Less is Less: Numerical Results for LTWR's Student Writing Assessment Project

What are the numerical results of our assessment?

Highest Scores by Course

Average Scores by Course

Lowest Scores by Course

Median Scores by Course

The numbers are telling.  They confirm not only what we recognize as educators but about what the public has expressed grave concern:  As a group, the undergraduate LTWR portfolios we assessed demonstrate students’ marginal writing skills while the graduate student portfolios present acceptable writing skills.  This numerical information is important.  We maintain though that the assessors’ written comments alongside actual student writing are not only more helpful to teachers and students alike than the numbers alone, they is far more encouraging.  The written comments narrate the strengths and weaknesses of the written texts while also pointing to ways these student writers might develop further many of the sage ideas they have often just begun to explore in the body of their texts.  When the numerical scores, the written comments, and the essay and creative rubrics are then analyzed together,  our task as faculty committed to CSUSM’s intensive writing curriculum also becomes clearer.