Transcript Core Presentation PowerPoint - Program in Science Learning

The
new
SAS
Core
Curriculum
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The Ad Hoc Core Curriculum Committee Membership, 2007-8
Chair: Randy Gallistel, Psychology
SAS Faculty Members:
Dennis Bathory, Political Science
Harriet Davidson, English and WGS
Monica Driscoll, MBB
Frances Egan, Philosophy
Jane Grimshaw, Linguistics
Dorothy Hodgson, Anthropology
Jane Junn, Poli. Science
Mohan Kalelkar, Physics and Astronomy
Elizabeth Leake, Italian
James Masschaele, History
Terry McGuire, Genetics
Lorraine Piroux, French
Thomas Prusa, Economics
Ben Sifuentes-Jáuregui, American Studies
Kathryn Uhrich, Chemistry
Andrew Vershon, MBB
Appointed Members from other Units:
Warren Crown, Learning & Teaching, GSE
Martin Markowitz, Associate Dean of NB
Undergraduate Program, RBS
Patricia Mayer, Dance, MGSA
Brent Ruben, Communication, SCILS
Paula Voos, Labor Studies, SMLR
Ex-Officio Members (non-voting):
Peter Klein, Acting Executive Vice Dean
Michael Beals, Vice Dean for Undergraduate
Education
Susan E. Lawrence, Associate Dean for
Undergraduate Education
Vic Tulli, Associate Dean of SAS (staffing)
Student Members (non-voting):
Chad Kim SAS-LC ’09
Brenna Krieger SAS-DC ’09
Aaron McKay SAS-UC ’10 (until Feb. 2008)
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Approved by the faculty May 5, 2008
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Implementation:
Title
certification of courses
Core Requirements Committee Membership, 2008-11
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Chair – Larry Scanlon
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Ousseina Alidou
Tamar Brill
Barbara Cooper
Martha Haviland
Mary Hawkesworth
Douglas Johnson
Mohan Kalelkar
John Kolassa
Susan Lawrence
Elizabeth Leake
Jennifer Mandelbaum
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Stewart Mohr
Lenore Neigeborn
Jeff Rubin
Louisa Schein
Kathleen Scott
John Taylor
Julie Traxler
Gail Triner
Paula Voss
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Points of Agreement
Distribution
Requirements
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Points of Agreement
Hanging
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over us was
Assessment
This meant that:
What ever way we defined “critical thinking” --- or any
other general education goal --- we were going to have
to have and assess student learning outcome goals.
 Student learning goals
 Method of assessment
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Resources on Assessment
for SAS faculty
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ONE SOLUTION
A goal-based Core Curriculum
with authentic, minimally invasive,
efficient, and valid formative
assessment tools suited to our
specific learning goals.
This is an innovative, but
unfamiliar, approach to
General Education. While this
poses some implementation
challenges, it also makes SAS
well poised to be a national
leader in 21st C curricular
design.
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• The SAS Core is based on
overlapping and mutually
reinforcing learning goals
that form the core of a
modern liberal arts and
sciences education at a
leading 21st C research
university.
• The learning goals clearly
articulate what SAS students
are able to do upon completion of
the Core, incorporating the reasons for these
requirements right into the requirements themselves.
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21ST CENTURY CHALLENGES
(≥ 6 credits) Students will meet two goals. [21C]
Students will be able to:
• Analyze the degree to which forms of human difference shape a
person’s experiences of and perspectives on the world.
• Analyze a contemporary global issue from a multidisciplinary
perspective.
• Analyze the relationship that science and technology have to a
contemporary social issue.
• Analyze issues of social justice across local and global contexts.
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AREAS OF INQUIRY
Natural Sciences
All courses meet
the first goal and
at least one more
(≥6 credits) All courses meet the first goal and at
least one other. Students must meet two goals. [NS]
Students will be able to:
• Understand and apply basic principles and concepts in the physical
or biological sciences.
• Explain and be able to assess the relationship among assumptions,
method, evidence, arguments, and theory in scientific analysis.
• Identify and critically assess ethical and societal issues in science.
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AREAS OF INQUIRY
Social [SCL] and Historical [HST] Analysis
All SCL and HST courses meet at least one of the first three goals.
