Use the methods of the physical or life sciences to examine the natural world
The faculty delineated five learning goals that will apply across the introductory science courses:
1. Develop, evaluate, and test hypotheses
2. Evaluate scientific reports in the media
3. Distinguish fact or data from interpretation
4. Perform data collection and analysis (lab courses)
5. Understand the content of at least one scientific discipline at a level appropriate for a freshmen or sophomore
Modeling our embedded course assessment on one used in the sciences at the University of Northern Colorado, we have developed a
reporting form to track the learning goals listed above.
An individual teacher or course team will fill out the first three blank columns at the beginning of the course, matching learning objectives to assignments or activities, and then fill out the final columns at the end. Faculty will have flexibility to divide the last large column into as many categories as they like (e.g., "Exceeding expectations," "Meeting expectations" and "Failing to meet expectations.") Each faculty member teaching a course for distribution as general education will report the percentage of students in the class who meet these learning objectives, and the chair of the department will aggregate the results and provide copies to the General Education Committee.
