WI Emphasis in the WI Emphasis in the School of ManagementSchool of Management

George Mason UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityFairfax, Virginia, USAFairfax, Virginia, USA

WAC Conference, March 2002WAC Conference, March 2002Karen Hallows, School of ManagementKaren Hallows, School of Management

Ruth Fischer, Department of English, CASRuth Fischer, Department of English, CASDavid Beach, Dept. of English & School of Mgmt.David Beach, Dept. of English & School of Mgmt.

Alison O’Brien, School of ManagementAlison O’Brien, School of Management

SOM WI Course DevelopmentSOM WI Course Development

Early 1990sEarly 1990so One WI course in each SOM disciplineOne WI course in each SOM discipline

Late 1990sLate 1990so Internal assessmentInternal assessmento External assessmentExternal assessment

20012001o Development of entry course: SOM301Development of entry course: SOM301

SOM WI Course DevelopmentSOM WI Course Development

RationaleRationaleo Faculty perception of poor written Faculty perception of poor written

and oral communication skillsand oral communication skillso New general education New general education

requirementsrequirementso External forces reinforcing External forces reinforcing

importance of written and oral importance of written and oral competencycompetency

SOM WI Course DevelopmentSOM WI Course Development

Faculty PerceptionsFaculty Perceptionso ““They can’t write!”They can’t write!”o ““They can’t give a presentation!”They can’t give a presentation!”o Insufficient and inconsistent skill Insufficient and inconsistent skill

development in writingdevelopment in writingo Unsatisfactory student preparationUnsatisfactory student preparationo Poor communication skills in Poor communication skills in

capstone course (SOM498)capstone course (SOM498)

SOM WI Course DevelopmentSOM WI Course Development

University’s General Education University’s General Education RequirementsRequirements

Ensure all undergraduate students Ensure all undergraduate students develop skills in:develop skills in:o Information gatheringInformation gatheringo Written and oral communicationWritten and oral communicationo Analytical and quantitative reasoningAnalytical and quantitative reasoningo Making connections across boundariesMaking connections across boundaries

SOM WI Course DevelopmentSOM WI Course Development

External ForcesExternal Forceso Self-assessment for Self-assessment for

reaccredidationreaccredidationo Task Force assessmentTask Force assessmento University-wide review of University-wide review of

academic programsacademic programso Feedback from Northern Virginia Feedback from Northern Virginia

business communitybusiness communityo State mandate for writing State mandate for writing

competencycompetency

SOM Coordination with WAC SOM Coordination with WAC and English Departmentand English Department

Identify common goals and Identify common goals and objectivesobjectives

Set ENGL302B (Advanced Set ENGL302B (Advanced Composition—Business) as Composition—Business) as prerequisite for entry to School prerequisite for entry to School of Managementof Management

Revise ENGL302B curriculum Revise ENGL302B curriculum for better transition to SOM301for better transition to SOM301

SOM Coordination with WAC SOM Coordination with WAC and English Departmentand English Department

Identified five major reoccurring Identified five major reoccurring assignment categories:assignment categories:

Term/research papersTerm/research papers Analyses Analyses Reports Reports DescriptionsDescriptions White papersWhite papers

SOM Coordination with WAC SOM Coordination with WAC and English Departmentand English Department Identified Most Frequently Identified Most Frequently

Reported Student-Writing Reported Student-Writing ConcernsConcernso ContentContento Organization and structureOrganization and structureo Style and formatStyle and formato Basic mechanicsBasic mechanicso GrammarGrammaro ESL issuesESL issues

SOM Coordination with WAC SOM Coordination with WAC and English Departmentand English Department Revise Outcomes for ENGL302B Revise Outcomes for ENGL302B

o Apply understanding of language in order Apply understanding of language in order to write in different rhetorical situations to write in different rhetorical situations

o Apply objective and critical thought to Apply objective and critical thought to inquiry-based researchinquiry-based research

o Observe, explain, analyze, and Observe, explain, analyze, and synthesize materialsynthesize material

o Use information technology for Use information technology for communicationcommunication

SOM Coordination with WAC SOM Coordination with WAC and English Departmentand English Department Revise Outcomes for ENGL302B Revise Outcomes for ENGL302B

