ABSTRACT

Samantha Sidorowicz’s Impact on Student Learning project aimed to evaluate 8th-grade English students in their progressive understanding and application of literary devices in various short stories. The literary devices in this unit include symbolism, tone, imagery, and stereotypes. Students were assessed before and after the unit—the pre-assessment measured basic knowledge of the devices. In contrast, the post-assessment included what students already knew combined with advanced knowledge taught during the unit. This acquired knowledge required students to use reasoning to support their claims when they were asked to identify literary devices. Analysis of the pre-assessment data identified what devices students struggled with most. While teaching the content lessons on literary devices, some assessments included formative assessments (such as group projects and personal reflections) and summative assessments (unit tests). Instructional changes were made to the content and progression of lessons. Teaching the unit was based on student understanding of the pre-assessment, student involvement in lessons, and formative assessments such as exit tickets. Upon completing the unit, the students were assessed on their extended learning and application of the literary devices they learned. The post-assessment results showed that the instruction during this unit and students’ understanding and utilization of literary devices greatly improved. In conclusion, the instruction effectively delivered course content to enhance student learning and comprehension.