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

Page Header

UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Course Assessment

Page Body

Introduction

UCORE Capstone [CAPS] courses bring opportunities for integration, application, and closure to the undergraduate experience. Established as part of WSU’s general education curriculum beginning in 2012, [CAPS] courses require students to demonstrate at least four of WSU’s Learning Goals and Outcomes: Critical & Creative Thinking, Information Literacy, Communication, and Depth, Breadth & Integration of Learning (with additional learning goals included as appropriate to the course and discipline). [CAPS] courses need to be at the 400 level and students need to be at least junior-level.

Assessment

Visual depiction of the NILOA Transparency Framework Current Assessment Activities Component. UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Course Assessment reporting is intended to gauge student learning on WSU’s Learning Goals in the context of the UCORE curriculum at the near-graduation level. Each semester, beginning in Spring 2015, [CAPS] instructors submit a short [CAPS] Course Assessment Report. The report asks instructors to provide an overall holistic assessment of student achievement of WSU’s Learning Goals of all students in their [CAPS] course (direct measure, using faculty expert judgement), as well as information about how well students are prepared for capstone level work at the graduating senior level. Faculty also report on the kinds of changes they have made to their course (and/or plan to make) based on assessment. For more information, see the [CAPS] Assessment Reporting FAQs. The Office of Assessment for Curricular Effectiveness (ACE) coordinates the assessment, reporting and data analysis for UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Course Assessment reporting.

Evidence of Student Learning

Visual depiction of the NILOA Transparency Framework Evidence of Student Learning Component. Each year, beginning in 2015, UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Course Assessment reports are compiled to provide a summary of student learning on WSU’s Learning Goals in the context of the UCORE curriculum at the near-graduation level. Click on the links below for recent summaries of UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Course Assessment results. (For all current and past summaries of UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Course Assessment results, see [CAPS] Assessment Results.)

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.
Read Story
Assessing Student Learning on WSU’s Seven Learning Goals: AY 2018-19 [CAPS] Course Assessment Results September 18, 2019 lindsey.l.brown
As reported in the AY 2018-19 [CAPS] Course Assessment Reporting Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE, fall 2018 assessment results indicated that, for the four required Learning Goals in [CAPS] courses, 82% of students met or exceeded expectations at the graduating senior level for Critical & Creative Thinking, 83% for Information Literacy, 82% for Integration of Learning, and 83% for written communication.
Read Story
Student Learning on WSU’s Seven Learning Goals: AY 2017-18 [CAPS] Course Assessment Results September 26, 2018 lindsey.l.brown
As reported in the AY 2017-18 [CAPS] Course Assessment Reporting Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE, assessment results indicated that 78% of students met or exceeded expectations at the graduating undergraduate level for Critical & Creative Thinking, 79% for Information Literacy, 79% for Depth, Breadth & Integration of Learning, and 78% for written communication. In courses where faculty members found enough elements to evaluate student learning on additional learning goals, instructors indicated that 83% of the students met or exceeded expectations for oral communication, 86% for visual communication, 84% for Scientific Literacy, 87% for Diversity, and 78% for Quantitative Reasoning.
Read Story

Uses of Assessment

Visual depiction of the NILOA Transparency Framework Use of Student Learning Evidence Component. The UCORE committee and subcommittee for assessment review the UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Course Assessment results each year and suggest actions for improved assessment or use to inform decision-making. Additionally, as part of the UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Course Assessment reporting, [CAPS] instructors indicate if they have made changes to their [CAPS] courses based on previous assessments, or if they plan to make changes in the future.

Below are some recent examples of how student learning evidence from UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Course Assessment contributes to decision making intended to support student learning and quality educational programs, including general education. (For additional current and past examples of how student learning evidence from UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Course Assessment contributes to decision making, see [CAPS] Assessment Use.)

Using Assessment to Inform Decision-making in AY 2019-20 UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Courses September 17, 2020 lindsey.l.brown
As part of AY 2019-20 [CAPS] Assessment Reporting for UCORE, instructors were asked if they planned to make any changes in future semesters based on assessments from the current semester. Overall, 58% of instructors indicated that they planned to make a change to their course based on assessment.
Read Story
Using Assessment to Inform Decision-making in AY 2017-18 UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Courses October 1, 2018 lindsey.l.brown
As part of AY 2017-18 [CAPS] Course Assessment reporting, instructors who indicated they had taught their [CAPS] course before were asked to report if they had made any changes to their courses based on assessments from previous semesters. Additionally, instructors indicating that they would be teaching their [CAPS] course again in the future were asked if they planned to make any changes based on assessments from this semester. Overall, 68% of instructors indicated that they had made or planned to make a change to their course based on assessment.
Read Story
Using Assessment to Inform Decision-making in AY 2016-17 UCORE Capstone [CAPS] Courses September 21, 2017 lindsey.l.brown
As part of AY 2016-17 [CAPS] Course Assessment reporting, instructors who indicated they had taught their [CAPS] course before were asked to report if they had made any changes to their course in fall 2016 and spring 2017 based on assessments from previous semesters. Additionally, instructors teaching their [CAPS] course for the first time were asked if they planned to make any changes in future semesters based on assessments from this semester. Overall, 62% of instructors indicated that they had made or planned to make a change to their course based on assessment.
Read Story