Liberal Arts

Program Student Learning Outcomes(PSLOs)

At the completion of Liberal Arts Program, the student will be able to:

1. Enrich and deepen self-knowledge by exploring different academic experiences.
2. Articulate and understand their experiences through effective writing, reading, speaking and various modes of artistic expression.
3. Demonstrate fundamental knowledge and basic skills appropriate to their personal and professional goals in their chosen area of specialization.

 

PSLO Assessment Report Summary

What we looked at:

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY: For the 2014-2015 SY, the students in the Foreign Language (FL) courses were assessed on their performance and speaking ability in the foreign language that they studied. Students had to demonstrate the ability to carry out a simple conversation with a native speaker of the language that they studied. These assessment activities covered PSLO 1 and 2 of the Liberal Arts program with a specific focus on students’ speaking abilities.

TARGET: 100% of all students who took the FL 101: Japanese I, FL102: Japanese II, and FL103: Chinese I courses were assessed. Since these classes are electives for the Liberal Arts students.

The rubric for assessing their speech was developed by the FL faculty from the Japanese and Chinese courses. The rubric was designed to assess how well the students could demonstrate 1. proper pronunciation, 2. proper use of words and 3. fluency during an oral performance of a specific situation. Each individual student’s ability was ranked on a scale of 1-3 with 0-1.4 points for a poor performance, 1.5-2.4 for an average performance and 2.5-3 for an excellent performance.

Listed below are the results of the assessment of 107 Japanese students and 48 Chinese students.

What we found:

Japanese Courses:

• 106 out of 107 (99%) students were able to pronounce the Japanese words well enough for a native speaker to understand.
• 92 out of 107 (86%) were able to recall, recite and use appropriate words in the proper way to carry out conversations. This area was where the most students showed a weakness.
• 93 out of 107 (87%) students were able to demonstrate fluency through their smooth delivery during their performance.

 

Chinese Courses:

• 34 out of 48 (71%) were able to pronounce the Chinese words well enough for a native speaker to understand.
• 34 out of 48 (71%) were able to recall, recite and use appropriate words in the proper way to carry out conversations.
• 34 out of 48 (71%) students were able to demonstrate fluency through their smooth delivery during their performance.

 

Based on the assessment, it seems that our students are doing fairly well when it comes to learning another foreign language in comparison to English.

What we are planning to work on:

• For the 2015-2016 SY, the division will be assessing the writing abilities of our students with a specific emphasis on the weak areas identified in our assessments from 2012. This will help to lead up to the General Education assessment of our English classes that will be done college-wide next year.
• 100% of all students who are taking the upper level English courses will be assessed.
• The rubric for assessing their writing that was used in 2012 will be revised by the faculty for use during the next assessment cycle.
• Work with our Liberal Arts advisees to ensure effective planning (take what is needed first to build skills before taking upper level courses) and timely completion so that our students are better equipped to transfer to regional institutions of higher education.
• Review the program requirements to ensure that it is aligned with students’ need to transfer out when completing the program.

Recommendations for students:

• Read regularly: To help aid in coherence, comprehension and to expand background knowledge on content, students need to make reading a regular part of their everyday practice. Reading will help them more in their English courses and in any other courses in college since this will help to expand vocabulary and increase understanding of usage and will build knowledge of different subjects. To be successful in the Liberal Arts program, students need to read often and read regularly. Students should make it a habit to read ahead in their textbooks rather than relying on their instructors to provide all the information they need.
• Writing and Reflection: To become better at writing, students do need to practice writing. Putting thoughts into writing, reading what they write and reflecting on their writing is good practice. Writing about their reading can also help to aid understanding of unfamiliar subjects. For students to be proficient in writing, they must write.
• Students need to already start thinking and learning about their future careers so that when they enter into the Liberal Arts program, they will be informed about what types of skills and knowledge they will need for their future careers. Being aware of this will help students better plan their education and their career paths and will allow them to make good decisions when selecting classes and electives in the major.