(continued)(continued)o Write extemporaneous analysis Write extemporaneous analysis o Revise and edit written workRevise and edit written worko Work effectively with peers to investigate Work effectively with peers to investigate

problems or issues, to compile data, to problems or issues, to compile data, to create, revise, and format documents, create, revise, and format documents, and to present findingsand to present findings

o Present a short, oral presentation based Present a short, oral presentation based on research using visual aids effectivelyon research using visual aids effectively

SOM Coordination with WAC SOM Coordination with WAC and English Departmentand English Department

o Research Research proposals proposals

o Research Research studiesstudies

o White papersWhite paperso Group case Group case

studies studies o Literature Literature

reviews reviews o Critical Critical

analysesanalyses

o Field reports Field reports o CritiquesCritiqueso Reading Reading

journalsjournalso In-class In-class

analytical analytical essaysessays

o Essay examsEssay examso MemosMemoso Executive Executive

summariessummaries

Opportunities to Guide LearningOpportunities to Guide Learning

SOM Coordination with WAC SOM Coordination with WAC and English Departmentand English Department

Sample Assignments for Sample Assignments for ENGL302BENGL302Bo Data AnalysisData Analysiso Literature ReviewLiterature Reviewo Collaborative Field Project: White Collaborative Field Project: White

Paper on Workplace Writing & Paper on Workplace Writing & CultureCulture

o In-Class WritingIn-Class Writing

Development of SOM301Development of SOM301

Budget for business communications Budget for business communications facultyfaculty

Develop courseDevelop courseo Diagnose writing competence using Diagnose writing competence using

WritePlacerWritePlacer™™ o Emphasize written and oral Emphasize written and oral

communicationcommunicationo Emphasize functional business areas Emphasize functional business areas

equallyequallyo Stress integration of communication Stress integration of communication

skills with business functionsskills with business functions

Development of SOM301Development of SOM301

Communication Intensive StructureCommunication Intensive Structureo WritePlacerWritePlacer™™ administration at start of administration at start of

semestersemestero Weekly writing assignmentsWeekly writing assignmentso Weekly group assignmentsWeekly group assignmentso Four-part business plan assignmentFour-part business plan assignmento End-of-semester portfolio of select End-of-semester portfolio of select

writings evaluated holistically by key writings evaluated holistically by key faculty faculty

o WritePlacerWritePlacer™™ administration at end of administration at end of semestersemester

Development of SOM301Development of SOM301

Fall 2001Fall 2001o Focus written & oral assignments Focus written & oral assignments

on formon formo Memos, summaries, letters, reportsMemos, summaries, letters, reportso Persuasive speaking, conducting Persuasive speaking, conducting

meetings, presentingmeetings, presentingo Introduce business functional Introduce business functional

areas with guest facultyareas with guest facultyo Integrate communication and Integrate communication and

business as in the real worldbusiness as in the real world

Development of SOM301Development of SOM301

Feedback from Fall 2001Feedback from Fall 2001o Overviews of functional areas of Overviews of functional areas of

business too briefbusiness too briefo ““Too much writing!”Too much writing!”o Course structure frustrating for Course structure frustrating for

both faculty and studentsboth faculty and studentso However, students’ increased However, students’ increased

awareness of the importance of awareness of the importance of written and oral communication in written and oral communication in businessbusiness

Development of SOM301Development of SOM301

Spring 2002: SOM301 Spring 2002: SOM301 New and Improved: Part INew and Improved: Part Io Communications “Boot Camp”Communications “Boot Camp”

Week 1: Week 1: o Writing AssessmentWriting Assessment

Weeks 2-4: Weeks 2-4: o Oral Presentation Skill Development Oral Presentation Skill Development o Writing To Explain, Summarize, InformWriting To Explain, Summarize, Inform

Weeks 5-7: Weeks 5-7: o Group Presentations on Oral and Written Group Presentations on Oral and Written

Business CommunicationBusiness Communicationo Writing To Persuade, AnalyzeWriting To Persuade, Analyzeo Multicultural CommunicationsMulticultural Communications

Development of SOM301Development of SOM301

Spring 2002: SOM301 Spring 2002: SOM301 New and Improved: Part IINew and Improved: Part IIo Integration of Communication and Integration of Communication and

