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Assessment Findings and Feedback process
Review of the goal-specific items from the departmental SCE report in comparison to the
overall Trinity College reports from the last 4 years reveals that LIN-designator courses
are evaluated by students to be very rewarding (4.35 of 5 rating for quality of instruction)
and to be intellectually stimulating (4.02 of 5). The departmental results are higher than
the overall Trinity College averages in terms of quality of instruction and intellectual
stimulation, and the majority of areas evaluated (17 of 20).
The review of goal-specific items from the CES for the last 4 years reveals a high level of
student satisfaction and success in pursuing their educational goals. In particular, COHFE data shows that Duke Linguistics majors gave significantly
higher ratings in the areas of use of quantitative tools, scientific process and
experimentation, satisfaction with the major, quality of instruction, intellectual
excitement, gaining in-depth knowledge of the field, and a dozen other categories (in
comparison with other Duke divisions and peer departments and divisions). The
perceived progress on writing skills as shown by student ratings, while consistently high,
has not been at the overall level of the college until the past two terms. Indicators from
SCE point to research-coded courses as major contributors to the perceived increase in
progress.
Based on data gathered from the two survey sources detailed above as demonstrated in
the SCE and CES reports, specifically concerning quality of instruction and intellectual
stimulation, the Linguistics program has been consistently successful within the Duke
community in providing quality instruction to its students. We will continue to
systematically consider the data collected to date through CES and SCE during the
upcoming first year of the new assessment, examine individual categories of particular
relevance to the program, and develop a course of action to further improve the impact of
the academic major in Linguistics.
The students are highly engaged in the discipline and this is shown by the large
percentage of first majors who choose to write an honors thesis and successfully defend
it. We target an increase of 10% in honors thesis participation, yielding 85% of all
graduating first majors by year three of the upcoming assessment cycle.
The rating of the honors projects results in approximately 10% achieving highest
distinction, 50% achieving high distinction and 40% achieving distinction. [These
percentages are based on multi-year estimates. In a particular year, the range for any one
of the distinction levels could go from 0% to 100%.] We would like to have a higher rate
of results in the high and highest distinction categories, resulting jointly in an increase of
10% by year three of the current assessment cycle. These new percentages will be
determined by application of the newly developed standard scoring rubric.
In recognition of the need to continue and deepen systematic program assessment, the
Linguistics Program will phase in the following processes over the course of the next five
years:
(1) Data on student performance based on specific embedded test questions, rubric-scored
research projects and portfolios will be collected. The program faculty will discuss the
possibility of implementation of a process of embedding assignments within pre- and/or
post-tests within and among core courses of the major.
(2) Application of a rubric based on a scoring process for all honors thesis and capstone
course project products.
(3) The Linguistics program will enact a yearly process directed by the chair and director
of undergraduate studies to evaluate each graduating senior in the program using SLO.
This process will take place in the spring semesters, beginning in the 2008-09 academic
year, and include individual interviews with each major that includes their portfolio and
honors thesis project, if one is elected by the student.
(4) Increase the faculty by two in order to attain these objectives. One position has
already been approved and the search is planned for 2008-09. A second position could be
possible if shared with another departmental unit.
Future years will follow a similar process, guided by information gathered from the
assessment findings and feedback process.
(PDF Version: Mission Statement, Goals & Learning Objectives)
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