Demonstrates For Fall and Winter The number of students participating The BME program will When BME students This student workplace quarters, collect a one was four, too small to make solid (1) reinforce the enter the program, learning goal is competencies in to two-page writing conclusions upon which to base importance of learning they will read these important and keyboarding and digital assignment at the changes. However, conclusions were effective writing and research results and will be input, information beginning of the drawn on which to base further applying it in all a statement on the continued. technology clusters, quarter in Business research: (1) Overall, students’ communications importance of Writing information systems Communication 302 writing did not show improvement throughout the students’ writing that they assessment in management, and at the end of that by the end of their program. The program, (2) share these will sign each college – information processing quarter. Two faculty reason could be because students results with students, (3) beginning Fall 2010. program is applications, technical will evaluate papers didn’t apply in successive classes continue collecting Following BME essential if the communications, using a rubric. A what they learned in 302 to form student writing samples, students from 302 to writing principles of writing sample from effective writing habits. (2) The and (4) share these results 475/476 will begin outcomes for entrepreneurship, those students in their students who showed higher scores with CBPA faculty to this Spring 2010. our graduates is business management, final methods courses on their end-of-program writing support the work of the During Spring 2010, to reach the accounting & will also be evaluated assignment may have spent more CBPA Writing Initiative. these results will be level college computation, in the same way. All time on their submissions because shared at the faculty expect. economics & finance, three documents will they knew the instructor had very For future use, we will Writing Initiative All programs international business, be compared and high writing expectations and she alter the rubric to more meeting, at the must have high and business law. (The analyzed to determine was their program director. The accurately reflect assessment expectations for technical writing changes in strengths other two students in the final class students’ writing needs coordinators students’ portion of this learning and weaknesses. were not taught by this same for this study. meeting, and with writing. outcome goal will be instructor. Students’ writing skills in the Business Core assessed this All eight rubric criteria need to be committee. improved.
Demonstrates workplace competencies in keyboarding and digital input, information technology clusters, information systems management, information processing applications, technical communications, principles of entrepreneurship, business management, accounting & computation, economics & finance, international business, and business law. (The technical writing portion of this learning outcome goal will be assessed this For Fall and Winter quarters, collect a one to two-page writing assignment at the beginning of the quarter in Business Communication 302 and at the end of that quarter. Two faculty will evaluate papers using a rubric. A writing sample from those students in their final methods courses will also be evaluated in the same way. All three documents will be compared and analyzed to determine changes in strengths and weaknesses. The number of students participating was four, too small to make solid conclusions upon which to base changes. However, conclusions were drawn on which to base further research: (1) Overall, students’ writing did not show improvement by the end of their program. The reason could be because students didn’t apply in successive classes what they learned in 302 to form effective writing habits. (2) The students who showed higher scores on their end-of-program writing assignment may have spent more time on their submissions because they knew the instructor had very high writing expectations and she was their program director. The other two students in the final class were not taught by this same instructor. Students’ writing skills in All eight rubric criteria need to be improved. The BME program will (1) reinforce the importance of learning effective writing and applying it in all communications throughout the students’ program, (2) share these results with students, (3) continue collecting student writing samples, and (4) share these results with CBPA faculty to support the work of the CBPA Writing Initiative. For future use, we will alter the rubric to more accurately reflect students’ writing needs for this study. When BME students enter the program, they will read these research results and a statement on the importance of writing that they will sign – beginning Fall 2010. Following BME students from 302 to 475/476 will begin this Spring 2010. During Spring 2010, these results will be shared at the Writing Initiative meeting, at the assessment coordinators meeting, and with the Business Core committee. This student learning goal is important and will be continued. Writing assessment in each college program is essential if the writing outcomes for our graduates is to reach the level college faculty expect. All programs must have high expectations for students’ writing.