Students will be able to:
• Understand the bases and development of human and societal
endeavors across time and place.
• Explain and be able to assess the relationship among assumptions,
method, evidence, arguments, and theory in social and historical analysis.
• Identify and critically assess ethical issues in social science and history.
Historical Analysis
All Historical
Analysis courses also
meet one of the
three shared goals
(≥3 credits) Students must meet one goal. [HST]
Students will be able to:
• Explain the development of some aspect of a society or culture
over time, including the history of ideas or history of science.
• Employ historical reasoning to study human endeavors.
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AREAS OF INQUIRY
Social [SCL] and Historical [HST] Analysis
All SCL and HST courses meet at least one of the first three goals.
Students will be able to:
• Understand the bases and development of human and societal
endeavors across time and place.
• Explain and be able to assess the relationship among assumptions,
method, evidence, arguments, and theory in social and historical analysis.
• Identify and critically assess ethical issues in social science and history.
Social Analysis
All Social Analysis
courses also meet
one of the three
shared goals
(≥3 credits) Students must meet one goal. [SCL]
Students will be able to:
• Understand different theories about human culture, social identity,
economic entities, political systems, & other forms of social organization.
• Apply concepts about human and social behavior to particular
questions or situations.
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AREAS OF INQUIRY
Arts and Humanities
Courses will be
identified by
specific goal
(≥6 credits) Students must meet two goals. [AH]
Students will be able to:
• Examine critically philosophical and other theoretical
issues concerning the nature of reality, human experience,
knowledge, value, and/or cultural production.
• Analyze arts and/or literatures in themselves and in relation to
specific histories, values, languages, cultures, and technologies.
• Understand the nature of human languages and their speakers.
• Engage critically in the process of creative expression.
Courses are certified
Optional
for multiple goals;
students will meet all
5 goals in 3 courses
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COGNITIVE SKILLS AND PROCESSES
Writing and Communication [WC]
( ≥9 credits: 355:101; one WCr; and one WCd.)
Students will meet all goals. Students will be able to:
• Communicate complex ideas effectively, in standard written
English, to a general audience.
• Respond effectively to editorial feedback from peers, instructors,
and/or supervisors through successive drafts and revision. [WCr]
• Communicate effectively in modes appropriate to a discipline or
area of inquiry. [WCd]
• Evaluate and critically assess sources and use the conventions of
attribution and citation correctly.
• Analyze and synthesize information and ideas from multiple
sources to generate new insights.
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COGNITIVE SKILLS AND PROCESSES
Quantitative and Formal Reasoning
(≥6 credits or ≥3 plus placement out of ≥3)
Students must meet two goals. [QFR]
Students will be able to:
• Formulate, evaluate, and communicate conclusions and
inferences from quantitative information. [QFRq]
• Apply effective and efficient mathematical or other formal
processes to reason and to solve problems. [QFRr]
(students may meet QFRr through placing in a higher level 640 course
whose prerequisite meets the goal)
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A Word About the Quantitative and
Formal Reasoning Requirements
• All students still must take the math
placement test.
• All students who place into 640:025 will
automatically be registered for it during
their first semester.
– When advising potential majors, be sure to
note any math prerequisites they will need
in order to complete the majors.
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COGNITIVE SKILLS AND PROCESSES
Information Technology and Research
(≥3 credits) Students must meet one goal. [ITR]
Students will be able to:
• Employ current technologies to access information, to conduct
research, and to communicate findings.
• Analyze and critically assess information from traditional and
emergent technologies.
• Understand the principles that underlie information systems.
Nearly every course in this category is also certified as
meeting other Core goals. We also need faculty to
submit more courses in this category
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• A SINGLE COURSE MAY BE USED
MULTIPLE GOALS.
TO MEET
• ALL COURSES MUST BE CREDIT-BEARING, GRADED COURSES
CERTIFIED BY THE SAS FACULTY AS MEETING CORE GOALS.
(e.g., E credit courses cannot be used to meet goals, nor can
pass/no credit courses).
• Generally it will take 10–14 courses to complete the Core, some
of which may also fulfill major or minor requirements.
