for clarification and elaboration, give opinions, agree and disagree politely
- Give at least one presentation, using learned presentation strategies
400
1. Recognize lecture language that signals the topic of a lecture, a transition between ideas, a definition, cause and effect,
and comparisons and contrasts
2. Utilize note-taking strategies for authentic lectures utilizing symbols and abbreviations
3. Create informal outlines and graphic organizers
4. Use functional language in order to ask for clarification and elaboration, give opinions, agree and disagree politel
5. Give at least one presentation, using learned presentation strategies
Reading 100
- Increase reading speed (to approximately 100 wpm)
- Locate main ideas and specific pieces of information in modified materials
- Increase knowledge of the first 1000 words of the General Service List
- Read 5 designated graded readers
- Be independent learners and use a variety of technology as well as be cooperative and collaborative teammates with classmates
200
- Increase reading rate
- Increase accuracy in recognizing main ideas and specific pieces of information in modified and authentic materials.
- Increase general and academic vocabulary as well as guessing meaning through context clues and word parts
- Develop note-taking skills such as outlining, creating graphic organizers, or drawing timelines
- Extensively read at least 5 graded readers
300
- Increase reading rate
- Recognize main ideas in longer modified and authentic materials
- Demonstrate understanding of text organization
- Increase knowledge of academic vocabulary and guessing meaning by analyzing prefixes and suffixes
- Summarize and paraphrase reading passages
- Utilize higher order critical thinking skills to distinguish fact from opinion and to make inferences
400
- Identify and use a wide range of textual clues to understand meaning, structure, and style of academic materials
- Apply strategies for getting stated and implied main ideas in written academic texts
- Identify and practice the usage of vocabulary from the Academic Word List as well as from specific disciplines
- Increase reading speed and comprehension skill by applying effective strategies such as skimming, scanning, and critical reading
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses in an American post-secondary institution by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, and by demonstrating basic competence with information technology.
Writing 100
- Identify the basic structure of sentences
- Write simple, complete sentences with correct capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling
- Write one-paragraph compositions with drafting, rewriting, self-editing, and proofreading
- Increase writing fluency
- Demonstrate basic typing skills
200
- Write well-formed paragraphs with clear topic sentences
- Employ a process approach to writing
- Demonstrate proper conventions of formatting, punctuation and capitalization
- Write short academic essays with increasing amounts of details, support, and development of ideas
- Display academic values by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, and by demonstrating basic competence with information technology.
300
- Write well-developed and well-organized one-paragraph compositions and multi-paragraph essays with clear and appropriate thesis statements
- Write in a variety of rhetorical modes, e.g. persuasive, comparison-contrast, or problem-solution
- Demonstrate understanding of the concept of plagiarism by citing sources
- Summarize material from authentic texts
- Identify and maintain focus on the audience of the writing
400
- Write a four to six-page research paper.
- Demonstrate familiarity with the typical organizational patterns and formatting conventions in an American academic context.
- Demonstrate the ability to summarize, paraphrase, and quote appropriately.
- Increase familiarity with standard academic referencing conventions (MLA and/or APA)
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses in an American post-secondary system by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, collaborating and cooperating with classmates, and by demonstrating basic competence with information technology
6) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #5.
One of the graduate assistants held Curriculum Area Meetings (CAM) twice during each of the two Spring Terms at which teachers reported on:
1. What had worked well in their classes;
2. What we would do differently; and
3. Ideas about assessments.
Through these meetings, it was discovered that teachers were confused by the wording of some course learning outcomes and did not know how to assess them
7) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
In Spring Term 1, there were 11 teachers participating in the CAM meetings.
In Spring Term 2, there were 2 additional teachers for a total of 13.
8) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? Check all that apply.
Program faculty/staff member(s) Faculty/staff committee Ad hoc faculty/staff group Director or department chairperson Persons or organization outside the university Students (graduate or undergraduate) Dean or Associate Dean Advisory Board Other: 9) How did he/she/they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? Check all that apply.
