Introduction

Minutes

Members

View the 2004-2005 Assessment Committee Members

Critical Thinking

Outcome Statement:
Phoenix College students will learn to examine the parts of an issue to clarify the whole, judge the value of two or more things or ideas that are put side by side, and identify a trend or line of reasoning and its consequences.

A multidisciplinary faculty committee uses a standardized critical thinking test, the Test of Everyday Reasoning, to get a measure of the critical thinking abilities of the student body. The committee will also use a locally developed rubric to assist instructors in assessing critical thinking in their classrooms. The committee will report its findings and make recommendations to the campus community.
The Critical Thinking Powerpoint presentations contain more information on the Committee and Critical Thinking. View Presentation 1 or Presentation 2.

Contact: Phil Pepe (285-7106, phil.pepe@pcmail.maricopa.edu)

Developmental Education

Outcome Statement:
The developmental student will have mastery of the rudimentary concepts and/or structural frameworks used in the areas of math, English, and reading, which will prepare him/her for college level courses.

Developmental math, English, and reading instructors administer a Pre Study Skills Survey, expose students to a Study Skills Workshop, and administer a Post Study Skills Survey. Another set of instructors only administer the Pre and Post Study Skills Survey. The Developmental Education Committee looks at the study skills practices of the students to identify areas for improvement with the intent to share findings with faculty.

Contact: Camilla Westenberg (285-7365, camilla.westenberg@pcmail.maricopa.edu)

ESL Grammar and Writing

Outcome Statement:
Phoenix College students will be able to construct sentences using the competencies of levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 grammar. In addition, they will be able to write a composition in any given mode that has a title and an introduction with a main idea. The composition will also contain support, correct mechanics, organization and unity, and simple, compound and complex sentences. Outcome statements for grammar levels 1, 2, 3, and 4.

An ESL faculty and staff committee uses a locally developed scoring rubric to assess student writing samples from ESL levels 2, 3, and 4 grammar. In addition, a grammar test for levels 1, 2, and 3 based on MCCD competencies is scored, and the results are studied. Finally, recommendations for course and instructional improvement are made to the faculty and program.

Contact: Pam Rogers (285-7359, pamela.rogers@pcmail.maricopa.edu)

Information Literacy

Outcome Statement:
The student will be able to recognize when information is needed, identify appropriate types of information, and locate, evaluate, and use information effectively, ethically, and legally.

An information literate student recognizes when information is needed and has the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Using standards established by the Association of College and Research Libraries, a multidisciplinary faculty committee will participate in Project SAILS and will explore the use of rubrics to assess information literacy competency.

Contact: Ann Roselle (285-7549, ann.roselle@pcmail.maricopa.edu)

Numeracy

Outcome Statement:
Students will use numerical concepts and data effectively.

Samples of assignments in which students use math are collected throughout the year from courses in many disciplines, ranging from Art to Dental Hygiene to Nursing to Chemistry. The samples are assessed by a voluntary committee of faculty from many disciplines as demonstrating or not demonstrating each of five mathematical problem-solving competencies described by the Numeracy Rubric. The training they receive in using the Rubric enables faculty to better create problems eliciting deeper mathematical thought from students, and better teach applications of math in their fields.

Contact: Kory Merkel (285-7673, kory.merkel@pcmail.maricopa.edu)

Occupational Programs

Outcome Statement:
1. Occupational Programs at PC will prepare students for the workforce.
2. Students in Occupational Programs at PC will exhibit professional behaviors.

Every occupational program Director submits yearly, (in the fall for the preceding academic year), a rubric which identifies the methods that the program is using to measure how students are being prepared for the workforce and a separate rubric which measures the professional behaviors students in the program will exhibit. It also identifies the person responsible for gathering the information as well as the identified audience and when the evaluation is conducted. Most importantly, it asks the changes made in the program as a result of the evaluation methods. Both direct and indirect methods are encouraged.

Contact: Kristin Anderson (285-7324, kristin.anderson@pcmail.maricopa.edu)

Oral Presentation Committee

Outcome Statement:
Phoenix College students in college level courses will be able to plan and deliver an oral presentation to a target audience at a satisfactory level. Satisfactory level is defined as scoring a minimum average of 5 on the 8-point adopted instrument, The Competent Speaker.

A multi-disciplinary faculty committee gathers taped presentations from a variety of academic and occupational courses and uses an 8-competency rubric as a rating tool. Attempting to "close the feedback loop" and help create a "culture" of oral presentation instruction on campus, the committee has designed two major documents: 1) "Oral Presentation Recommendations for Students" and 2) "Assigning an Oral Presentation: The Whys and Hows for Faculty."

Contact: Gerry Burgess (285-7302, gerald.burgess@pcmail.maricopa.edu)

Writing

Outcome Statement:
Upon completion of two semesters of writing instruction at Phoenix College, students will be able to write using clear structure with few errors in mechanics, and providing good coverage and organization of well-supported content.

A multidisciplinary faculty committee uses a locally-developed scoring rubric to assess student writing samples from across the campus. The committee reports its findings and makes recommendations to the campus community.

Contact: Edlyn Soderman (285-7382, edlyn.soderman@pcmail.maricopa.edu)