The first standard encourages students to produce essays through drafts, and states the kinds of revisions it wants students to focus on: those of substitution, addition, deletion, and rearranging. I noticed that 4 of the questions pertaining to this standard use the word “revise”. In fact, these questions are all very similar. They ask whether or not the student focuses on certain qualities in their revisions. Assumably, the department wants to see that students rate their preferred qualities (rearrangement, addition, etc) over other qualities in revision. However, I think that having four very similar questions is confusing. Two of them start with “When I revise my first draft” where the other two refer to revising in general. I don’t think the student doing the survey will pay close enough attention to the difference between those. Also, I think that because 3 of the sentences use a nearly identical pattern, the student will wonder if it is a repeat question, and/or feel confused. In addition, students will probably figure out that you want a “strongly agree” answer to these questions and so they’re swayed to do that. Who doesn’t want to say that they revise their work a lot? We all know it’s important.
Questions 8, 9, and 10 could stand to be more specific, if they are to accomplish their purpose. Question 9, for example, asks if “I know how to make connections between topics discussed in classes..and concepts studied in other courses”. Knowing how to make a connection is a vague thing. Does it mean, if I have to, can I make a connection? (Anyone can do that) or does it mean, can I name a particular method for drawing a connection? (I don’t think I was taught any, and I doubt that’s the point) or does it mean I often make connections (that’s if frequency represents our ability to do it)? I think most people know how to, but they don’t often do it. Also, peoples’ confidence in their ability to “make a connection” will vary. This question, then, asks your subject if they feel confident claiming they can do it, not if they can do it, how often they do it, or how correctly they do it.
A few of these questions could come off as “yeah, duh!” questions, or questions that will be answered with a “strongly agree” by anyone who has graduated high school and/or feels the need to assert their intelligence. (Questions 1, 5, 11, 12, and 14 potentially).
I’m a little confused by what “textual analysis” is, in question 4. I’m guessing it’s just general literary analysis, but I’ve never used that term specifically, so I don’t know what you mean by it.
Student learning outcome #1 : On the questioner sheet, I feel that questions numbers 1,5,12,14,15 fit together relating to drafts of a paper. People revise multiple times or work on organization and structure. Some people work on grammar and others do an add and deleting process. Everyone has to get to all of these steps somehow in the end but this questioner tells us what students think is most important.
Student learning outcome #2: The questions that were important for this one seemed to be 3,8,9,11. These are all about connecting topics between discussions and getting an understanding from them. Being able to interpret a text can be difficult so it is important to find main ideas.
Student learning outcome #3: After understanding the text it is time for applying what is learned with research. I think that questions 2,4,6 go along with that. coming up with research questions needs textual and discourse analysis.
Student learning outcome #4: Speaking orally about a topic is important because it tells listeners that you know what you are talking about. Questions 7,10, 13, 18 talk about the comfort of public speaking.
Student learning outcome #5: For this last one I feel that every question applies because every question connects to one another in some way.
The fourth standard states that students will demonstrate the ability to give a compelling oral presentation. In other words, a student must be able to not only verbally present an argument or topic in front of the class, but must also do so in a way that appears confident, authoritative, and is able to catch the attention of the listener while also persuading them. In the survey, I noticed that at least five of the questions directly involved either giving a form of presentation or using language. At least one of the questions involved discourse, which is defined as language in use, while the other questions focused more on the aspects of speaking and presenting. Since the main and most important method of communication and conveying messages is through the use of speech and language, it would make sense that a student should focus such a large portion of his or her English curriculum fine tuning and perfecting this crucial art of communication. The questions on speech and verbal communication are careful not to appear similar in sentence structure or in topic, as not to confuse the student or make them second guess their answers. In fact, only once is a word ever reused among the language-centered questions: "presentation". This could imply that teachers wish to add an additional emphasis on giving presentations in class, as the student may be thrust into numerous situations during future occupations in which a form of presentation must me given. One of the other questions uses the word "talking" instead of "presenting". This implies that the survey taker wishes to understand not only more about the student's professional speaking, but their interpersonal formal communication as well. Because speaking in front of others is considered one of the world's greatest fears, it is possible that students would be less likely to check the "Strongly Agree" or "Agree" boxes. On the other hand, since the idea of oral communication is also such an important trait for a student, the student may feel embarrassed by their true lack of communication skill, and may mark one of the "Agree" boxes so that they do not feel bad about themselves. This, however, can lead to incorrect or altered information, which is the last thing a survey taker wants.
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