Spanish & Portuguese Self- Study - 50
CRITERION 3: TEACHING AND LEARNING: CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
3.A. Assessment Process
Student Learning Outcomes and Results of Assessment 3.A.1. General Education courses
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese assesses the following thirteen lower-division courses (100 and 200 levels) as part of UNM General Education courses (see NM HED area competencies in Appendix 3.A.1):
1. SSL Program (SPAN 101, 102, 201 and 201) 2. SHL Program (SPAN 111, 112, 211 and 212) and
3. Portuguese 100-200 Program (PORT 101, 102, 275, 276, 277)
A strong point in conducting assessment on learning in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese has been in the assessment of General Education Core Courses. The lower-division programs—SSL, SHL, and Portuguese (Port)—have regularly conducted assessment of General Education Core Courses throughout the span of time covered by the APR. It must be noted that there have been many challenges to complying with the requirements of assessment. Primarily, this challenge is in understanding exactly what the UNM Office of Assessment requires and how to comply. For example, during the time span of the APR, there have been no less than five different templates distributed by Assessment to evaluators of Core Curriculum. Also, the scope of assessment has expanded from only examining entry level courses (SSL: SPAN101; SHL:
SPAN 111; Port 274) to including second semester courses (SSL: SPAN 102; SHL: SPAN 112;
Port 275), and, beginning with the previous academic year, to including all lower-division levels (SSL: SPAN 101, 102, 201, 202; SHL: SPAN 111, 112, 211, 212; Port 574, 275). The formatting and enumeration of university SLOs and Learning Goals have also evolved. Nevertheless, lower-division program coordinators have participated actively in workshops by Assessment and in many individual meetings with representatives of Assessment. Our active participation in General Education assessment has been noted. Due to this active participation, Professor Wilson was asked to be a member of the College Assessment Review Committee (CARC) in Fall 2013 in order to evaluate college-wide assessments of Gen Ed. Professor Rodríguez González has also been serving as Assessment Coordinator for Latin American Iberian Institute (LAII) since 2015.
Also, Assessment granted both the SSL and the SHL program with three Learning Improvement Awards (Spring 2014 & Spring 2015: $4000 total) to develop materials--the primary requirement of consideration for these awards is a demonstration of ongoing compliance with Gen Ed Assessment.
The rest of this section provides details on the assessment of General Education Core Courses by providing Student Learning Outcomes and outlining the results of the assessment effort.
Spanish & Portuguese Self- Study - 51
Spanish as a Second Language Program (General Education courses: SPAN101, 102, 201 and 202)
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Learning Outcomes for the SSL Program are available in all course syllabi and are posted on Department website. The following SLOs have been changed in January 2015 in alignment with American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines (ACTFL, 2012) and revised in Spring 2016.
SPAN 101 Spanish I: By the end of SPAN101, students will be able to:
1) Engage in simple exchanges in culturally appropriate ways on familiar topics using contextualized words, phrases, common idiomatic expressions, and simple sentences in highly practiced situations (NM HED Area V: 6, 7, 8)
2) Participate in short social interactions in culturally appropriate ways in everyday situations by means of asking and answering simple questions about people, places, things and other very familiar topics (NM HED Area V: 6, 7, 8)
3) Fill out simple forms and schedules with basic personal information and write short messages and descriptions about oneself and others using learned phrases and expressions such as likes and dislikes in student’s favorite subjects (NM HED Area 1: 4, NM HED Area V: 6, 8)
4) Identify the main idea and some details in a variety of oral, written texts and media on familiar topics in a variety of formats and genres (NM HED Area 1: 1, 4, NM HED Area V:
6, 7, 8)
SPAN 102 Spanish II: By the end of SPAN 102, students will be able to:
1) Exchange information on familiar topics and handle short social interactions in culturally appropriate ways using contextualized words, phrases, common idiomatic expressions, and sentences (NM HED Area V: 6, 7, 8)
2) Participate in conversations in culturally appropriate ways in present and future time frames on a variety of familiar topics by asking, answering questions, making plans, preferences and describing everyday situations (NM HED Area V: 6, 7, 8)
3) Write in present and future time frames about people, activities, events, and familiar topics of personal and general interest (NM HED Area 1: 4, NM HED Area V: 6, 8)
4) Identify the main idea and many details on a wide selection of familiar topics in oral, written texts and media in a variety of formats and genres (NM HED Area 1: 4, NM HED Area V: 6, 7, 8)
Note: NM HED Area V: Competency 6 applies to all the SLOs identified below for SPAN 201 and SPAN 202 beyond basic levels of communication in Spanish
SPAN 201 Spanish III: By the end of SPAN 201, students will be able to:
1) Exchange information on a wide variety of familiar topics and handle social interactions in culturally appropriate ways in everyday situations with some degree of ease and confidence (NM HED Area V: 7, 8)
2) Participate in conversations in culturally appropriate ways present and past time frames to
Spanish & Portuguese Self- Study - 52
initiate, maintain and end conversations on a variety of factual information familiar to them by means of using contextualized words, connecting ideas and sentences in a logical way and building their repertoire of common idiomatic expressions (NM HED Area 1: 4, NM HED Area V: 7, 8)
3) Write in present and past time frames about common events, routines, job applications, formal requests and other topics of general interest where they can express experiences and reactions. (NM HED Area 1: 4, NM HED Area V: 5, 8)
4) Identify the main idea, some details and many idiomatic expressions from a conversation between speakers and/or from a text about general and current topics (NM HED Area 1: 1, 4, NM HED Area V: 3, 8)
SPAN 202 Spanish IV: By the end of SPAN 202, students will be able to:
1) Exchange information on a wide variety of familiar topics and current events and handle social interactions in culturally appropriate ways in everyday situations with ease and confidence. (NM HED Area I: 4, 6, NM HED Area V: 2, 7, 8)
2) Participate in conversations in various time frames with ease and confidence about events, experiences, people, places, and things, as well as handling social interactions in culturally appropriate ways in everyday situations (NM HED Area 1: 4, 6, NM HED Area V: 7, 8) 3) Write in various time frames and degrees of formality in the format of paragraphs that
include logically sequenced sentences and some supportive details about familiar topics or topics of their interest and/or current events where they can express experiences, reactions, viewpoints and suggestions (NM HED Area 1: 4, 6, NM HED Area V: 5, 8)
4) Identify the main idea, many idiomatic expressions and most details on a wide selection of familiar topics described in various time frames and degrees of formality in a variety of oral, written texts and media (NM HED Area 1: 1, 4, NM HED Area V: 3, 8)
SLOs and plans for assessment of SSL were generated in 2009. Results of SSL assessment started to be reported in 2012 for SPAN 101 and SPAN 102. SLOs were revised and updated in course syllabi and shared on the Department website in Spring 2015 in alignment with American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) performance descriptors vertically constructed to refer to different ACTFL sublevels of proficiency (ranging from Novice High to Intermediate High). All rubrics used since 2015 in writing and speaking are also in alignment with SLOs and ACTFL performance descriptors for each ACTFL sublevel of proficiency as relates to four SSL courses.
Spanish Second Language Program Assessment tools: 1) Direct measurements such as in-class writing essays and video speech samples; and 2) Indirect measurements such as LinguaFolio Can-Do statements surveys (based on ACTFL performance descriptors as aligned to student learning outcomes in SPAN 101, 102, 201 and 202.
SSL program assessment methods have also been changed since the hiring of current SSL Coordinator, Eva Rodríguez González. The previous coordinator from 2008-2014 used a comparison between grades on specific assignments related to SLOs and a subset of 25 samples that were evaluated by Coordinator and four other SSL instructional team members. With the creation of new ACTFL based rubrics that include performance descriptors that match course learning outcomes and two semester workshops for Teaching Assistants on how to evaluate course SLOs following rubrics, assessment reports are reliable for 95% of collected data due to
Spanish & Portuguese Self- Study - 53
instructor reliability at 88% and rubric validity based on feedback received in focus group discussions in workshops.
Assessment Results
Fig. 3.A.1. Overview of SSL Assessment results 2012-2016 SPAN 101
Spanish & Portuguese Self- Study - 54
Note: Due to the turnover of four different Coordinators in the SSL since 2008 and changes in the requirements-templates of Assessment reports, information provided in the table represents results that are Satisfactory (met expectations) for the years that were available in the SSL Program (2012-2016). For consistency purposes throughout the years when reporting results, Outstanding ratings information (exceeded expectations) was not included.
Spanish as a Heritage Language Program (General Education Courses: SPAN 111, 112, 211 and 212)
Student Learning Outcomes
SPAN 111: Elementary SHL I- By the end of SPAN 111, students will be able to:
1) Engage in simple exchanges in a present-tense context in which the student uses appropriate vocabulary to describe their daily lives in the university and in the community. [NM HED Core & Competency V: 6, 7, 8]
2) Utilize understandable pronunciation in the target language to construct phrases that are meaningful to the listener in descriptions of familiar topics. [NM HED Core & Competency V: 6, 7, 8]
3) Write an essay in present-tense contexts describing a cultural practice of the student’s speech community that uses appropriate vocabulary and demonstrates mastery of verb/subject agreement. [NM HED Core & Competency V: 6, 7, 8]
4) Organize their essay writing in the target language in a way that is coherent, organized into logical rhetorical segments (introduction, body, conclusion), and that effectively conveys the main points to the reader. [NM HED Core & Competency I: 1, 4; V: 6, 7, 8]
SPAN 112: Elementary SHL II- By the end of SPAN 112, students will be able to:
1) Engage in simple exchanges in present and past-tense contexts in which the student uses appropriate vocabulary to describe their daily lives and narrate events in the past. [NM HED Core & Competency V: 6, 7, 8]
2) Utilize understandable pronunciation in the target language in order to construct phrases that are meaningful to the listener in descriptions of familiar topics. [NM HED Core &
Competency V: 6, 7, 8]
3) Write an essay that narrates a series of events in the past using verb tenses appropriately (preterit and imperfect) and rich vocabulary that indicates engagement in the course. [NM HED Core & Competency V: 6, 7, 8]
4) Organize their essay writing in the target language in a way that is coherent, organized into logical rhetorical segments (introduction, body, conclusion), and that effectively conveys a series of past events to the reader. [NM HED Core & Competency I: 4; V: 6, 7, 8]
SPAN 211: Intermediate SHL I- By the end of SPAN 211, students will be able to:
1) Exchange information on a wide variety of familiar topics in which the students use appropriate vocabulary to describe their daily lives and narrate events in the past with some
Spanish & Portuguese Self- Study - 55
degree of ease and confidence. [NM HED Core & Competency V: 7, 8]
2) Utilize understandable pronunciation in the target language in order to construct phrases that are meaningful to the listener in conversations describing familiar topics and cultural practices of the student’s speech community. [NM HED Core & Competency I: 4; V: 7, 8]
3) Write an essay that describes an interview with a community elder using verb tenses appropriately (present, preterite, and imperfect) and rich vocabulary that indicates engagement in the interview project. [NM HED Core & Competency I: 4; V: 5, 8]
4) Organize their essay writing in the target language in a way that is coherent, organized into logical rhetorical segments (introduction, body, conclusion), and that demonstrates critical engagement in analyzing an interview with a community elder. [NM HED Core &
Competency I: 1, 4; V: 3, 8]
SPAN 212: Intermediate SHL II- By the end of SPAN 212, students will be able to:
1) Exchange information on a wide variety of familiar topics in which the students use appropriate vocabulary to describe their daily lives, narrate events in the past, describe future events, and present hypothetical situation with some degree of ease and confidence. [NM HED Core & Competency I: 4, 6; V: 3, 8]
2) Utilize understandable pronunciation in the target language in order to construct phrases that are meaningful to the listener in conversations describing familiar topics and cultural practices of the student’s speech community. [NM HED Core & Competency I: 4, 6; V: 7, 8]
3) Write a skit describing a social factor that affects Spanish-speaking communities in the US using verb tenses appropriately (present, preterite, and imperfect) and rich vocabulary that is indicative of native-like production. [NM HED Core & Competency I: 4, 6; V: 5, 8]
4) Organize their skit in the target language in a way that is coherent, organized into logical rhetorical segments (introduction, development, end), and that demonstrates critical engagement in analyzing social factors affecting Spanish-speaking communities in the US.