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What is critical
thinking? Title
verb: to think critically
All of the Core goals include a specific type of
kind of critical thinking activity that students will be able
TO DO when they complete a Core course –
Students are not simply taking courses in particular subjects.
*****
The goals provide students with the REASON they have to take these
courses and it gives them prepackaged language for resumes, etc.
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Analyze
Apply
Assess
Communicate
Employ
Engage
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Evaluate
Examine
Explain
Formulate
Identify
Understand
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Side bar on page 4
How Do We Know the Core Works?
Our Commitment to a Culture of Evidence.
In the School of Arts and Sciences, we don’t just require students to take
courses and assume they achieve these goals. Only a special,
limited group of courses is certified as meeting Core Curriculum goals.
These courses put specific Core Curriculum goals front and center
in their course design and regularly assess student achievement of these
Core goals using state-of-the-art authentic assessment measures.
Our faculty members are constantly improving their Core courses
to better meet these goals. Only courses that have committed to this
process are certified as Core courses. This is why some particular courses
are certified while other courses that may seem to have similar or
analogous foci are not. This is your assurance that SAS students develop
the capabilities the Core promises. Learn more at sasoue.rutgers.edu.
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How we assess
There are several typical methods
of assessment.
Most of our Core courses are using
some of the 28 rubrics we have created
to go with each learning goal.
The rubric is used to score a set of
assignments or exam questions that
ask the student to actually DO the goal.
.
You can read these rubrics and learn
more about what each of these 28
goals means in the “Faculty Guide to
Submitting Courses for Certification in
the Core Curriculum” on the
SAS OUE web page.
GOAL a - Student is able to: Analyze the degree to which forms of human difference shape a person’s
experiences of and perspectives on the world.
OUTSTANDING
GOOD
SATISFACTORY
UNSATISFACTORY
(D/F)
Human Difference
Identifies multiple
Identifies some
Notes that human
Fails to identify
types of human
types of human
difference is
significant forms of
difference relevant
difference relevant
addressed in the
human difference
to the course.
to the course.
course, but does
relevant to the
not specify or
course.
describe in ways
that go beyond
summary.
Analysis: Links
Specifically
Examines some
Acknowledges that
Fails to link those
Between
explicates links
links between
there are links
differences to
Difference And
between those
those differences
between those
individuals’ or groups’
Experience/
differences and
and individuals’ or
differences and
experiences of the
Perspectives
individuals’ or
groups’ experiences
individuals’ or
world and/or
groups’ experiences
and/or
groups’ experiences
perspectives on the
of the world and/or
perspectives,
and/or perspectives
world as relevant to
perspectives on the
though not with
on the world, but
focus of the particular
world as relevant to
great originality or
only very generally
course.
the focus of the
complexity.
and largely a
course.
recapitulation of
class discussions or
assigned materials.
Analysis: Effects
Provides a new or
Examines some
Discussion is
Fails to delineate the
on 21st Century
particularly
effect(s) of those
perfunctory,
impact of differences
Challenge
sophisticated
differences on an
demonstrating only
on the issues that are
understanding of
issue/problem of
superficial
central to the course.
those differences
importance in the
understanding of
Shows little or no
and their effects on
21st century, and
how those
grasp of existing
an issue/problem of
generally
differences affect
paradigms covered in
importance in the
demonstrates
an issue/problem of
the course.
21st century, or
understanding of
importance in the
offers a critical
how existing
21st C and of how
assessment of
paradigms are
existing paradigms
existing paradigms.
applied.
are applied.
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Certification of Courses
for the Core Curriculum
 The new Core focuses on the student’s achievement
goals and attainment of capabilities at a foundational level.
 By design, the SAS Core goals track nearly any reasonable articulation
of the fundamental goals of a liberal arts and sciences curriculum.
 Thus, virtually all the courses we offer will, in some measure,
advance student achievement of some of these Core goals.
 But, of course, we don’t want to certify every course we offer as
meeting Core goals; there was very clear faculty agreement that the Core
will be more meaningful to students if there are shorter, more focused,
lists of courses than we have been accustom to under distribution
requirements.
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CRC’s Guidelines
• Courses certified for the Core must have the relevant
learning goals front and center in their design. The Core
goals should be highlighted on the first page of the syllabus,
maximizing transparency for students and for the CRC.
