Assessment & Articulation by Design: Pathways and the creation of a value-oriented GE program Assessment & Articulation by Design: Pathways and the creation of a value-oriented GE program Bill Loker and Lori Beth Way representing Sara Trechter and the Chico State GE Design Team Design Co-Chairs: Bill Loker & Sara Trechter Implementation : Bill Loker & Lori Beth Way Members of Teams: Academic Advising /EOP/Faculty/Assoc Dean

Origins

Resources

CSU GE— ARTICULATION AAC&U LEAP– ASSESSMENT AAC&U LEAP– ASSESSMENT -Content focused -Breadth -Skills -A, B, C, D, E Outcomes- Oriented- High Impact- Practices Making Excellence Inclusive- EO 1033

Our OLD General Education Program

General Education Program: Coherent and Distinctive Today, a coherent general education program can be defined as one where students are able to make connections and integrate their knowledge..., rather than one that merely provides them with isolated pieces of information... These connections should occur within disciplines, among disciplines, to real life and the world, and to majors and careers… Boning (2007) “Coherence in General Education: A Historical Look” Today, a coherent general education program can be defined as one where students are able to make connections and integrate their knowledge..., rather than one that merely provides them with isolated pieces of information... These connections should occur within disciplines, among disciplines, to real life and the world, and to majors and careers… Boning (2007) “Coherence in General Education: A Historical Look”

Consultations

Redesign Process Design Team CONSULTATIONS/ COMMUNICATIONS Design Team Website Design Team Website EO 1033 Campus GE Reports Provost’s Charge and Creation of Design Team 11/08 EPPC Senate Committee 11/09- 12/09 4 meetings Full Academic Senate 12/09-2/10 4 meetings Pres. Zingg Signs EM 2/11/10 Provost Flake Charges Implementation Team 2/12/10 Student Survey AS Student Leaders Academic Senate Council of Academic Deans Student Affairs Directors Resident Advisors GEAC University Advisory Board Campus- wide Fora: 4 Library Faculty Dept Meetings: 18 Proposal Sent to all Campus Alumni Survey College Meetings of Chairs: 12

Mission The GE program at Chico State prepares students for continual learning and application of knowledge to career as well as personal life. It provides the education necessary for success as a lifelong learner and civically engaged individual in the twenty-first century. Mission The GE program at Chico State prepares students for continual learning and application of knowledge to career as well as personal life. It provides the education necessary for success as a lifelong learner and civically engaged individual in the twenty-first century. General Education Program Strategy Chico State students acquire a strong foundation in critical thinking, written and oral communication and the arts and sciences through inquiry about and engagement with the social and natural worlds we inhabit. This is achieved through study, reflection, synthesis and action related to knowledge from varied historical, cultural, scientific and political perspectives. In combination with the major field of study, GE completes the breadth of university education. Strategy Chico State students acquire a strong foundation in critical thinking, written and oral communication and the arts and sciences through inquiry about and engagement with the social and natural worlds we inhabit. This is achieved through study, reflection, synthesis and action related to knowledge from varied historical, cultural, scientific and political perspectives. In combination with the major field of study, GE completes the breadth of university education.

GE Program Student Learning Outcomes The Student Learning Outcomes for our General Education program flow from the recognition that certain essential intellectual and practical skills rest at the foundation of a high-quality General Education program. These include effective written and oral communication, critical thinking, and mathematical reasoning skills. Additional Student Learning Outcomes arise from the values that the program seeks to foster.

GE Program SLOs 1.Active Inquiry: Demonstrates knowledge of and applies research techniques and information technology appropriate to the intellectual and disciplinary context. 2.Personal and Social Responsibility: Articulates an understanding of democratic values, responsibilities, and processes and a disposition to engage in deliberation, dialogue and action within our varied communities. 3.Sustainability: Describes and explains the environmental dynamics associated with human activities, and assesses the value of balancing social and economic demands with the Earth’s ability to sustain biological and cultural diversity. 4.Diversity: Demonstrates an understanding of and facility with different intellectual viewpoints as well as the unique perspectives of others based on varied experiences, identities and social attributes. 5.Creativity: Takes intellectual risks and applies novel approaches to varied domains. 6.Global Engagement: Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to engage global cultures and peoples.

Program Student Learning Outcomes 7. Oral Communication: Demonstrates effective listening and speaking skills necessary to organize information and deliver it effectively to the intended audience. 8. Written Communication: Demonstrates the ability to question, investigate and draw well-reasoned conclusions and to formulate ideas through effective written communication appropriate to the intended audience. 9. Critical Thinking: Identifies issues and problems raised in written texts, visual media and other forms of discourse, and assesses the relevance, adequacy and credibility of arguments and evidence used in reaching conclusions. 10. Mathematical Reasoning: Demonstrates knowledge of and applies mathematical or statistical methods to describe, analyze and solve problems in context.