[NM HED Core & Competency I: 1, 4; V: 3, 8]
*In addition to UNM Core Area 6: Non-English Language, which is listed in the above SLOs due to their direct relevance, the SLOs described also assess core competencies in UNM Core Area 1: Writing and Speaking
Spanish & Portuguese Self- Study - 56
Assessment Results
Fig. 3.A.2 Overview of SHL assessment results Year Meets
expectations
Summary of results (Percentage of Satisfactory and Outstanding ratings given in parentheses)
2008-2009
Yes SPAN 111: Speaking--Direct Measures. 1) Speaks in meaningful phrases (77%), 2) Uses appropriate vocabulary (75%), 3) Uses understandable pronunciation (67%)
2009-2010 Yes SPAN 111: Speaking--Direct Measures. 1) Speaks in meaningful phrases (82%), 2) Uses appropriate vocabulary (94%), 3) Uses understandable pronunciation (82%)
2010-2011
111: Yes 112: Yes
SPAN 111: Writing--Direct Measures: 1) Writes in meaningful phrases (93%), 2) Uses appropriate vocabulary (94%); Speaking--Direct Measures. 3) Uses understandable pronunciation (93%) SPAN 112: Writing--Direct Measures: 1) Writes in meaningful phrases (91%), 2) Uses appropriate vocabulary (87%); Speaking--Direct Measures. 3) Uses understandable pronunciation (86%)
2011-2012
111: Yes 112: Yes
SPAN 111: Writing--Direct Measures: 1) Writes in meaningful phrases (85%), 2) Uses appropriate vocabulary (93%); Speaking--Direct Measures. 3) Uses native-like pronunciation (93%)
SPAN 112: Writing--Direct Measures: 1) Writes in meaningful phrases (91%), 2) Uses appropriate vocabulary (87%); Speaking--Direct Measures. 3) Uses native-like pronunciation (86%)
2012-2013
111: Yes 112: Yes
SPAN 111: Speaking--Direct Measures. 1) Speaks in meaningful phrases (93%), 2) Uses appropriate vocabulary (92%), 3) Uses understandable pronunciation (98%)
SPAN 112: Speaking--Direct Measures. 1) Speaks in meaningful phrases (92%), 2) Uses appropriate vocabulary (95%), 3) Uses understandable pronunciation (91%)
2013-2014
111: Yes 112: Yes
SPAN 111: Speaking--Direct Measures. 1) Speaks in meaningful phrases (94%), 2) Uses appropriate vocabulary (95%), 3) Uses understandable pronunciation (94%)
SPAN 112: Speaking--Direct Measures. 1) Speaks in meaningful phrases (92%), 2) Uses appropriate vocabulary (94%), 3) Uses understandable pronunciation (93%)
2014-2015
111: Yes 112: Yes
SPAN 111: Writing--Direct Measures. 1) Uses appropriate vocabulary (94%), 2) Writes organized/coherent essay (96%), 3) Mastery of verb/subject agreement (88%), 4) Writing is
Spanish & Portuguese Self- Study - 57
understandable to reader (95%)
SPAN 112: Writing--Direct Measures. 1) Uses appropriate
vocabulary (99%), 2) Writes organized/coherent essay (100%), 3) Mastery of verb/subject agreement (100%), 4) Is able to narrate a simple past event (93%)
2015-2016
SPAN 111: Writing--Direct Measures. 1) Uses appropriate
vocabulary (96.5%), 2) Writes organized/coherent essay (86%), 3) Mastery of verb/subject agreement (93%), 4) Writing is
understandable to reader (97.5%)
SPAN 112: Writing--Direct Measures. 1) Uses appropriate vocabulary (83%), 2) Writes organized/coherent essay (89%), 3) Mastery of verb/subject agreement (83%), 4) Is able to narrate a past event (94%)
SPAN 211: Writing--Direct Measures. 1) Uses appropriate
vocabulary (96.5%), 2) Writes organized/coherent essay (100%), 3) Mastery of verb/subject agreement (96.5%), 4) Is able to narrate a past event (100%)
SPAN 212: Writing--Direct Measures. 1) Uses appropriate
vocabulary (92.5%), 2) Writes organized/coherent essay (100%), 3) Mastery of verb/subject agreement (95%), 4) Is able to narrate a past event (97.5%)
Assessment of learning outcomes in the SHL program has focused on writing and speaking abilities in major projects and assignments at the end of each semester. The program coordinator distributes rubrics and evaluation templates to TAs in the program, which are examined in meetings with the TAs by level in order to achieve consistency in applying the rubric. The TAs evaluate student work and return their ratings to the coordinator who aggregates the data.
