Student Learning at the Senior-level: AY 2021-22 [CAPS] Assessment Results

As reported in the AY 2021-22 [CAPS] Assessment Reporting Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE (PDF), assessment results indicated that 85% of students met or exceeded expectations at the graduating undergraduate level for Critical & Creative Thinking. Additionally, 83% of students met or exceeded expectations for Written Communication. In courses where faculty members found enough elements to evaluate student learning on additional learning goals, instructors indicated that 86% of the students met or exceeded expectations for Oral Communication, and 91% for Diversity. 

In place since 2015, [CAPS] Assessment Reporting for UCORE is intended to gauge student learning on WSU’s Undergraduate Learning Goals at the near-graduation level. For AY 2021-22, the CAPS report form focused on Critical & Creative Thinking, Written Communication, Oral Communication (optional), and Diversity (optional). Note: The majority of undergraduate courses that had pivoted to distance delivery for AY 2020-21 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic returned to in-person instruction for AY 2021-22. While roughly 44% of fall 2021 and spring 2022 CAPS instructors indicated that there continued to be substantial impacts to student attendance/engagement, course assignments, learning activities, and/or instruction in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly 89% of instructors indicated that they had confidence in their ability to assess student achievement of these WSU Learning Goals.

A total of 168 reports were submitted by 141 instructors, representing 85% of CAPS courses and 80% of students enrolled in CAPS courses in fall 2021 and spring 2022. In 72% of reports, instructors indicated that their students were primarily (>90%) seniors. Instructors indicated that their students were primarily (>90%) majors in 75% of reports. Approximately 84% of students enrolled in all CAPS courses in fall 2021 and spring 2022 were seniors.

Learning Goals Demonstrated in [CAPS] Courses. Established as part of WSU’s general education curriculum (UCORE) beginning in 2012, Integrative Capstone [CAPS] courses bring opportunities for integration, application, and closure to the undergraduate experience. All [CAPS] courses require students to demonstrate: Critical & Creative Thinking, Information Literacy, Written Communication, and Integrative Learning. In addition, Non-Written Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Scientific Literacy, and/or Diversity may be included as appropriate to the discipline or course. In AY 2021-22, 72% of reports indicated that the course syllabus required students to demonstrate Oral Communication and 44% required students to demonstrate Diversity. 

For additional information, see [CAPS] Assessment for UCORE or contact the Office of Assessment for Curricular Effectiveness.