^{Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement} _{UCORE Assessment}

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Communication

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All UCORE-designated courses are required to advance Written Communication, a sub-goal of the Communication Learning Goal, totaling a minimum of 34 credit hours in UCORE-designated courses that include instruction and/or engagement with Written Communication (see the UCORE Curriculum Map and UCORE Curriculum webpages for more information). At the first-year level, the first-year experience course [ROOT] and foundational requirements are required to advance Written Communication. At the senior-level, the senior capstone experience course [CAPS] is required to advance Written Communication. Students also complete ways of knowing and diversity requirements, which advance Written Communication, during the UCORE curriculum.

Additionally, UCORE-designated courses advance Non-written Communication as appropriate to the designator (see the UCORE Curriculum Map and UCORE Curriculum webpages for more information). At the first year-level, students may complete a foundational Communication [COMM] course, which focus on non-written mediums (note: students can take a second [WRTG] course instead of a [COMM] course). At the senior-level, Non-written Communication may be required in the senior capstone experience course [CAPS] as appropriate to the course and discipline.

WSU Learning Goal: Graduates will communicate successfully with audiences through written, oral, and other media as appropriate for the audience and purpose. Graduates may demonstrate communication skills by:

Analyzing how circumstances, background, values, interests and needs shape communication sent and received.
Tailoring messages to audiences according to purpose, occasion, and technology used.
Expressing concepts, propositions, and beliefs in coherent, concise, and technically correct form.
Choosing appropriate communication media and technology.
Speaking confidently and effectively in front of groups.
Following social and disciplinary norms for individual and small group interactions, which includes active listening.

Current Evidence of Student Learning Related to Communication

Click on the links for more information about current evidence of student learning from assessments aligned with Communication in the context of the UCORE curriculum:

Capstone [CAPS] Assessment for UCORE

Assessing Student Learning at the Senior Level: AY 2019-20 [CAPS] Course Assessment Results September 16, 2020 lindsey.l.brown
As reported in the AY 2019-20 [CAPS] Course Assessment Reporting Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE, assessment results indicated that 83% of students met or exceeded expectations at the graduating undergraduate level for Critical & Creative Thinking. Additionally, 81% 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 88% of the students met or exceeded expectations for Oral Communication, and 88% for Diversity.
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Roots of Contemporary Issues [ROOT] Assessment

Diversity and Written Communication Achievement at the First-Year Level: AY 2019-20 Roots of Contemporary Issues [ROOT] Diversity & Inequality Papers Assessment Results September 15, 2020 lindsey.l.brown
As reported in the AY 2019-20 [ROOT] Diversity & Inequality Papers Assessment Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE, assessment results indicated that, on average, 75% of first-year students met or exceeded expectations at the first-year undergraduate level at the end of their UCORE first-year experience [ROOT] course on rubric outcomes related to Diversity. Additionally, on average, 84% met or exceeded expectations for outcomes related to Written Communication.
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National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

Student Learning at the First-year and Senior Level: 2021 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Results February 21, 2022 lindsey.l.brown
As reported in the 2021 National Survey of Student Engagement – Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE, results from the 2021 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) indicate that most WSU seniors (87%) have considerable confidence in their ability to complete tasks requiring clear writing.

In addition to Written Communication, results from the 2021 NSSE also provide indirect evidence of student learning on Critical & Creative Thinking, Oral Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Diversity, and Integrative Learning at the first-year and senior levels for UCORE assessment—see the 2021 NSSE Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE for more information. For additional NSSE results from WSU’s past three administrations, in the context of UCORE assessment, see the 2021 Biennial … » More …
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