Report on the General Education Assessment Think Tank

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        Report on the General Education Assessment Think Tank

General Education Assessment Think Tank held on Friday, September 23, 2005 at
the Omaha Home for Boys.

Participants:
Marsha Watson (Facilitator/English)
Deborah Smith-Howell (Facilitator)
Sheri Rogers (AQIP Coordinator/Director of Assessment)
Shelton Hendricks (Arts and Sciences)
Nora Bacon (English)
Chris Allen (Communication)
Karen Dwyer (Communication)
Steve Bullock (Political Science)
Robert Shuster (Geography/Geology)
 Lynn Harland (Marketing/Management)
Hesham Ali (IST)
 Jerry Cederblom (Goodrich)
Scott Terry (Aviation/Faculty Senate)
Karen Garver (Continuing Studies)
Dora Matache (Mathematics)
Lanyce Keel (ITS/recorder)
Jay Killion (ITS/recorder)
Joyce Crocket (ITS./recorder)

Joanne Sowell (Art/Art History), Peggy Jones (Black Studies) and Sarah Edwards
(Teacher Education) were unable to attend but have received the pre-think tank packet
and will receive the summaries and drafts from the meeting and will be included in future
events.

Results:
        As a result of the discussions, Think Tank participants developed DRAFT student
learning outcomes for all UNO General Education Requirements and began discussion of
strategies for measurement of these outcomes. The DRAFT student learning outcomes
are below.

Next Steps:
       The Think Tank is the beginning of the conversation regarding assessment of the
General Education program at UNO. The DRAFT student learning outcomes will be
widely circulated and discussed. Feedback is encouraged. Please send comments,
questions, etc. to Deborah Smith-Howell(dsmith-howell@mail.uomaha.edu)and Marsha
Watson (mwatson@mail.unomaha.edu) We will meet with established groups and
convene discussion opportunities across campus. In the near future we will establish a
General Education Assessment Committee (working closely with the AQIP teams of




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Academic Transitions and myMAPP and departmental assessment teams) to facilitate
general education assessment.


      DRAFT GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
                        SEPTEMBER 2005
      DRAFT GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

The General Education Assessment Think Tank participants agreed on a number of core
general education skills categorized under the following five areas:
    Oral and Written Communication
    Cultural Diversity
    Humanities and Fine Arts
    Mathematic and Critical Reasoning
    Social and Natural Scientific Reasoning


Oral and Written Communication:

Learners will be able to create oral presentations/speeches and papers that
demonstrate(entry level and capstone):
    clear purpose and statement of central idea/thesis
    clear structure with introduction, body, and conclusion
    smooth transitions between points
    well developed argument which supports the central claim with specific, relevant
      evidence
    integration of information from credible sources with appropriate citations or
      documentation
    effective interpretation of literature and/or data collected
    clear, smooth, grammatically correct sentences that follow the conventions of
      standard English
    effective use of the disciplinary discourse conventions
    the effective use of appropriate technology to enhance communication

Artifacts
     essays and other documents
     recorded presentations that can be uploaded to myMAPP
     websites
     outlines
     written reflections/journals
     poster presentations

Measures
   rubrics


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Learners will be able to demonstrate through oral presentations (entry level and
capstone):
    a conversational delivery
    sustained eye contact with audience
    effective vocal delivery – inflections, projection, rate, effective pauses,
       enthusiasm, sincerity, passion


Cultural Diversity:

Learners will:
    Demonstrate awareness of the diversity of cultures.
    Demonstrate an ability to integrate knowledge of diverse peoples and cultures and
      to use this knowledge to analyze their own culture.
    Demonstrate an ability to appraise difference.
    Articulate their responsibilities as members of a global society.