Compiled survey results Used quantitative methods on student data (e.g., grades, participation rates) or other numeric data Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, or other open-ended response data Scored exams/tests/quizzes Used a rubric or scoring guide Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used) External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., Social Science Research Institute) Other: 10) For the assessment questions/goals stated in Question #5, summarize the actual results.
Through the CAM sessions, it was discovered that teachers were confused by the wording of some course learning outcomes and did not know how to assess them.
11) What was learned from the results?
It was clear that more clarity in the wording of outcomes was needed. It was also apparent the novice teachers, in particular , needed guidance and good examples of formative assessments and rubrics.
12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.
The course outlines for reading, writing, listening and speaking were revised for Fall Term 1 2015 so that
1. wording was more consistent across levels
2. lengthy SLOs were teased apart as separate outcomes
3. SLOs with similar concepts were joined into one outcome
In addition, assessment measures were added to each outcome as examples to help less-experienced teachers.
2015 Course Learning Outcomes
Listening and Speaking 100
- Improve asking and answering questions to maintain conversation, which will be assessed through teacher observation of simple conversations.
- Recognize main ideas and recall specific pieces of information in intensive listening passages, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or class discussions.
- Demonstrate familiarity with and practice basic pronunciation features of spoken English, e.g. relaxed speech, reductions, and rhythm and intonation, which will be assessed through teacher observation of pronunciation activities.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
200
- Improve agreeing and disagreeing, and asking follow-up questions appropriately, which will be assessed through teacher observation of conversations.
- Recognize main ideas and recall specific pieces of information in intensive listening passages, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or class discussions.
- Utilize note-taking strategies for authentic lectures, utilizing symbols and abbreviations
- Demonstrate familiarity with and practice basic pronunciation features of spoken English, e.g. relaxed speech, reductions, and rhythm and intonation, which will be assessed through teacher observation of pronunciation activities.
- Improve presentation skill, which will be assessed through 5-minute presentations.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
300
- Improve asking for clarification and elaboration, giving opinions, and agreeing and disagreeing politely, which will be assessed through teacher observation of conversations and debates.
- Recognize main ideas and recall specific pieces of information in intensive listening passages, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or class discussions.
- Recognize lecture language signals for the topic of a lecture, a transition between ideas, a definition, cause and effect, and comparisons and contrasts, which will be assessed through quizzes or textbook activities.
- Improve note-taking skill, which will be assessed through informal outlines and graphic organizers created from notes.
- Improve presentation skill, which will be assessed through 5 – 15 minute presentations using PowerPoint.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
400
- Improve asking for clarification and elaboration, producing well-constructed positions, and expanding on classmates’ positions, which will be assessed through teacher observation of conversations and debates.
- Recognize main ideas and recall specific pieces of information in intensive listening passages, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or class discussions.
- Recognize lecture language signals for the topic of a lecture, a transition between ideas, a definition, cause and effect, and comparisons and contrasts, which will be assessed through quizzes or textbook activities.
- Improve note-taking skill, which will be assessed through informal outlines and graphic organizers created from notes.
- Improve presentation skill, which will be assessed through 15 – 30 minute presentations using PowerPoint.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning by engaging in cooperative and collaborative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
Reading 100
- Increase reading speed of short texts, which will be assessed through the combination of speed reading times and comprehension quiz scores.
- Improve skimming, scanning, and prediction skills, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or class discussions of intensive reading texts.
- Increase general English vocabulary, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or vocabulary logs.
- Increase comfort and reading rate with long English readings, which will be assessed by reading one graded reader a week.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
200
- Increase reading speed of short texts, which will be assessed through the combination of speed reading times and comprehension quiz scores.
- Improve skimming, scanning, and prediction skills, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or class discussions of intensive reading texts.
- Increase general and academic English vocabulary, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or vocabulary logs.
- Develop note-taking skills, which will be assessed through outlines, graphic organizers, or drawing timelines.
