As reported in the AY 2023-24 [CAPS] Assessment Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE (PDF), assessment results indicated that 85% of students met or exceeded expectations at the graduating undergraduate level on the designator learning outcome associated with Critical & Creative Thinking. Additionally, 83% of students met or exceeded expectations for Written Communication. In courses where instructors evaluated student learning on additional applicable learning outcomes, instructors indicated that 87% of students met or exceeded expectations for Non-Written Communication and 85% met or exceeded expectations for Diversity.
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, as well as provide evidence of UCORE’s contribution towards advancing the WSU Undergraduate Learning Goals at the near-graduation level. 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 2023-24, the [CAPS] report form focused on designator learning outcomes aligned with Critical & Creative Thinking, Written Communication, Non-Written Communication, and Diversity.
“These results indicate that, across the wide variety of UCORE [CAPS] courses, most students are consistently demonstrating these learning outcomes at an appropriate level near the end of the curriculum,” observed UCORE Director Ashley Boyd.
“We extend our appreciation to all [CAPS] instructors for their contributions in offering quality [CAPS] courses at WSU, their engagement in UCORE instruction, and their attention to [CAPS] assessment reporting for UCORE,” Boyd added.
In AY 2023-24, a total of 157 reports were submitted by 131 instructors, representing 87% of [CAPS] courses and 85% of students completing [CAPS] courses in fall 2023 and spring 2024. In 73% of reports, instructors indicated that their students were primarily (>90%) seniors. Instructors indicated that their students were primarily (>90%) majors in 76% of reports. (Approximately 87% of students enrolled in all [CAPS] courses in fall 2023 and spring 2024 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.