Business Business Week 8-15Week 8-15

o Group Presentations on Functional Business Group Presentations on Functional Business AreasAreas

o Application of Communication Skills to Application of Communication Skills to Business AreasBusiness Areas

Writing Resumes and Cover LettersWriting Resumes and Cover Letters Data Analysis and InterpretationData Analysis and Interpretation Writing and Presenting a Business PlanWriting and Presenting a Business Plan

Writing Assessment in SOMWriting Assessment in SOM

WritePlacerWritePlacer™™ vs. Manual vs. Manual Scoring in SOM301Scoring in SOM301o Matched:Matched: 41%41%o +/- 1 point:+/- 1 point: 47%47% 2 points:2 points: 12%12%o In all cases of outliers, the In all cases of outliers, the

computer scored higher than the computer scored higher than the manual score.manual score.

Writing Assessment in SOMWriting Assessment in SOM

WritePlacerWritePlacer™™ Statistics from Statistics from Fall 2001 SOM301Fall 2001 SOM301o AugustAugust

Average: 8.07Average: 8.07 Median: 8Median: 8 SD: 1.79SD: 1.79

o DecemberDecember Average: 8.46Average: 8.46 Median: 9Median: 9 SD: 1.66SD: 1.66

o ChangeChange Average: +0.51Average: +0.51 SD: 1.79SD: 1.79

Writing Assessment in SOMWriting Assessment in SOM

SOM498 SAMPLE GRADING SOM498 SAMPLE GRADING CRITERIACRITERIAo UNDERSTANDS AND APPLIES UNDERSTANDS AND APPLIES

CONCEPTSCONCEPTSDemonstrates application of key Demonstrates application of key concepts from assigned readings concepts from assigned readings and class discussions and class discussions

Writing Assessment in SOMWriting Assessment in SOM

SOM498 SAMPLE GRADING SOM498 SAMPLE GRADING CRITERIACRITERIAo ANSWERS QUESTION ANSWERS QUESTION

CLEARLYCLEARLYPredicts industry growth and Predicts industry growth and identifies three factors that support identifies three factors that support predictionspredictions

Writing Assessment in SOMWriting Assessment in SOM

SOM498 SAMPLE GRADING SOM498 SAMPLE GRADING CRITERIACRITERIAo ORGANIZATIONORGANIZATION

Clear thesis statementClear thesis statement Topic sentencesTopic sentences Conclusion Conclusion

o SPELLING & GRAMMARSPELLING & GRAMMAR Free of spelling errors, typos, and Free of spelling errors, typos, and

grammatical errors grammatical errors

Writing Assessment in SOMWriting Assessment in SOM

SOM498 SAMPLE GRADING SOM498 SAMPLE GRADING CRITERIACRITERIAo CONFORMS TO PAPER STYLE CONFORMS TO PAPER STYLE

GUIDELINESGUIDELINES Word processed Word processed Professional appearanceProfessional appearance Proper business tone and styleProper business tone and style Appropriate lengthAppropriate length PaginatedPaginated

Writing Assessment in SOMWriting Assessment in SOM

SOM 498 Capstone WI CourseSOM 498 Capstone WI Courseo Minimum 3,500 written words Minimum 3,500 written words

(write-feedback-revise)(write-feedback-revise)o Outline, short paper, long paperOutline, short paper, long papero Strong WI research component for Strong WI research component for

oral presentationoral presentationo In-class writingIn-class writing

Writing Assessment in SOMWriting Assessment in SOM

RationaleRationaleo Writing diagnostic pre-test – Writing diagnostic pre-test –

indicator of expected effort indicator of expected effort o Course performance Course performance

70% WI content70% WI content 30% writing assignments30% writing assignments

FindingsFindingso Low mathematical correlations Low mathematical correlations

between pre-test and final gradebetween pre-test and final grade

Future Writing Assessment Future Writing Assessment in SOMin SOM

SOM301 EffectsSOM301 Effects SOM498 Improvement SOM498 Improvement

ExpectedExpected SOM Writing Intensity Indicator SOM Writing Intensity Indicator

for every coursefor every course