General Education as a Learning-Outcome-Based Program:

Course Review and Revision Workshop Tuesday, September 21

      

Fitting the pieces together and making connections 

First

Why is General Education important?

Role of the Undergraduate Major

Has primary responsibility for developing the ideas and methodologies to communicate within a disciplinary community

Suggests potential career paths.

General Education v. Major

Major, minor, electives

General Education

And the role of General

Education?

UW-L’s General (liberal) Education prepares students to live, work, and play as responsible global citizens in the context of a diverse and ever changing world.

Life after college

Job or career

Other aspects of

life and living

Overview of Today

Timeline Learning outcome: what &

why Using Learning outcomes

to review courses

Brief Timeline

FALL 2004• Departmental Review of GE courses – due

December 1 (new date!!)• Various ideas for a revised structure sent

out to campus for feedback (tentative)• Workshops and Mini-conference • GEC map outcomes as they are addressed

in current array of courses

Timeline continued

Spring 2005GEC use feedback to develop a draft of revised structure; disseminate and ask for feedbackConversation among GE instructors at January T & L conferenceMore workshops as neededDepartments assess one or two GE coursesGEC begin official review of courses

End of AY 2004-05Revised General Education Program Structure sent to Faculty Senate for approvalInitial set of courses for revised program reviewed and certified* GEC receives departmental assessment reports GE assessment “team” reports completed

Using Learning Outcomes to Guide Course Development,

Review, and Revision

Rationale for Outcome Based GE program

Focuses our attention on what we expect students to learnDirect link to assessment Can ensure and enhance accountability (institution and students)

A learning outcome based program can help students

• better articulate the goals of the program

• more readily reflect on their own progress (self-assessment)

• improve student learning

What is a learning outcome?

Learning Outcomes are clearly stated expectations for what students should learn and be able to do by the end of a course/program of studies.

Include an action verb and a statement of ability

Goals v. Learning outcomes

GOAL: Student will have “knowledge of the development and interaction of human cultures”

Learning Outcome: Students will be able to “describe how a person’s historical and cultural contexts influence perceptions of themselves and others”

How does the learning outcome help with:

• Assessment• Learning activities

Rethinking our Thinking 1

A learning-outcome-based curriculum moves us from an overt focus on courses distributed across the academic spectrum

to an overt focus on helping students develop specific competencies (learning outcomes) that are requisite for learning and living as responsible citizens “in diverse local, national and global societies”

Rethinking our Thinking 2

Outcome Based Programs moves us from a GE Curriculum thatIs “Input” based Focuses on the academic

spectrum

Rethinking our Thinking 3

In an O-B-C Begin with desired result Determine acceptable evidence Plan learning experiences and instruction

(Wiggins &

McTighe, 1998)

Assessment is integral and a focus from the beginning

Learning OutcomesLearning Activities

Assessment of Learning

Always together - Joined at the hips

Understanding and identification of Learning Outcomes

and Assessment of Learning precede development of

Learning Activities

Relation Between Learning Outcomes and Learning

ActivitiesLearning activities

are planned after identifying the learning outcomesare planned after identifying what will constitute evidence of student learningallow students to develop and practice knowledge and skills basic to the learning outcome provide evidence of student learning are inquiry-based and potentially engaging

Assessment of Learning

Evidence of understandingCollection of evidence over time Formal and informal Learning activities are designed with evidence of learning in mindForms of assessment are varied and many: may be observations, dialogs, quizzes, tests, projects, performance tasks, etc.

ASSESSMENT MEANS WE ALSO HAVE

Evidence, Criteria & Standards

EVIDENCE of Student Learning

What type of student work can provide evidence? Papers Specific answers on quizzes and exams Group projects Oral presentations An audiovisual project ETC—depends on course and SLO being

assessed

CRITERIA

Qualities desired in student workProfessional judgment of instructorGuide student learning effortsPromote life-long learningSupport instructor in making objective evaluations

Examples of Criteria

In MATH Accuracy Depth of understanding Complexity Appropriateness

In CULTURAL DIVERSITY Range of cultures Communication Reflectivity and integration

STANDARDS

Describe different levels of criteria (performance)Describe specific indications of criteriaPromote understanding of criteriaSupport faculty in making objective evaluations

Examples of Standards

SatisfactoryContains few errors and those errors do not significantly undermine the quality of the (project, paper, presentation, problem, etc.)Consistently views sophisticated and significant dilemmas and issues (problems) with a broad focus and from multiple perspectives

UnsatisfactoryOne or more errors that significantly undermine the quality of the workViews issues and dilemmas (problems) largely in simple terms; usually does so with limited focus and minimal perspectives

Core Outcomes

What is it that students should remember “forever” from this course?What is applicable across situations and/or disciplines? What has value beyond the classroom and is important for developing responsible and educated global citizens?What provides a structure or context or framework to connect the dots or “details”

Enduring

understanding

Important to

Know and do

Worth being familiar with

Departmental Review Process (OF COURSES AS THEY EXIST NOW)

1. Have a discussion with colleagues: what

outcomes are we trying to achieve in XYZ course?

2. Which ones are THE MOST IMPORTANT—the ones we want students to remember (or use) forever (those Core Outcomes)

3. What are the learning activities we NOW use to address these outcomes

4. What do we do NOW for assessing whether or not students have achieved these outcomes

Why Departmental Review Now?

Provide invaluable information to GEC about current learning expectations Are there clusters of outcomes being

addressed—and where Are there outcomes not being addressed

anywhere

Inform GEC on program “needs” and effective “revisions,” if necessary Help with assessment plan

Course Review is NOT designed to:

Officially evaluate current coursesIdentify courses that “are problematic”Take resources away from any program or department

Departmental Review of Courses(one more time)

Three (and a half) Basic StepsDepartmental discussions about learning

outcomes addressed in each course Determination of the core (most important)

outcomesIdentify the learning activities used to

achieve these outcomesIdentify how assess student learning of

outcome

Strategy for thinking about outcomes?

ACHIEVING THE OUTCOMES: WHAT SHOULD A STUDENT KNOW AND BE ABLE TO DO?

Use the context of the course content and discipline to think about what the outcome means; what a student should know and be

able to do?

EXAMPLE from UWL 100

Students should be able to: recognize varying perspectives and beliefs across several topics, including the “right to an education” and “citizenship.”

articulate a basic explanation as to the purpose of “a liberal arts education” and the value or importance of this education to their current and future lives.

identify how their perceptions may be different from others on the topics discussed in class

identify some of the possible factors (socio-economic status, race or ethnicity, hometown size, gender, etc.) that have influenced their ideas about the “right to an education” and why and how their ideas may differ from others.

WORK TIMEand

more questions?

Thank You!

Reference

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and

Curriculum Development