Assessment Approach:
Learners’ achievement of the Diversity Learning Outcomes will be assessed through a
combination of the following (submitted as a portfolio). Diversity portfolios will be
assessed against an appropriate rubric:
     Scores resulting from the completion of the Diversity Perspectives Index (DPI) or
       other appropriate diversity-tolerance survey instrument.
     Short essay in which learners reflect upon their answers to the DPI or other
       appropriate diversity-tolerance survey instrument.
     Short essay-answer to a specially-designed, case-based, open-ended diversity
       problem.



Humanities & Fine Arts:
Learners will:
    Demonstrate the ability to analyze human experiences and contributions from
      historical, literary, philosophical, artistic, and cultural perspectives.
    Demonstrate the ability to interpret cultural artifacts from historical, literary,
      philosophical, artistic, and cultural perspectives.

Assessment Approach:
The following types of portfolio artifacts will be assessed against an appropriate rubric
for achievement of Humanities Leaning Outcome #1:
     One or more written, spoken, or visual products that interpret artifacts from
        historical, literary, philosophical, artistic, and cultural learning experiences and
        use that interpretation to explain an aspect of human experience.


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The following types of portfolio artifacts will be assessed against an appropriate rubric
for achievement of Humanities Leaning Outcome #2:
     One or more written, spoken, or visual products that interpret cultural artifacts
        from historical, literary, philosophical, artistic, and cultural learning.


Mathematic and Critical Reasoning:
Learners will:
    Demonstrate the ability to use, express, and manipulate mathematical and
      statistical information and concepts for modeling and solving problems in a
      variety of fields and settings.
    Utilize quantitative reasoning and scientific methodology to analyze and
      implement solutions to problems.
    Properly employ appropriate technology in the evaluation, analysis, and synthesis
      of information in problem solving situations.
    Show the ability to integrate new findings and technology tools into problem
      solving strategies and skills.
    Demonstrate the ability to identify, acquire and utilize appropriate data, to draw
      conclusions about a given situation, and/or solve related problems.

Assessment/Measurement approaches:
Components embedded in assignments/experiments/projects that include the following:
    Problem solving assignment (1)
    Data collection (1, 5)
    Statistical analysis (1, 5)
    Problem modeling (1, 3)
    Step by step solution to solve a given problem (2)
    Presentation slides (3, 4)
    Data spread sheets (2, 3, 4, 5)
    Written articles/reports (3, 4)
    Computer programs (2, 3, 4)
    Service learning projects (1-5)
    Posters and presentations (1-5)
    Research projects (1-5)
    Computer assisted activities (3, 4)


Social and Natural Scientific Reasoning:

Learners will:
    Identify and distinguish observational data, generalizations from the data, and
      theories offered to explain the generalizations



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      Evaluate the strength of support the observational data provide for
       generalizations
      Evaluate the effectiveness of a theory in explaining generalizations
      Evaluate competing theories
      Generate testable hypotheses

Assessment Approach
Assessment of Social and Natural Scientific Reasoning is viewed as a progressive process
over the entire undergraduate experience. Assignments in science courses (social,
behavioral, natural, and physical) will generate evidence of this capability and will be
placed into ePortfolio and evaluated using an appropriate rubric. This may involve
curriculum changes. Artifacts could be papers, questions from exams, etc.

Examples of Assignments that Generate Assessment Artifacts:
    Writing Prompt: The theory of plate tectonics should lead to a number of
     hypotheses; come up with a prediction from the theory of plate tectonics about
     how you could test that.

      Writing Prompt: Give students a passage presenting the exchange theory of
       marriage (why relationships form and continue) which suggests that relationships
       will form and continue when exchanges are equitable (noting that what is
       exchanged includes not just monetary exchanges but benefits such as being a
       capable person, sense of humor). Faculty could assess whether students are able
       to evaluate the data or logic used to support a contention (an example of one
       finding is that similar economic status people tend to marry each other or that
       spouses with greater income usually makes more important decisions.)

      Writing Prompt: Students would be able to determine or test theories on why
       political coalitions form.




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