Student Learning at the Senior-level: AY 2022-23 [CAPS] Assessment Results

As reported in the AY 2022-23 [CAPS] Assessment Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE (PDF), assessment results indicated that 83% of students met or exceeded expectations at the graduating undergraduate level on the designator learning outcome associated with Information Literacy. Additionally, 84% of students met or exceeded expectations for Integrative Learning. In courses where instructors evaluated student learning on additional applicable learning outcomes, instructors indicated that 76% of students met or exceeded expectations for Quantitative Reasoning and 78% met or exceeded expectations for Scientific Literacy.

Integrative Capstone [CAPS] courses provide a culminating student experience for UCORE, WSU’s general education curriculum, by asking students to integrate their learning to address authentic situations. [CAPS] courses are required to advance designator student learning outcomes associated with four of the WSU Undergraduate Learning Goals (Critical and Creative Thinking, Integrative Learning, Information Literacy, and Written Communication). In addition, [CAPS] courses may advance additional applicable designator learning outcomes associated with Quantitative Reasoning, Scientific Literacy, Diversity, and/or Non-Written Communication as appropriate to the course.

In place since 2015, [CAPS] Assessment Reporting for UCORE is intended to help UCORE understand how well students are achieving the [CAPS] designator learning outcomes and associated WSU Undergraduate Learning Goals. The report asks instructors to provide an assessment of student achievement of [CAPS] designator learning outcomes in their course (direct measure, using faculty expert judgement). For AY 2022-23, the [CAPS] report form focused on designator learning outcomes aligned with Information Literacy, Integrative Learning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Scientific Literacy.

In AY 2022-23, a total of 175 reports were submitted by 145 instructors, representing 88% of [CAPS] courses and 88% of students enrolled in [CAPS] courses in fall 2022 and spring 2023. In 74% of reports, instructors indicated that their students were primarily (>90%) seniors. Instructors indicated that their students were primarily (>90%) majors in 73% of reports. (Approximately 86% of students enrolled in all [CAPS] courses in fall 2022 and spring 2023 were seniors, see the summary appendix for more information.)

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