These outcomes were developed as part of an assessment initiative in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which provided feedback and support over two semesters. Three full-time instructors, and the Director of Composition, participated in the initiative, and the new outcomes more clearly reflect what we teach and why.
The goal of having these outcomes, and asking those teaching in the Composition Program to use them to guide their teaching, is to foster an atmosphere where all teachers understand what they are teaching and why, and can clearly communicate these goals to students. These outcomes are also intended to be understandable to the larger university and beyond. Having a clear set of outcomes also allows for consistency across the various sections of composition, and provides a way to assess what is being learned in the courses.
In Composition, students learn to craft successful texts for university audiences and beyond. Teaching and learning focuses on constructing appropriate, purposeful, and meaningful writing by learning the processes of producing, structuring, and revising writing.
- Rhetorical Knowledge & Purposeful Writing
Student work demonstrates an understanding of the rhetorical nature of writing and language use and successfully addresses academic and non-academic audiences by adopting clear and consistent purposes, as well as appropriate organization, tone, and format, according to genre. - Revision and Writing Process
Students produce multiple drafts. Student writing demonstrates careful revision in response to commentary from peers (when relevant) and the instructor. - Argument & Analysis
Students write persuasively and analytically. Student writing contains convincing arguments and is supported with evidence. - Critical Reading
Students read to inquire, learn, think, and communicate. Student writing demonstrates understandings of assigned readings, and when requested, incorporates outside readings. - Research
Student writing evidences understandings of citation and website validity, and avoids plagiarism. At the intermediate level, student writing integrates credible academic research. - Technology & Multimodality
Students function in electronic writing spaces, and use technology to compose, revise, and present their writing. At the intermediate level, students analyze and/or produce visual, audio, and online texts, while working half-time in computer classrooms.