Coherent Structure GE Pathway Model A Pathway structurally connects courses that are: intellectually cohesive explore an issue/area from a multidisciplinary perspective schema for students to understand the general education experience

Our 48 unit Model – with Pathways 24 Foundation & American Institutions 24 units per Pathway (including 9 upper division units) Pathways, to be determined by faculty 18 units (including 9 upper division) taken in a single Pathway Interdisciplinary Minor

Each Pathway 15 units Lower Division: Arts, Humanities, 2 Social Sciences, Lifelong Learning No more than 3 courses per disciplinary area in that Pathway No more than 3 per department per Pathway 9 units Upper Division GE: Arts/Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences 3 courses per disciplinary area from different departments upper division GE Capstone course (Writing Intensive) – required for those who do not have a Major Capstone

Structure : Flexible Cohesive Articulates Disciplinary AreaFoundationNotes/How to read the Grid Oral CommCMST, CMST (Pathway 3), others?P# denotes associated Pathway. Students may select a Foundation course associated with a Pathway; one of which may be used toward the 18 unit GE minor. Up to seven courses permitted in each Foundation Area. Written Comm (W) ENGL (P1, P2), others? Critical ThinkingCMST, PHIL (P2), others? MathematicsMATH (P1), MATH, others? Physical SciencesGEOG, GEOS, NSCI, CHEM, others? Life SciencesNSCI, ANSC, ANTH (P2), PSSC, others? American Institutions Amer. HistoryAmerican History3 units from HIST Amer. Inst.American Government: National State and Local3 units from POLS Disciplinary AreasPath 1Path 2Path 3Path…10 ? Five to ten pathways Arts ART THEA ART MUSC ART MUSC THEA (D) Generally there are three courses per Disciplinary Area in a Pathway. Humanities ENGL (D) PHIL (W) PHIL HIST RELS (W) PHIL ENGL (G) RELS (W) PHIL D - Satisfies diversity G - Satisfies global cultures W – Writing intensive course; students must complete four writing intensive courses C – Capstone, by definition are W courses FL Individual & Society ANTH (G) GEOG SOCI/SOCI SOCI ANTH GEOG (W) HCSV (D) LAST PSYC Societal Institutions SOCI (G) GEOG (D) POLS ANTH (W) GEOG PSYC HIST (W) SOCI (W) ABUS (D) Learning for Life ENVL (W) PHIL (W) RELS CHLD (W) KINE RECR NFSC HCSV SWK (W) UD – Humanities & Arts ENGL (W) PHIL (W) RELS (C) ENG (C) (W) ART RELS MUSC PHIL (W) RELS (G) All three Upper Division GE courses must be taken within a Pathway. UD – Social Sciences GEOG HIST (D) RECR SOCI (W)(D) ANTH PSYC GEOG (D) ECON HCSV UD - Sciences BIOL/BIOL GEOS PSSC (W) BIOL (G) MATH BIOL(C)(W GEOS PHYS

Coherence and HIPs Capstones Required Writing Intensive Upper Division GE Capstone Course Major disciplines with a required capstone course may substitute their capstone for the GE capstone requirement. Writing Intensive courses (at least 4) Native students required to take at least 4 WI courses Transfers, 1 WI course (Capstone or other WI in upper division GE) Public Sphere Pedagogies Town Hall Meeting Great Debate Capstones Required Writing Intensive Upper Division GE Capstone Course Major disciplines with a required capstone course may substitute their capstone for the GE capstone requirement. Writing Intensive courses (at least 4) Native students required to take at least 4 WI courses Transfers, 1 WI course (Capstone or other WI in upper division GE) Public Sphere Pedagogies Town Hall Meeting Great Debate

DESIGN Fall /11/10 DESIGN Fall /11/10 IMPLEMENTATION 2/12/10-Fall 2012 IMPLEMENTATION 2/12/10-Fall 2012

Assessing by Design: FLC on GE Assessment (in progress) Programmatic – Based on Program-level SLOs … not individual course-based assessment Pathway-based – All SLOs must be demonstrated/ achieved in each Pathway … not in each course! Pathways must demonstrate intellectual coherence. Direct – Based on authentic products of student work produced in context; Capstones as (potential) sites for assessment

Thanks to Chico State faculty and staff, Ken O’Donnell, the Compass project and our students for their support, the many hours of consultation and constant feedback. Contact us: