1. Work in Progress: Assessment of General Education Outcomes in Humanities Karen Styles, Presenter Valencia College

2. Holistic Rubric for HUM Assessment of Cultural/Historical Understanding (2012) 4 Accomplished: employs a standard method of analyzing significant historical works that is appropriate to the medium and is accurate and creative applies information from the student’s understanding of historical context to provide analysis that is accurate, appropriate, and in-depth (Example: describing how Greek ideals were re-born during the period of the Renaissance) utilizes and demonstrates original, insightful, and extensively developed interpretation of historical works within their cultural and historical contexts 3Competent: employs a method of analyzing significant historical works that is appropriate to the medium and is accurate, but does not show any innovative or creative understanding applies information from the student’s understanding of historical context to provide analysis that is accurate, appropriate, and in-depth, but does not show any innovative or creative understanding demonstrates comprehension of the generally accepted meaning of historical works within their cultural and historical contexts rather than offering an extensively developed interpretation or understanding 2Developing: employs a method of analyzing significant historical works that is appropriate to the medium, but demonstrates minor inaccuracies applies information from the student’s understanding of historical context to provide analysis, but contains minor inaccuracies, irrelevancies, or omissions demonstrates knowledge of the generally accepted interpretation or meaning of significant works within their cultural and historical contexts, but with minor inaccuracies, irrelevancies, or omissions 1Beginning: employs a method of analyzing that is not appropriate to the medium, is inaccurate, or does not include any analysis applies information from the student’s understanding of historical context to provide analysis that is often inaccurate, incomplete, or omits relevant information demonstrates inappropriate or inaccurate knowledge of the generally accepted meaning of significant works within their cultural and historical contexts

6. Cultural and Historical Understanding Rubric – Humanities (2013) Indicators321 Historical Context, Background, Conditions The student discusses/describes historical conditions. The student discusses/describes historical conditions insufficiently, lacking detail and/or relevance. Historical inaccuracies, omissions, and/or irrelevancies may be present. The student does not discuss/ describe historical conditions. Support / Use of Evidence and References The student supports the thesis with specific and detailed references to artifacts/sources. The student supports the thesis with general, vague, and/or inaccurate references to artifacts/sources. The student does not reference artifacts/sources. Cultural AnalysisThe student demonstrates an understanding of the connections between cultural artifacts and the historical circumstances that influence them. Conclusions are thorough and convincing. The student demonstrates an insufficient understanding of the connections between cultural artifacts and the historical circumstances that influence them. Conclusions are limited. The student does not demonstrate an understanding of the connections between cultural artifacts and the historical circumstances that influence them. The student draws no conclusions.

7. Chart A Analysis: A majority (54%) of Humanities students discuss/describe historical conditions insufficiently, lacking detail and/or relevance, 19% of students did it sufficiently, and 27% of students did not discuss/describe historical conditions at all. 3 - The student discusses/describes historical conditions. 2 - The student discusses/describes historical conditions insufficiently, lacking detail and/or relevance. Historical inaccuracies, omissions, and/or irrelevancies may be present. 1 - The student does not discuss/describe historical conditions. 3 2 1

8. Chart B Analysis: Whereas 45% of Humanities students supported a thesis with specific and detailed references to artifacts/sources, 47% of students did so vaguely or inaccurately. Only 8% of Humanities students did not reference artifacts or sources. 3 - The student supports the thesis with specific and detailed references to artifacts/sources. 2 - The student supports the thesis with general, vague, and/or inaccurate references to artifacts/sources. 1 - The student does not reference artifacts/sources. 321323123

9. Chart C Analysis: A majority (51%) of Humanities students demonstrated an insufficient understanding of the connections between cultural artifacts and the historical circumstances that influence them. 20% of students, however, demonstrated an understanding and drew thorough and convincing conclusions. 28% of students did not demonstrate an understanding of the connections between cultural artifacts and the historical circumstances that influenced them. 123 3 - The student demonstrates an understanding of the connections between cultural artifacts and the historical circumstances that influence them. Conclusions are thorough and convincing. 2 - The student demonstrates an insufficient understanding of the connections between cultural artifacts and the historical circumstances that influence them. Conclusions are limited. 1 - The student does not demonstrate an understanding of the connections between cultural artifacts and the historical circumstances that influence them. The student draws no conclusions.

10. General Analysis: The data shows that most of the students attempted to discuss and describe historical conditions (Chart A), but they did so insufficiently. The data also shows that most of the students demonstrated an insufficient understanding of the connections between cultural artifacts and the historical circumstances that influence them. The data, interestingly, shows that 92% of student supported the thesis with specific references to artifacts, but about half did so in general, vague, or inaccurate terms. Humanities faculty members, college wide, need to emphasize the following in their students' written assignments: 1)discussion and description of the historical conditions that helped shape the cultural artifacts studied in class 2)demonstration of the understanding of the connections between historical conditions and the cultural artifacts 3)supporting their arguments using specific and detailed references to cultural artifacts Humanities faculty members need to develop resources that will help students understand the importance of Cultural and Historical Understanding.