As a pedagogical innovation within Carleton's new graduation requirements, the A&I seminars have generated a lot of interest and expectation, particularly for their being a common element in the first-year experience. As such, the A&I seminars offer excellent opportunities to assess both what entering students know and do in their work as students and what they can be taught in a single course.

In 2010, we assessed student learning in the A&I seminars by studying changes to student's knowledge and practices with regard to basic information literacy and research practices. Students were invited during New Student Week to respond to a 15-minute "Research Practices Survey" soliciting information about their experience and opinions concerning academic research. In the final weeks of fall term, students were invited to complete the survey a second time. Comparison of the survey responses taken before and at the end of their A&I seminar offer us information that may help us better understand the impact and potential of the seminars. You may view last year's results here.

In 2011, assessment of the A&I seminars will occur as part of the College's plan to examine students' abilities to communicate and argue effectively.  In carrying out that plan, faculty of A+I seminars are asked to evaluate work from four of their A+I students twice during fall term--on the first assignment you give involving communication or argumentation (either written or oral) and on an assignment given in weeks 7-9. This should take no more than 2 minutes per student.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact:

Associate Dean of the College, Nathan Grawe; Associate Director of Institutional Research and Assessment, Cherry Danielson; or Associate Professor of English and Chair of A&I Advisory Committee, Peter Balaam.