Writing Assessment

The University’s Senior Class Portfolio is comprised of papers students write outside class as part of their course grade.  Consequently, this assessment method circumvents the problem of student motivation.  It also results in an eclectic mix of writing that gives us a fuller picture of our students’ competencies.  The typical Portfolio includes expository, persuasive and argumentative essays, reports, research papers and journalistic writing.  In short, except for essay tests and timed or creative writing, the Portfolio accepts every kind of academic writing.

The Process:  With the student’s permission, participating faculty submit papers to the “Class Portfolio” before they are graded.  At the end of the academic year an interdisciplinary team of faculty evaluates the Portfolio using Winthrop’s faculty-generated criteria, rubric and scoring sheets (see the attached).  Each paper is read and scored by two readers.  If their scores differ by more than 1.4 points on a 6 point scale, the paper is read a third time.  The two closest scores are then averaged to determine the paper’s score.

The 2000 Senior Class Portfolio:  During the 1999-2000 academic year, the Office of Assessment made an effort to gather as large and representative a sample of senior papers as possible.  As a result the Portfolio contained 206 papers that faculty from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Business evaluated. 

·        *Although the 97 - 98 Portfolio sample is small its scores are consistent with the normal score distribution.  The fact that it included papers written by Honors students may explain the high percentage of very good and excellent ratings. 

·        + “Very Good” and “Excellent” ratings are included in the “Acceptable” percentages.

Conclusions:  This Class Portfolio and data obtained from the College Base standardized exam, suggest that the majority of our graduating seniors are competent writers who perform at or above the national average. 

However, Winthrop’s minimum acceptable score of 3.5, established by interdisciplinary groups of faculty, was validated again this year.  Papers that score below that level - 38% of this Portfolio - exhibit a variety of flaws.  They may, for example, lack a central idea, be disorganized and have significant problems with usage, grammar or syntax.  Frequently they are poorly documented or handle borrowed material ineptly.  Unfortunately, there is no quick or easy way in which to address these weaknesses.  The ability to handle written language develops slowly over a period of years only if one is expected to write frequently. 

Therefore, if we want more of our students to write effectively, we must increase our demands.  We could do this in a variety of ways: we might, for example, increase the amount of writing expected of students, incorporate a variety of graded and un-graded writing assignments into all classes, require students to visit the Writing Center, and adopt a common core of expectations and guidelines.

For more information on the Class Portfolio project contact Dr. Marge Tebo-Messina in the English Department or Teaching and Learning Center or by e-mail:  tebomessinam@winthrop.edu.