General Education Focus Group Draft Report

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General Education Focus Group Draft Report

• NDSU Self-Study Steering Committee

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General Education Focus Group

• Focus Group Members
• Gary Clambey, Biological Sciences
• Amanda Eder, Student
• Larry Peterson, History (Chair)
• Carolyn Schnell, Director of University Studies
• Cindy Silvernagel, Student
• William Slanger, Director of Institutional
  Research and Analysis
• Kristi Wold-Mccormick, Registrar

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General Education Focus Group

• ORGANIZATION OF REPORT
• General Education at NDSU An Introduction
• Criterion II Preparing for the Future
• Criteria III Student Learning and Effective
  Teaching
• Criterion V Engagement and Service
• Areas Unaddressed

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General Education Focus Group

• General Education at NDSU An Introduction
• Vision and Objectives of General Education
• Components and Courses
• Support for General Education
• Assessment of General Education
• How to sustain and improve General Education?

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Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
NDSU

• NDSU General Education Courses
• CATEGORIES c Communication
• r Quantitative Reasoning
• s Science and Technology - All
• a Humanities and Fine Arts
• b Social and Behavioral Sciences
• w Wellness
• d Cultural Diversity
• g Global Perspectives

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Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
NDSU

• The 171 NDSU General Education Courses
• Categories by of density of offerings and
  course level

32.3
17.3
13.2
Grand total number of category exposures within
the 171 GE courses is 220.
9.5
8.6
7.3
3.6
3.6
2.3
1.8
.45
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Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
NDSU

• NDSU General Education Courses
• OUTCOMES 1. Communicate effectively in a
  variety of contexts and formats COMM 2.
  Locate and use information for making appropriate
  personal and professional decisions -
  LUID 3. Comprehend the concepts and
  perspectives needed to function in
  national and international societies - CNIS 4.
  Comprehend intrapersonal and interpersonal
  dynamics - IIPD 5. Comprehend concepts and
  methods of inquiry in science and
  technology, and their applications for society
  ISTS
• 6. Integrate knowledge and ideas in a coherent
  and meaningful manner - IKIM 7.
  Comprehend the need for lifelong learning - LLOL

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Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
NDSU

• The 171 NDSU General Education Courses
• Outcomes by of density of offerings and course
  level

25.2
17.5
16.0
14.1
11.3
11.1
Grand total number of outcome exposures within
the 171 GE courses is 469.
4.9
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General Education Focus Group

• Criterion II Preparing for the Future
• Criterion Statement The organizations
  allocation of resources and its processes for
  evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity
  to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of
  its education, and respond to future challenges
  and opportunities.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criterion II Preparing for the Future
• Core Component 2C The organizations ongoing
  evaluation and assessment processes provide
  reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness
  that clearly informs strategies for continuous
  improvement

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General Education Focus Group

• Criterion II Preparing for the Future
• Core Component 2CEvidence
• Effective systems for collecting, analyzing, and
  using organizational information
• Appropriate data and feedback loops to support
  continuous improvement

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General Education Focus Group

• Criterion II Preparing for the Future
• Core Component 2D All levels of planning align
  with the organizations mission, thereby
  enhancing it capacity to fulfill that mission.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criterion II Preparing for the Future
• Core Component 2D Evidence
• Coordinated planning processes center on vision,
  values, goals, and strategic priorities
• Long-range strategic planning processes allow for
  reprioritization of goals
• Planning documents recognize relationships among
  educational quality, student learning, and the
  diverse, complex, global, and technological world
  in which the organization and its students exist.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria III Student Learning and Effective
  Teaching
• Criterion Statement The organization provides
  evidence of student learning and teaching
  effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling
  its educational mission.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria III Student Learning and Effective
  Teaching
• Core Component 3A -- The organizations goals for
  student learning outcomes are clearly stated for
  each educational program and make effective
  assessment possible.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria III Student Learning and Effective
  Teaching
• Core Component 3A Evidence
• Expected learning outcomes for all programs
• Assessment of student learning at course,
  program, and institutional levels
• Multiple direct and indirect measures of student
  learning
• Routine review of the effectiveness of assessment
  of student learning

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Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
NDSU

• NDSU General Education Courses
• OUTCOMES 1. Communicate effectively in a
  variety of contexts and formats COMM 2.
  Locate and use information for making appropriate
  personal and professional decisions -
  LUID 3. Comprehend the concepts and
  perspectives needed to function in
  national and international societies - CNIS 4.
  Comprehend intrapersonal and interpersonal
  dynamics - IIPD 5. Comprehend concepts and
  methods of inquiry in science and
  technology, and their applications for society
  ISTS
• 6. Integrate knowledge and ideas in a coherent
  and meaningful manner - IKIM 7.
  Comprehend the need for lifelong learning - LLOL

