Assessment

Philosophy and Objectives

Wor-Wic strives to combine the advantages of a general education core with opportunities to pursue a variety of occupational and technical programs. The curricula for the associate degree are designed to broaden and deepen the student’s education by helping the student meet the following objectives:

1. Writing — Express ideas effectively through written text.
   Content:

   1. Select appropriate topics.
   2. Identify a clear purpose and audience.
   3. Use sound reasoning to support a central claim.
   4. Use specific evidence.
   5. Integrate and correctly document reliable sources.
   Organization:

   1. Organize content logically.
   2. Maintain focus.
   3. Demonstrate coherence.
   4. Adhere to the structural conventions of an individual discipline.
   Style and Expression:

   1. Demonstrate clarity and precision in language choices.
   2. Adhere to specific academic conventions, including tone, point of view and diction.
   3. Control a variety of sentence structures.
   Grammar/Punctuation/Mechanics (GPM):

   1. Demonstrate writing that is substantially free of errors in grammar, punctuation and mechanics.
   2. Eliminate all GPM errors that do not impede comprehension or distract the reader.
2. Speaking — Demonstrate a command of oral communication that is accurate, ethical and audience-centered.
   Accurate and Ethical

   1. Organize the oral communication in a manner that is logical and fluid within the context of the discipline.
   2. Support a main idea with information that is credible, reliable, relevant, specific and sufficient.
   3. Fully integrate, explicitly acknowledge and orally document outside sources.
   Audience-Centered

   1. Employ a tone and language that are appropriate for the assignment and setting.
   2. Select a topic that reflects careful consideration of audience and assignment guidelines.
   3. Deliver a speech in a manner that engages the audience (e.g., use of voice, eye contact, gestures, posture and energy are effective).
   4. Provide presentation aids (if used) that are vivid and relevant and that enhance and/or clarify rather than substitute for core content.
3. Reading — Analyze and/or evaluate texts within and across disciplines.
   1. Identify key textual features (e.g., headings, captions and illustrations).
   2. Identify explicit and derive implicit meanings.
   3. Examine textual and contextual relationships.
   4. Summarize, generalize and/or predict from the text.
4. Critical Thinking — Apply critical analysis and reasoning skills to evaluate evidence and draw conclusions.
   1. Interpret information to investigate arguments, claims and beliefs and a point of view.
   2. Use evidence to support a position (perspective/thesis/hypothesis).
   3. Identify and analyze alternative outcomes to a problem or case.
   4. Determine a solution(s) to a problem.
5. Information Literacy — Access, evaluate and appropriately use information and technology to accomplish tasks and communicate ideas.
   1. Acquire: Use multiple forms of media to identify, gather and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
   2. Assess: Critically determine the credibility, accuracy and utility of source information.
   3. Use: Effectively employ technological tools and vocabulary to manage projects and/or solve problems.
   4. Cite: Responsibly use information according to legal and ethical standards.
   5. Create: Incorporate information and technology into the design and development of quality products that successfully communicate ideas.
6. Quantitative Reasoning — Use and apply quantitative concepts and methods to calculate and interpret numerical problems.
   1. Interpret: Explain information presented in numerical forms.
   2. Represent: Convert relevant information into various numerical forms.
   3. Calculate: Solve numerical problems.
   4. Apply/Analyze: Make judgments and draw appropriate conclusions based on numerical information.
7. Scientific Reasoning — Apply the process of scientific inquiry and analysis.
   1. Predict: Apply current scientific theories and models as unifying principles to comprehend natural phenomena and make predictions.
   2. Interpret: Infer meaning from statistical data and graphical data presentations.
   3. Distinguish: Recognize the current and historical interdependence of applied research, basic research and technology.
   4. Formulate: Develop hypotheses, identify relevant variables and design experiments to test hypotheses.
   5. Evaluate: Assess the credibility, use and misuse of scientific and mathematical information related to scientific and public policy issues.
8. Diversity — Identify the influences of a variety of cultural contexts on social interactions and demonstrate civic engagement with the college and local community.
   1. Explore: Describe how cultural diversity impacts human relations and its influence on historical events.
   2. Engage: Increase inter- and intrapersonal skills through partici-pation in:
      1. A variety of academic, social and cultural events at the college and in the community; and
      2. Community-based activities through service-learning programs.
   3. Awareness: Compare and contrast differences in another person’s beliefs, habits and behavior related to self.
9. Ethics — Recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings and consider the consequences of alternative actions.
   1. Assess personal core beliefs and their influence on personal decision-making.
   2. Evaluate different ethical perspectives and their potential implications.
   3. Apply ethical theories to the resolution of ethical dilemmas or social and professional issues.