OATdb Archive

2010 - 2011

Spanish BA

Goal
Skills Proficiency
Graduating majors will demonstrate skills proficiency.

Objective
Oral Proficiency
Graduating majors will demonstrate oral proficiency.

Indicator
Capstone Presentation
Individual graduating majors will each give a 10" capstone presentation with 5" of questions, all in the target language, during the final semester before graduation.

Criterion
Graduating Majors' Participation
Three faculty members will evaluate each capstone presentation, using the ACTFL levels, each student averaging intermediate mid or higher.


Finding
Faculty Participation And Scores
Among those in the fall who did not score intermediate mid or higher, there were some grammar errors and slips in pronunciation which impacted understanding among the listeners.

Finding
Spring 2011
All students were evaluated at intermediate mid or higher.

Indicator
ACTFL OPI
All graduating majors will complete an ACTFL OPI during the final semester of classes. 

Criterion
OPI Evaluation
A Department of Foreign Language's officially trained ACTFL OPI Evaluator will interview each graduating major during the final semester.

Finding
Evaluator
Dr. Manuel Triano-Lopez, Assistant Professor of Spanish, was officially certified as an ACTFL OPI Evaluator by that organization, interviewed and rated each graduating major.  The only student at intermediate mid (all others were higher) made significant grammar and pronunciation errors.  Two students failed to participate.   

Action
Discussion
Department of Foreign Language Spanish faculty will discuss the results via cyber-discussion during summer 2011 and at a department retreat in August and how to modify program to bring all graduating majors to advanced high.  Decisions will be summarized at that point.

Objective
Writing Proficiency
Graduating majors will demonstrate writing proficiency.  

Indicator
Portfolio
During the final semester, all graduating majors will submit a portfolio of class assignments from SHSU classes to demonstrate writing proficiency.

Criterion
Portfolio Contents
Portfolio will contain 3 assignments: one paper, one grammar exam, and one of student's choice. 

Finding
Collection Of Portfolios
All graduating majors from both fall 2010 and spring 2011 submitted the required portfolios with the required contents.  Several did not provide the specific required documents, especially the grammar exam. 

Action
Review/Discussion Of Portfolios
A review and discussion of the portfolios from any semester remains to be done, much less any application to the program.

An article about on-line portfolios has been disseminated to the faculty and cyber-discussion is to follow.  On-line portfolios could be initiated during the grammar class semester so that a grammar exam would be included in each portfolio. 


Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

Plan for continuous improvement While the examination and evaluation of graduating majors' oral proficiency is coming along very well, using that information to better the program remains to be done. Much more at every level remains to be one with the writing proficiency aspect (portfolio).  Students do not save appropriate graded papers to include over their careers and claim not to know of the requirement, though they are provided with the policies via e-mail numerous times during at least the last two semesters via the chair, and the undergraduate director/advisor mentions all in advisement.  The section will be discussing how best to retain papers for students to use in their portfolios and how to evaluate/apply results of same.