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Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
NDSU

• NDSU General Education Courses
• Outcomes by percentages of exposure and course
  level

20.9
19.2
15.5
13.0
12.9
12.6
The grand total number of learning outcome
exposures NDSU provided 3,884 graduates was
228,099, for a per student average of 59. For
example, 13.0 of these 228,099 exposures were to
outcome 3, provided mostly by freshman courses
but also by some sophomore and upper level
courses. The most number of exposures were to
outcome 6 (20.9). (Graduates are of SP 99
through SU 03).
5.8
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Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
NDSU

• NDSU General Education Courses
• Outcomes by percentages of exposure and when taken

20.9
19.2
15.5
13.0
12.9
12.6
This slide shows the class level of the students
at the time they were exposed to the learning
outcomes. For example, the 47,676 exposures to
learning outcomes on knowledge integration (20.9
of the 228,099 total) were experienced most often
as sophomores, followed by freshmen, and then
juniors, and then seniors. (Data are of 3,884
graduates of SP 99 through SU 03)
5.8
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Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
NDSU

• NDSU General Education CoursesOutcomes by
  average percentages of total NDSU credits at
  graduation and average credits

Data are of 3,884 graduates of SP 99 through SU
03
Average NDSUGE Credits at graduation is 52.3
24.8
21.2
17.5
16.6
16.4
15.1
Average credits
6.8
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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria III Student Learning and Effective
  Teaching
• Core Component 3B -- The organization values and
  supports effective teaching.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria III Student Learning and Effective
  Teaching
• Core Component 3B Evidence
• Qualified faculty determine curricular content
• Support of professional development designed to
  enhance teaching
• Evaluation of teaching, recognition of effective
  teaching, and provision of services to support
  improved pedagogies
• Demonstration of openness to innovative practices
  that enhance learning

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NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITYOFFICE OF
INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSISTEACHING
DISTRIBUTION 2002-2003
FP Full Professor ACP Associate
Professor ASSPT Assistant Professor,
tenure/tenure track ASSPNT Assistant Professor,
not tenure/tenure track IN Instructor SLEC
Senior Lecturer LEC Lecturer GTA Graduate
Teaching Assistant GRA Graduate Research
Assistant SSTAF Support Staff OTH Other
24
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITYOFFICE OF
INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSISTEACHING
DISTRIBUTION 2002-2003
25
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITYOFFICE OF
INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSISTEACHING
DISTRIBUTION 2002-2003
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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria III Student Learning and Effective
  Teaching
• Core Component 3C -- The organization creates
  effective learning environments.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria III Student Learning and Effective
  Teaching
• Core Component 3C Evidence
• Assessment results inform improvements in
  curriculum, pedagogy, instructional resources,
  and student services
• Regular review of educational strategies,
  activities, processes, and technologies to ensure
  they enhance student learning

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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria III Student Learning and Effective
  Teaching
• Core Component 3D -- The organizations learning
  resources support student learning and effective
  teaching.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria III Student Learning and Effective
  Teaching
• Core Component 3D Evidence
• Access to the resources necessary to support
  learning and teaching
• Evaluation of learning resources to enhance
  student learning and effective teaching
• Regular assessment of the effectiveness of
  learning resources to support learning and
  teaching

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General Education Focus Group

• Criterion V Engagement and Service
• Criterion Statement As called for by its
  mission, the organization identifies its
  constituencies and serves them in ways both
  value.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criterion V Engagement and Service
• Core Component The organization demonstrates its
  responsiveness to those constituencies that
  depend on it for service.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criterion V Engagement and Service
• Evidence
• Collaborative ventures with other higher learning
  organizations and education sectors
• Transfer policies and practices create an
  environment supportive of the mobility of
  learners
• Engaged with community

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General Education Focus Group

• Criterion V Engagement and Service
• Evidence
• Engaged in building effective bridges among
  diverse communities
• Engaged in partnerships focused on shared
  educational, economic, and social goals

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General Education Focus Group

• Areas Unaddressed
• Criteria IV Acquisition, Discovery and
  Application of Knowledge
• Criterion Statement
• The organization promotes a life of learning for
  its faculty, administration, staff, and students
  by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity,
  practice, and social responsibility in ways
  consistent with its mission.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria IV Acquisition, Discovery and
  Application of Knowledge
• Core Component 4A--The organization
  demonstrates, through the actions of its board,
  administrators, students, faculty and staff, that
  it values a life of learning.

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General Education Focus Group

• Criteria IV Acquisition, Discovery and
  Application of Knowledge
• Core Component 4B--The organization demonstrates
  that acquisition of a breadth of knowledge and
  skills and the exercise of intellectual inquiry
  are integral to its educational programs.