- Increase comfort and reading rate with long English readings, which will be assessed by reading one graded reader a week.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
300
- Increase reading rate of longer texts, which will be assessed through teacher observation of discussions, reading circles, or quizzes related to book chapters.
- Improve skimming, scanning, and prediction skills, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or class discussions of intensive reading texts.
- Increase general and academic English vocabulary and common affixes, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or vocabulary logs.
- Demonstrate understanding of text organization and main ideas, which will be assessed through summary writing, outlines, or graphic organizers.
- Demonstrate critical thinking to expand a discussion beyond the information presented in the text, which will be assessed by teacher observation of discussions or reflective written assignments.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
400
- Increase reading rate of longer texts, which will be assessed through teacher observation of discussions or reading circles related to book chapters or short articles.
- Improve skimming, scanning, and prediction skills, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or class discussions of intensive reading texts.
- Increase general and academic English vocabulary and common affixes, which will be assessed through quizzes, textbook activities, or vocabulary logs.
- Demonstrate understanding of text organization and main ideas, which will be assessed through summary writing, outlines, or graphic organizers.
- Demonstrate critical thinking to expand a discussion beyond the information presented in the text, which will be assessed by teacher observation of discussions or reflective written assignments.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
Writing 100
- Write simple, complete sentences with correct capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling, which will be assessed through all written work.
- Increase writing fluency, which will be assessed through quick writing and other written assignments.
- Demonstrate basic typing skills, which will be assessed through teacher observation of typing activities in class.
- Improve proficiency with the writing process of proofreading, drafting, and rewriting, which will be assessed through 3-5 one-paragraph compositions.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
200
- Write well-formed paragraphs with clear topic sentences, which will be assessed through all written work.
- Increase writing fluency, which will be assessed through quick writing and other written assignments.
- Demonstrate proficiency with the writing process of proofreading, drafting, and rewriting, which will be assessed through short academic essays (1-3 pages) with proper conventions of formatting.
- Write with details, support, and development of ideas, which will be assessed through short academic essays.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
300
- Improve organization with appropriate thesis statements and supporting points, which will be assessed through all written assignments.
- Improve proficiency with a variety of rhetorical modes, e.g. persuasive, comparison-contrast, or problem-solution, which will be assessed through written assignments and textbook activities.
- Demonstrate understanding of the concept of plagiarism, which will be assessed by quizzes or teacher observation of discussions.
- Increase skill in paraphrasing information from online and other sources, which will be assessed by a final 4 – 6 page essay with APA referencing.
- Produce writing that discusses various distinct opinions and perspectives in a fair and responsible manner, which will be assessed by a final 3 – 5 page essay with APA referencing.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
400
- Demonstrate appropriate thesis statements and supporting points, which will be assessed through all written assignments.
- Demonstrate understanding of the concept of plagiarism, which will be assessed by quizzes or teacher observation of discussions.
- Increase skill in paraphrasing information from online and other sources, which will be assessed by a final 7 – 10 page research essay with APA referencing.
- Demonstrate the ability to synthesize information from various online and other sources to construct your own unique authorial position, which will be assessed by a final 7 – 10 page research essay with APA referencing.
- Produce writing that discusses various distinct opinions and perspectives in a fair and responsible manner, which will be assessed by a final 7 – 10 page research essay with APA referencing.
- Display academic values and readiness for content-area courses by taking responsibility for one’s own learning, by engaging in cooperative work with classmates, which will be assessed through teacher observation.
13) Reflect on the assessment process. Is there anything related to assessment procedures your program would do differently next time? What went well?
For the Fall terms, the CAM meetings according to language skills have changed to level meetings at which all skills taught at the same level are addressed. This seems to be a more effective forum to discuss techniques and assessments that work at one particular level. So far, there have not been any complaints about the revised learning outcomes. However, Fall Term 1 has not yet ended and Student Final Assessment Reports, a sample of which is attached, have yet to be received and reviewed.
It may have been better if we had gone back to look at the Level Outcomes before tackling the course outcomes to ensure that the wording of those lends itself to easy alignment on the course level. That will be our next project.