Assessing Student Learning in General Education

Many resources on implementing general education are available, but few are written to help those faculty and administrators responsible for general education with its evaluation. This book is a compilation of good practice case studies that are intended to assist faculty and administrators in both two-year and four-year institutions with the evaluation of student learning as it relates to general education. There are several ways in which to evaluate general education, and each case study varies in its approach. How do differences in institutional culture affect the evaluation of general education? Are institutions that lack the capacity or the culture to work across departmental or division lines to identify learning outcomes or the criteria to evaluate those outcomes employing effecting outcomes-based assessment? While not a how-to book on engaging in general education assessment, this book provides the reader with ideas to consider when adapting the evaluation of general education to his or her own institutional culture. Thirteen good practice institutions outline their assessment strategies and illustrate self-reflection that contributes to improved integration of and quality in student learning and development within general education. The case studies are supplemented by an introductory chapter that presents some considerations to address when planning for general education assessment and a concluding chapter that summarizes good practice strategies for application.

About the Authors vii

Foreword xv

Preface xviii

The Challenges of Assessing General Education: Questions to Consider 1
Marilee J. Bresciani

Alverno College: General Education Case Study 16
Mary E. Diez, Robert O'Brien Hokanson, Marcia Mentkowski

Blinn College: General Education Case Study 28
Loraine Phillips, Leslie Janac

Coker College: General Education Case Study 44
David Eubanks

James Madison University: General Education Case Study 58
Donna L. Sundre, Linda Cabe Halpern

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis: General Education Case Study 76
Trudy W. Banta, Sharon J. Hamilton

Isothermal Community College: General Education Case Study 96
Nancy H. Womack

North Carolina State University: General Education Case Study 112
Allen P. Dupont

Paradise Valley Community College: General Education Case Study 125
Paul A. Dale

State University of New York System Administration: General Education Case Study 146
Patricia L. Francis, Anne E. Huot

The College of William and Mary: General Education Case Study 164
Susan L. Bosworth

University of Central Florida: General Education Case Study 186
Martha Marinara, Kristina Tollefson

University of Cincinnati: General Education Case Study 201
Janice Denton, Wayne Hall, Claudia Skutar

University of Sotith Florida: General Education Case Study 210
Teresa L. Flateby

A Summary of Good Practice Strategies for Assessing General Education 224
Marilee J. Bresciani

Suggested Resources for Assessing General Education 237

Index 242

Marilee J. Bresciani is a professor of postsecondary education and codirector of the Center for Educational Leadership, Innovation, and Policy at San Diego State University.