Abstract
The Department of Communication Studies has been collecting assessments of field specific knowledge through objective, direct-measure questionnaires. The goal was to compare a pre-test score (taken shortly after a major declares) to a post-test score (given at the completion of undergraduate study). The faculty were quite aware that this method privileged the information gained from the post-test, with the pre-test serving as, at best, a measure of randomness or general knowledge prior to declaring the major. To improve the analytical power without adding assessment burdens to the students or faculty, we are committing to measure demonstration of knowledge retained instead of demonstration of knowledge gained by moving the pre-test to the period of undergraduate study when students will likely have the sharpest understanding of field specific knowledge. In short, they will take the knowledge pre-test at the conclusion of the course in which the content is delivered, and the post-test in a capstone course just prior to graduation. Moving the pre-test drastically increases the assessment capacity of both tests by measuring 1) maximum potential for demonstration of field specific knowledge and 2) demonstration of retention of that knowledge over time.