Students engaging in written communication will develop:
These skills are developed in a 100 and 200-level course sequence taught by the English Department.
Read more about the 100-level written communication outcomes
Read more about the 200-level written communication outcomes
We proudly offer multiple opportunities for students to gain written communication skills:
- English Composition at the 100-level provides students practice writing and revising different kinds of compositions they will be called on to produce during their college careers and beyond.
- English Composition at the 200-level focuses on research and writing within the disciplines, at large, and further develops students’ critical reading, thinking, and writing skills.
- Introduction to Writing in Business, Education, and Social Sciences focuses on research and writing within business, education, and social sciences and further develops students’ critical reading, thinking, and writing skills.
- Introduction to Technical Writing focuses on research and writing within technical and scientific communities and further develops students’ critical reading, thinking, and writing skills.
General education courses as well as courses within the major give students additional opportunities to develop writing skills.
How do we know students are learning?
English faculty participate in an assessment summit to rate and review student work to determine student achievement.
Are Monarchs meeting our expectations?
We found that overall students are meeting and exceeding the writing standards in the 200-level writing courses. Many students were able to develop their rhetorical knowledge, implement multiple writing strategies, and appropriately apply written conventions. A majority of students used critical thinking, reading, and information literacy skills to integrate ideas from research materials and library resources.
Faculty identified a few key areas that they would like to strengthen. Read about the actions ODU took below.
How are we helping students learn?
- We added in-class activities and assignments that foster reflection to the course guidelines. These are designed to improve critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.
- Within two years, we conducted several targeted professional development opportunities for faculty, designed to improve student learning.
- Faculty positions were aligned to direct and lead lower division general education writing. These positions provide increased coordination of faculty, curriculum, and educational resources.
We will reassess written communication in 2021 to measure our impact. We continue to engage in efforts to improve student learning.
Developing writing skills...
The data provide a snapshot of written communication skills that students continue to develop throughout their time as a Monarch.
... throughout their academic career
Questions? Contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
Credits:
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