Dr. Kelly L. Richardson

Bancroft 232

Office Phone: 323-4644
E-mail: richardsonk@winthrop.edu
Website: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/richardsonk  

Office Hours: M-R 3:30-4:30 and by appointment.

Web Information: The English Department’s home page is located at http://www.winthrop.edu/english. Goals for courses in the Department of English can be found at the following web address: http://www.winthrop.edu/english/goals/htm.
 

Text:  Copy of the departmental goals found at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/englishgoals.htm#undergrad.

Objectives: This zero-credit seminar serves as the assessment course for all three tracks in the English major.  The course enables the department to ascertain whether its seniors can demonstrate the content knowledge, analytic and interpretive skills, and communication skills required by the major.  Each student’s work will be evaluated in light of the departmental goals for the major, and students will be informed of the results of their multiple choice tests.  The department’s purpose is to discover those areas in which our students do well and also to identify weaknesses so that we may improve our program and our instruction. This year, we are specifically gathering information to help us study the following 3 objectives:
 

1)      English majors are able to read and interpret a wide range of literary texts of average difficulty with comprehension of their content and relevant literary characteristics.  This will be assessed using the following:
-Literary analysis exercise
-Terms test
-Portfolio Self-Assessment
-College BASE score
-English Major inventory
 

2)      English majors are able to construct persuasive arguments based on careful analysis and deliberation and use a voice and format suitable for the intended audience.  This will be assessed using the following:
-Persuasive Exercise
-Portfolio Self-Assessment
-English Major inventory

3)      English majors demonstrate familiarity with the concepts and pertinent applications of major critical theories and schools of criticism within the discipline.
-Literary Theory Exercise
-Portfolio Self-Assessment
-English Major Inventory

A key feature of this configuration is triangulation.  The Assessment Grid, which will record the data that the various assessment instruments will help us gather, includes multiple perspectives:  our assessment of students’ abilities (the exercises, the terms test), students’ assessment of themselves (the portfolio), their assessment of themselves and of us (the English Major Inventory), and our assessment of them in relation to national averages (BASE).

Grading: You will be graded on an S/U basis for this class; to earn your S, you must complete ALL of the following course requirements and demonstrate that you have made a serious effort to do your best work.  Your grade will not be calculated on the basis of a certain percentage but rather on your effort.  If I think you have not completed one of the assignments thoughtfully, you will be required to do the assignment over.  A student who does not complete all the assignments will earn a U and will not be allowed to graduate until the requirements are fulfilled.

Attendance: Given the special nature of this class, attendance and prompt arrival to the class are very important.  In short, absences are not allowed. 

Requirements:

Students will complete the following:

·        Portfolio (self-assessment and 4 term papers)
 

·        3 in-class exercises

o       Literary analysis exercise

o       Literary theory exercise

o       Persuasive argument exercise 

·        Terms Test

·        College Basic Academic Subjects Examination (BASE):  English section (reading, literature)

·        English Major Inventory

·        Participate in a focus group discussion about the department, students studies, the curriculum, etc.