Courses: ENG102 First-Year Composition
Sections: 2234/9992 & SOC 130 9993/3715
Name: Betty Hufford
Student Learning Outcomes: The element that I chose to assess was whether a linked class performed better than a regular class. Specifically, did the linked class result in 1. better retention and 2. best mastery of content material through writing. These are two of the touted values of learning communities.
Method: I used retention figures and GPAs from two sections of ENG102 and SOC 130, the only sections offered in spring 2006. The regular ENG 102 had 12 withdrawals, a 50% withdrawal rate. The linked ENG 102 had 2 withdrawals, a less than 10% rate; one student was dropped for non-payment and one moved out of state. The GPA for the regular class was 3.0; the linked class had a 2.86 GPA.

The regular SOC had 4 withdrawals of 34/slightly above 10% The linked SOC had 2 withdrawals/less than 10% The GPA for the regular class was 3.15; the linked class had a 2.86 GPA.

Please not that though the linked classes GPAs were identical, students received different grades in ENG and SOC.

Outcomes: CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM A LIMITED SAMPLE

1. In terms of rentention, regular and linked sociology classes fared equally as well. However, retention in the linked English class was far superior to the regular section. Perhaps a skills course has more staying power with a content component. Perhaps the double time spent as classmates made the learning community a more cohesive group. Perhaps students could not afford to drop 6 credits.

2. In terms of mastery of the content course, the regular section of SOC outperformed the linked section in GPA, so the writing component did not necessarily result in better test scores.

CHANGES As learning communities are phased out, ENG classes may want to include a thematic or content-based component to aid retention.

 
Page Icon Last updated by Karen Schwalm on November 01, 2006 .  Legal Notice.
http://web.gccaz.edu/English/Assessment/Fall06/Hufford.htm