– Generally, courses certified for the Core should be accessible to a
wide range of students and equip students to function as life long
learners, global citizens, and productive members of society
irrespective of their ultimate majors and minors.
– The intent of the new Core is to stimulate the development of new
courses particularly designed to meet the Core goals.
Multidisciplinary courses are particularly encouraged.
– Existing courses should be modified, putting the Core goals front and
center in the course design (and on the first page of the syllabus)
before submission for certification.
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CRC’s Guidelines
• Aggregate student achievement of the Core goal(s) should
be demonstrable through appropriate assessment tools.
– The issue is not whether the course does the activity listed in the
learning goal, but rather, are the students able to do the activity
listed upon completion of the course. Courses certified for the Core
must include an assessment plan. Further details on assessment
are provided to the faculty in the “Faculty Guide”, but basically,
we’re just asking for a bit of data that shows that our students, as a
group, are learning what we think we are teaching.
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CRC’s Guidelines
• Generally, certified courses will be 100 or 200 level courses.
Courses will not be certified for the Core when students will
necessarily have already met the proposed Core learning
goals by taking the prerequisite courses.
– If this results in a ludicrous situation for a particular student, write to
the CRC care of [email protected]
• But, this does not mean this we will grant waivers for students who just
want to take a specialized upper-level course rather than a certified Core
Curriculum course.
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CRC’s Guidelines
• Courses will only be certified when they address the learning
goal(s) every time they are offered irrespective of instructor,
section, semester, or particular topic of focus.
– In order to be certified, “Topics” courses will need to have an
embedded assessment tool geared to the Core goal(s) that will
be employed in all sections of the course each time it is offered.
– For each course number certified for the Core, a generic
Course synopsis (or full syllabi) that includes the Core
Curriculum learning goals that the course has been certified for
should be available online through the department web page
and the online schedule of classes at all times, updated as
necessary.
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CRC’s Guidelines
The certification process --- and the requirement that
courses perform and report assessments of student
achievement of the Core learning goals -- is central
to the Core Curriculum.
Consequently, students will not be able to appeal to
have a particular course added to the list of courses
certified as meeting a Core Curriculum goal.
It is VERY important that faculty not tell students that
courses meet Core goals when in fact they have not
been vetted by the CRC and certified by faculty vote.
Hypothetical:
Some Suggestions
Energy & Climate Change
Immigrant States
Eating Right
Lessons from Europe
Global East Asia
Sea Change
War: Critical Perspectives
Plantation to White Hs
Study Abroad
~~~~~~~~~
Some Suggestions
Energy & Climate Change
Sea Change
Biology, Society, &
Biomedical Issues
~~~~~~~~
Many courses certified as
HST might also be used
to meet the political
science major’s cognate
fields requirement
You will meet the Social
Analysis goals in the
process of completing
your Political Science
major.
Guide to the Core for Political Science Majors
Many courses certified as
A&H might also be used
to meet the political
science major’s cognate
fields requirement. Also,
some foreign language
courses at the
intermediate level and
above are AH certified
In addition to Expos
101, the writing
program offers a
number of options
appropriate for political
science majors. Political
Science courses certified
as WCd include:
790:~~~
Also consider taking a
WC courses in one of
your cognate fields.
Political Science majors
are strongly urged to
take 640:111-112 or 115
precalc and 790:300 Poli
Sci methods
Some Suggestions:
Great Insights in
Computer Science
Statistics I
The Structure of
Information
Computer Analysis
of Social Sci Data
~~~~~~~
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Talking about the Core
Getting the message across -- A few suggestions on nomenclature:
Core Curriculum / Core --- Core is always capitalized.
Areas of Inquiry -- these are not disciplinary distribution requirements.
Certified -- courses are certified for the Core (rather than “approved”).
Front and Center – Core goals must be front and center in the course
design – not merely touched on.
AND, remember, courses are only certified for the Core when the
faculty commits to the process of assessment and improvement .
Met Core goals –students have met a Core goal, rather than that they have
met a requirement.
Complete –that students have completed the Core, rather than that they
have fulfilled all requirements.
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