Elizabeth Howie

Elizabeth Howie

ARTH 350SP 12 Assessment Results

Number of exams: 27

These results derive from the final exam given in the course, which consisted of:

Section I: 16multiple choice questions on vocabulary, theories, writers, and critics

Section 2: 1 slide ID and comparison

Section 3: 5 short answer questions exploring understanding of vocabulary and theory

Section 4: 2 essay questions on broader themes requiring reference to writers/theories

Before analyzing these results, I would like to point out that three of the twenty-seven students in the class, graduating seniors, apparently realized they could pass the class without studying for the exam and did not prepare for it adequately, scoring in the 50s. These unusually low scores skew the assessment results. Nevertheless, the overall average for performance across the rubric is 2.2, in the C range.

Correct responses on the short answer portion of the exam dealing with vocabulary presented the greatest difficulty for students in 350, as in other assessed upper level classes: the average was 1.8. Studio faculty have been concerned that students did not have a good grasp of terms like Modernism and Postmodernism, so these questions were asked on two exams to emphasize their importance.In-depth definitions of terms are given in class, and the terms are used frequently to reinforce them. Nevertheless, students frequently failed to give answers that were comprehensive enough to receive full credit.

Students’ best performance was, perhaps not surprisingly, on the multiple choice section. I decided to add a multiple choice section to the exams in this class this semester because of the difficulty of the material, and because such a section permits testing on a greater number of terms than short-answer due to time constraints. This section also provides students with a group of names and terms from which to draw for their essay answers, which they found very helpful. While many of the questions involved writers, critics, and theorists of art, they also addressed vocabulary associated with such theorists, so I have counted these scores under rubric component 2: discuss aesthetics, theory, and criticism using appropriate vocabulary. These questions can be broken down into separate categories should that be preferable.

Performance on the slide identification and comparison question was also weak in this assessment. This class focuses more on the application of ideas to works, rather than a historical/chronological comprehension of the works, which proved to be a challenge to the students.

As in the previous two upper level courses I have taught, students were required to post 250 to 300 word responses to readings on a Blackboard discussion forum two hours before class. Out of 21 classes with required reading, students had to post responses for 16. Students are also required to read others’ responses. Responses are graded on a scale of 0 to 3. While students complain about this requirement, it has increased the number of students who actually do the reading before class, and it permits the instructor to read comments before class and incorporate students’ ideas and questions into the class discussion.

Another new addition to my 350 syllabus was the requirement that pairs of students present reading reports on the material for a particular class. Pairs of students worked together to provide powerpoint presentations summarizing the material and raising questions for discussion. This assignment allowed students to explore in greater depth writers or ideas in which they were most interested.