Languages and Literatures Program Assessment AY 2020-2021

During AY 2020-2021, the Curriculum and Assessment Committee, and all the members of the department, were engaged in a massive "closing the loop" undertaking, during which we worked to finalize our new curriculum and complete a departmental self study of our old curriculum. As we closed the loop on our old curriculum, we did not deem it necessary to assess students at that time. 

During AY 2021-2022, we will begin Phase 2 of our new assessment protocol, which calls for assessing Oral Proficiency. In addition, we will complete the General Education Assessment of all our languages at the L/102 level, and the Basic Research Assessment of our Spanish and French majors enrolled in a 300-level course. 

Our departmental discussion revolved around the results of our self-study. This information was then compiled in the form of a written response to the self-study and presented to Provost Robertson and Interim Associate Provost Blood. 

Parts II and III of the CAC Assessment Report:

II: Identifying of the Learning Outcome Goals of Your Academic Unit for next year.

Name 1-3 learning outcome goals you will assess next year. This next year's goals may be based on assessment from last year or the planned rotation of student learning outcomes assessment. By archiving this information on the wiki using this form, you can access these goals next year.

Goal 1: Following our 4-year assessment rotation, we will be assessing Oral Proficiency of Spanish and French 300-level students in the Spring of 2022. Our Student Learning Outcomes for Oral Proficiency include mastery of the syntax, morphology, and semantics of the target language in both written and spoken form, as well as knowledge of the organization of the target language’s sound system and the production of said sounds. Our goal is for 80% of students to meet or exceed this SLO.

How you will measure your success: We will measure our success through two types of spoken assessments: a prepared presentation and in-class, real-time conversations or oral exam. 

Goal 2: Following the College's Assessment Rotation, we will be engaging in a Gen Ed Assessment of our 102-level courses. The Student Learning Outcomes for the 102-level language courses are as follows: 

Upon successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate Novice-High to Intermediate-Low (ACTFL) proficiency in listening, speaking, writing and reading and will also demonstrate familiarity with culture.

As outlined by ACTFL proficiency standards, the Novice-High to Intermediate-Low benchmarks for interpersonal (real-world) communication are, respectively:

“I can request and provide information by asking and answering practiced and some original questions on familiar and everyday topics, using simple sentences most of the time.”

“I can request and provide information in conversations on familiar topics by creating simple sentences and asking appropriate follow-up questions.”

How you will measure your success: We will focus on a written assessment through in-class compositions and writing assignments. Instructors will also assess either listening or oral proficiency in class or a final project or as part of a final exam.  

Goal 3: Following the College's Assessment Rotation, we will be engaging in a Basic Research Assessment of two 300-level courses: FREN 325 and SPAN 313. The Learning Outcomes for Basic Research are as follows:

Students will:

• Locate information from a variety of sources.
• Evaluate information from a variety of sources.
• Synthesize information from a variety of sources.
• Support a well-organized argument with this information.

How you will measure your success: We will through oral and/or written research projects. We will use the Basic Research Rubric in our assessment.

III: Linking Academic Unit Learning Outcome Goals to the College's Mission, Values, and Strategic Plan

Please tie your goals for the upcoming year to Geneseo's declared values (Learning, Creativity, Inclusivity, Civic Responsibility, and Sustainability) or to the more granular Focus Areas and Objectives outlined in the Geneseo 2021 Strategic Plan.

Goal 1: 

• Inclusivity: fostering a diverse campus community marked by mutual respect for the unique talents and contributions of each individual;
• Civic responsibility: promoting ethical local and global citizenship

Goal 2: 

• Inclusivity: fostering a diverse campus community marked by mutual respect for the unique talents and contributions of each individual;
• Civic responsibility: promoting ethical local and global citizenship

Goal 3: 

• Learning: embracing high expectations for intellectual inquiry, scholarly achievement, and personal growth;
• Creativity: affirming a spirit of innovation that inspires intellectual curiosity and problem solving;