News
By Mary Pumphrey
|
July 18, 2002
The State Council for Higher Education in Virginia released a report yesterday detailing the writing and technology competency of students in Virginia's public institutions of higher education.
University of Virginia students fared well in both assessments, receiving particularly high scores in technology.
University faculty determined criteria for both technology and writing competency as well as the evaluation methodology for University students.
Ninety percent of a random sampling of non-engineering students demonstrated strong competency with computer skills.
Writing competency was evaluated in the College and in the Engineering School.
On a four-point scale, ranging from "strong competence" to "incompetent or occasional competence," 29 percent of College writing samples received the highest mark, a four, 55 percent received a score of three, 15 percent received a score of two and one portfolio received a one.
In the Engineering School, 42 percent of the writing samples received a score of four, 54 percent received a score of three, and 4 percent received a score of two.
The slight disparity in writing scores between College and Engineering students may be attributed to the population from which each school pulled its writing samples.
