carol ann gittens, gail gradowski & christa bailey santa clara university
DESCRIPTION
Information Literacy, Critical Thinking, and Written Communication Across the Undergraduate Years: A Rubric Strategy. Carol Ann Gittens, Gail Gradowski & Christa Bailey Santa Clara University WASC Academic Resource Conference Session D1 April 25, 2014. Project Goals. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
INFORMATION LITERACY, CRITICAL THINKING, AND
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE UNDERGRADUATE
YEARS: A RUBRIC STRATEGY
Carol Ann Gittens, Gail Gradowski & Christa Bailey
Santa Clara University
WASC Academic Resource Conference
Session D1
April 25, 2014
PROJECT GOALS
Assess Core Competencies across the
curriculum
Manageable assessment strategy
Leverage existing sources of evidence
Valid measurement across varied
disciplines / courses / contexts
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS: CTIL
Alignment of CTIL Core Competencies with existing learning goals and outcomes
Identifying performances
Rubric development
Setting performance standards
CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT RUBRICS: Assignment or Learning Outcome Holistic vs. Analytical Scale: How Many Levels? Exercise Info Literacy: Don’t reinvent the
wheel!
DEVELOPING A RUBRIC: 4 STEPS Reflection on expectations for student
performance Listing of needed skills and evidence of
mastery Grouping and Labeling dimensions and
scale Criteria with supporting explanation
LEVERAGING EXISTING SOURCES OF EVIDENCE
Already existing SLOs
CTW 1 & 2
Faculty Developed Performances
SCU CORE CURRICULUM: CRITICAL THINKING &WRITING (CTW 1 & 2)Critical Thinking & Writing 2 Objectives – Students will
2.1 Read and write with a critical point of view that demonstrates greater depth of thought and a more thorough understanding of the rhetorical situation than in CTW 1.
2.2 Write research-based essays that contain well-supported arguable theses and that demonstrate personal engagement and clear purpose.
2.3 Independently and deliberately locate, select, and appropriately use and cite evidence that is ample, credible, and smoothly integrated into an intellectually honest argument.
2.4 Analyze the rhetorical differences, both constraints and possibilities, of different modes of presentation.
2.5 Reflect more deeply than in CTW 1 upon the writing process as a mode of thinking and learning that can be generalized across range of writing and thinking tasks.
DEVELOPING AN INFORMATION LITERACY RUBRIC – PHASE 1
Drawing upon existing IL rubric examples
Modification and Calibration
CALIBRATION ON THE CT RUBRIC Holistic rubric Skills and
Dispositions Key features in
each level Break point(s)
APPLYING THE CTIL RUBRICS
Score the sample paper #73 (Handout 1)
Use both the CT and the IL rubric (Handouts 2 & 5)
Work independently! If time allows, compare
and discussion your scores
Debrief
WHAT MADE THIS DIFFICULT?
OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME Variability of assignment formats Rubric not developed for a specific
assignment Not having assignment prompts Necessary flexibility in the rubric language Ambiguity of phrases in rubric Scorers’ familiarity with course /
assignment / texts Insufficient training and calibration Alignment of assignment with learning
objectives
ESTABLISHING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS Considerations – who are the students?
CT Performance Standards:Normal distributionModal performance: Level 3Average ≥ 3
IL Performance Standards: 100% Level 2 or higher 50% Level 3 or higher
RESULTS FOR CRITICAL THINKING
CT Performance Standards:• Normal distribution• Modal performance: Level 3• Average ≥ 3
RESULTS FOR INFORMATION LITERACY: DOMAINS 1 & 5
IL Performance Standards: 100% Level 2 or higher 50% Level 3 or higher
RESULTS FOR INFORMATION LITERACY: DOMAINS 2, 3 & 4
IL Performance Standards: 100% Level 2 or higher 50% Level 3 or higher
CLOSING THE LOOP: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED SO FAR? Greater attention to particular components
of Information Literacy Assumptions about performance standards
Limitation of using CTW with STS / new Core
Rubric revisions Findings require replication
LAUNCH OF PHASE 2
EXPANDING TO INCLUDE WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Natural extension of CTIL project
Opportunity to refine rubrics
CTW and Advanced Writing
Faculty Developed Performances across disciplines!
ePortfolio initiative
SCU CORE CURRICULUM: ADVANCED WRITINGAdvanced Writing Objectives – Students will
1.1 Read and write with a critical point of view that depth of thought and is mindful of the rhetorical situation of a specific discipline.
1.2 Write essays that contain well-supported arguable theses and that demonstrate personal engagement and clear purpose.
1.3 Independently and deliberately locate, select, and appropriately use and cite evidence that is ample, credible, and smoothly integrated into an intellectually honest argument appropriate for a particular discipline.
1.4 Consciously understand their writing processes as modes of learning and intentionally manipulate those processes in response to diverse learning tasks.
Rubric scoring – CTIL plus written communication
Core Competencies at additional points in the curriculum?
Faculty development in CTIL Assignment design workshops
ALIGNMENT OF ASSIGNMENT WITH LEARNING OBJECTIVES / RUBRIC
THANK YOU!