Portuguese as a Second Language Program (General Education courses: PORT 101, 102, 275, 276 and 277)
Student Learning Outcomes
PORT 101 Beginning Portuguese- By the end of PORT 101, students will be able to:
1) Engage in simple exchanges concerning their daily lives, their families, and their university experience in culturally appropriate ways on familiar topics using simple, context-appropriate vocabulary, common idiomatic expressions, and simple sentences in the present tense (UNM Area VI, Competency 1)
2) Ask and answer simple culturally appropriate questions about people, places, things, events and other familiar topics in the present tense (UNM Area VI, Competencies 1, 2, 3)
3) Describe people, places, and things using simple, context-appropriate, and culturally relevant vocabulary and simple sentences in the present tense (UNM Area VI, Competencies 1, 2, 3)
Spanish & Portuguese Self- Study - 58
4) Express feelings, preferences and opinions using simple vocabulary, common idiomatic expressions, and simple sentences in the present tense (UNM Area VI, Competencies 1, 2, 3) 5) Identify the main idea/s in various forms of oral, written and visual texts that employ the
present tense (UNM Area VI, Competencies 2, 3, 4)
6) Write an essay in the target language using the present tense, employing appropriate vocabulary and demonstrating mastery of subject/verb agreement, noun/adjective agreement and adequate use of pronouns on a select topic related to Brazilian society and/or culture (UNM Area VI, Competency 1)
7) Organize an essay in a coherent manner with the appropriate rhetorical segments so that the content conveys the main points to the reader [UNM Area VI, Competencies 2, 3)
PORT 102 Intermediate Portuguese- By the end of PORT 102, students will be able to:
1) Engage in simple conversations on a variety of familiar topics by asking and answering questions, describing events and people, and talking about everyday situations and preferences using simple, context-appropriate, and culturally relevant vocabulary, common idiomatic expressions and simple sentences in the present and past tenses (UNM Area VI, Competencies 1, 2, 3)
2) Express feelings, preferences and opinions using simple vocabulary, common idiomatic expressions, and simple sentences in the present and past tenses (UNM Area VI, Competencies 1, 2, 3)
3) Identify the main idea/s in various forms of oral, written and visual texts in the present and/or past tenses (UNM Area VI, Competencies 2, 3, 4)
4) Write an essay in the target language using the past tense appropriately (preterit and imperfect), employing appropriate vocabulary and demonstrating mastery of subject/verb agreement, noun/adjective agreement, adequate use of pronouns and/or comparatives on a select topic related to Brazilian society and/or culture (UNM Area VI, Competency 1)
5) Organize an essay in a coherent manner with the appropriate rhetorical segments so that the content conveys the main points to the reader (UNM Core Area VI, Competencies 1, 2, 3) 6) Students will be able to evaluate and discuss various topics and themes related to the
Brazilian culture and society and compare them to their native culture and society (UNM Core Area VI, Competency 7)
PORT 275 Intensive Beginning Portuguese- By the end of PORT 275, students will be able to:
1) Engage in simple conversations on a variety of familiar topics by asking and answering questions, describing events and people, and talking about everyday situations and preferences using simple, context-appropriate, and culturally relevant vocabulary, common idiomatic expressions and simple sentences in the present and past tenses (UNM Area VI, Competency 1, 2, 3)
2) Express feelings, preferences and opinions using simple vocabulary, common idiomatic expressions, and simple sentences in the present and past tenses (UNM Area VI, Competencies 1, 2, 3)
3) Identify the main idea/s in various forms of oral, written and visual texts in the present and/or past tenses (UNM Area VI, Competencies 2, 3, 4)
Spanish & Portuguese Self- Study - 59
4) Write an essay in the target language using the past tense appropriately (preterit and imperfect), employing appropriate vocabulary and demonstrating mastery of subject/verb agreement, noun/adjective agreement, adequate use of pronouns and/or comparatives on a select topic related to Brazilian society and/or culture (UNM Area VI, Competency 1)
5) Organize an essay in a coherent manner with the appropriate rhetorical segments so that the content conveys the main points to the reader (UNM Area VI, Competencies 1, 2, 3)
6) Evaluate and discuss various topics and themes related to the Brazilian culture and society and compare them to their native culture and society (UNM Area VI, Competency 7)
PORT 276 Intensive Intermediate Portuguese- By the end of PORT 276, students will be able to:
1) Engage in conversations on a variety of familiar topics, relevant experiences, and current events with ease and confidence using context-appropriate, culturally relevant vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and sentences in various time frames and expressing different moods (indicative and subjunctive) (UNM Area VI, Competency 1, 2 and 3)
2) Handle social interactions in culturally appropriate ways in everyday as well as formal situations such as a job interview with ease and confidence, using context-appropriate vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and adequate grammatical structures (UNM Area VI, Competency 1)
3) Identify the main idea, central idiomatic expressions and most details on a wide selection of familiar topics described in various time frames and degrees of formality in various forms of oral, written and visual texts (UNM Area VI, Competencies 2, 3, 4)
4) Write in various time frames and degrees of formality in the format of paragraphs that
4) Write in various time frames and degrees of formality in the format of paragraphs that