the new sas core curriculum. optional presentation title the ad hoc core curriculum committee...

The new SASCore Curriculum

Optional Presentation Title

The Ad Hoc Core Curriculum Committee Membership, 2007-8The Ad Hoc Core Curriculum Committee Membership, 2007-8Chair: Randy Gallistel, PsychologySAS 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. ScienceMohan 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)


Approved by the faculty May 5, 2008

Optional Presentation Title Implementation: certification of courses

• Stewart Mohr• Lenore Neigeborn• Jeff Rubin• Louisa Schein• Kathleen Scott• John Taylor• Julie Traxler• Gail Triner• Paula Voss

• Chair – Larry Scanlon

• Ousseina Alidou• Tamar Brill• Barbara Cooper• Martha Haviland• Mary Hawkesworth• Douglas Johnson• Mohan Kalelkar• John Kolassa• Susan Lawrence• Elizabeth Leake • Jennifer Mandelbaum

Core Requirements Committee Membership, 2008-11Core Requirements Committee Membership, 2008-11


Points of Agreement

Distribution Requirements


Points of Agreement


AssessmentThis 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.

Hanging over us was

Student learning goalsMethod of assessment


Resources on Assessment for SAS faculty


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.

A goal-based Core Curriculum with authentic, minimally invasive,

efficient, and valid formative assessment tools suited to our

specific learning goals.

ONE SOLUTION


• 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.


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.


AREAS OF INQUIRYNatural Sciences

(≥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.

All courses meet the first goal and at least one more


AREAS OF INQUIRYSocial [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 (≥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.

All Historical Analysis courses also

meet one of the three shared goals


AREAS OF INQUIRYSocial [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 (≥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.

All Social Analysis courses also meet one of the three

shared goals


AREAS OF INQUIRYArts and Humanities

(≥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 will be identified by specific goal


COGNITIVE SKILLS AND PROCESSESWriting 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.

Courses are certified for multiple goals;

students will meet all 5 goals in 3 courses


COGNITIVE SKILLS AND PROCESSESQuantitative 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)


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.


COGNITIVE SKILLS AND PROCESSESInformation 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


• A SINGLE COURSE MAY BE USED TO MEET MULTIPLE GOALS.

• 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.


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.

• Analyze• Apply• Assess• Communicate• Employ• Engage

• Evaluate• Examine• Explain• Formulate• Identify• Understand

What is critical thinking?verb: to think critically


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 centerin 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 coursesto better meet these goals. Only courses that have committed to thisprocess 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.

Side bar on page 4


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.

How we assessGOAL 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

types of human difference relevant to the course.

Identifies some types of human difference relevant to the course.

Notes that human difference is addressed in the course, but does not specify or describe in ways that go beyond summary.

Fails to identify significant forms of human difference relevant to the course.

Analysis: Links Between Difference And Experience/ Perspectives

Specifically explicates links between those differences and individuals’ or groups’ experiences of the world and/or perspectives on the world as relevant to the focus of the course.

Examines some links between those differences and individuals’ or groups’ experiences and/or perspectives, though not with great originality or complexity.

Acknowledges that there are links between those differences and individuals’ or groups’ experiences and/or perspectives on the world, but only very generally and largely a recapitulation of class discussions or assigned materials.

Fails to link those differences to individuals’ or groups’ experiences of the world and/or perspectives on the world as relevant to focus of the particular course.

Analysis: Effects on 21st Century Challenge

Provides a new or particularly sophisticated understanding of those differences and their effects on an issue/problem of importance in the 21st century, or offers a critical assessment of existing paradigms.

Examines some effect(s) of those differences on an issue/problem of importance in the 21st century, and generally demonstrates understanding of how existing paradigms are applied.

Discussion is perfunctory, demonstrating only superficial understanding of how those differences affect an issue/problem of importance in the 21st C and of how existing paradigms are applied.

Fails to delineate the impact of differences on the issues that are central to the course. Shows little or no grasp of existing paradigms covered in the course.


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.


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.


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.


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.

mailto:[email protected]


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.


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: Guide to the Core for Political Science Majors Some Suggestions

Energy & Climate ChangeImmigrant StatesEating RightLessons from EuropeGlobal East AsiaSea ChangeWar: Critical PerspectivesPlantation to White Hs Study Abroad ~~~~~~~~~

Some SuggestionsEnergy & Climate ChangeSea ChangeBiology, Society, & Biomedical Issues~~~~~~~~

You will meet the Social Analysis goals in the

process of completing your Political Science

major.

Many courses certified as HST might also be used to meet the political science

major’s cognate fields requirement

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 ScienceStatistics I The Structure of InformationComputer Analysisof Social Sci Data~~~~~~~

Optional Presentation Title 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.

the new sas core curriculum. optional presentation title the ad hoc core curriculum committee...

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