Finding Common Ground with
General Education
Kutztown University
August 21, 2014
Terrel L. Rhodes
Association of American Colleges and Universities
Five General Education PATHs
 Aesthetics and
Culture
 Global Studies
 Health and
Wellness
 Social Justice
 Sustainability
2
GE PATH plan for students
 Students apply to GE PATHs program
 Students take four classes at Pierce in one PATH
 Students apply for “GE PATH Certificate”
 (memorandum note on transcript)
 Students transfer to CSUN, apply to CSUN PATH
 Students take two upper division GE PATH classes
to earn a minor in Civic Engagement
 For minor in Sustainability PATH, take 4 classes at
Pierce and three additional courses at CSUN
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Assessing Student Learning:
Steps to an Assessment Plan
Step 1. Design measurable statements of Path learning
outcomes:
 What should students be able to do?
 What are observable indicators of achievement?
 At what cognitive level?
Step 2. Illuminate alignment between curriculum and
each outcome
Step 3. Design or identify meaningful, embedded ways of
gathering evidence
Step 4. Design rubric for the outcome within the Path
Step 5. Implement rubric and gather evidence
Pierce’s Approach: Step 1
 Rather than create PATHs SLOs, Pierce decided to
use existing course SLOs.
 Courses have been assessed, course-by-course,
and from the GE program lens, since 2012.
Step 2. Illuminating the
alignment between outcomes
and curriculum:
Using a curriculum map
A visual representation, usually in the form of a table or
matrix, that shows the alignment of assignment or
course with program learning outcomes.
Classes in the Global
Studies Path
Classes in the Social Justice Path
Pierce’s Approach to Course
Mapping
Faculty map one or more course SLO to one or more CSUN PATH SLO:
GIS/Geog. 31: Introduction to GIS
Relevant Path SLOs:
 Students will demonstrate knowledge of key concepts related to the study of sustainability,
including planetary carrying capacity, climate change, and ecological footprint.
 Students will be able to explain how sustainability relates to their lives and their values, and
how their actions impact issues of sustainability at the individual, and at local, regional,
and global levels.
Course SLOs:
 Describe the fundamentals of cartographic design, including the use of appropriate
coordinate systems, projection, scale and geographically referenced data.
 Compare/contrast vector and raster data models to determine which is best suited to a
particular GIS application.
Step 3. Design or identify
meaningful, embedded ways
of gathering evidence
Signature Assignments
 An assignment embedded in a course
and used for course work, but also
 An assignment designed and
designated for assessment of particular
student learning outcomes
 May be used across courses, programs,
colleges
Selected Short Assignments:
#1: Hinduism (India)
Read about the Aryans and their migration into the Indus Valley in the
Hinduism Chapter in your textbook (Huston Smith). Who were the Aryans
and what can we learn about their religious beliefs? Identify and discuss
some of the main gods they worshiped (~150 words, not counting quotes).
Remember to use your own words. You may use other reliable sources so
long as you cite them at the end.
#2: Buddhism (India, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Tibet)
What do you think of the basic Buddhist insight that human life is
characterized by suffering (“dukkha”)? How is this Buddhist concept of
suffering related to its view that all things are impermanent? Is this
pessimistic or just realistic? (~150 words).
#3: Taoism (China, Korea)
What is wu-wei? Choose some lines from the Tao te ching (from our sacred
text book), which illustrates the Taoist principle of wu-wei and discuss their
meaning. Provide an example of wu-wei from your own life. (150 words).
ADDRESSES Global Studies SLO2
Geog 318 : GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE
Geography and Film Exercise
In this exercise students will choose a film made in Europe (i.e. not a Hollywood film taking
place in Europe so for example films such as The Bourne trilogy are not acceptable). If you are
unsure whether a film is acceptable or not, please consult with me in advance. Films can
provide an educational window into a particular geography, exaggerate certain elements of
a place to make it seem surreal, or mostly ignore that place giving the viewer the impression
that it could be occurring anywhere.
Students are required to write a 5-6 page, double-spaced review and critique of a film, with the
review focusing on the role of place. The structure of the paper should be include at least: 1)
a brief summary of the film; and 2) a critique of the role of place in the film; and 3) a
comparative analysis tying the film in to some aspect of European geography that is presented
in the textbook complete with page references!!
In your analysis, compare your own experiences with those of the film to draw distinctions (or
similarities) between the United States and Europe. The following questions are intended to
guide you through the exercise: Where did the film occur? How important was the location to
the storyline? What did you learn about this place because of the film?
Do you feel this place was misrepresented in anyway (incorporate outside research if this helps
with this part)? If so, how?
If not, why not? Also, identify aspects of the film that helped depict the place. Be as detailed
as possible. Your grade will be largely based on how well you discuss the role of place and tie
it to a course theme. Feel free to include such things as: architecture, clothes, food, street
scenes, as well as cultural elements such as the role of gender, religion, or anything else that
might be relevant to the storyline and that helped you learn about the place(s).
Here are a few suggestions:
Addresses Social Justice SLOs 3
and 5
History 161 – Survey of Latin America
Assignment: Since this semester we are focusing on
social justice, you should pick one Latin American
individual who has fought for social justice from any
period and region and examine how contemporary
American newspapers portrayed him or her. You should
provide reports from two different newspapers.
In your essay you should include your own definition of
social justice and a brief explanation of why you chose
the individual. You must also include a brief analysis of
the historical period in which the individual lived with a
special focus on the ways in which she/he fought for
social justice.
ADDRESSES Social Justice SLO 3
COMS 150 Introduction to
Communication Studies
Paper 3 Prompts: Rhetoric, Social Justice, and You
Using chapter 5, 12, and 13 (and any others that apply – perhaps
going back to identity? Perception?), discuss the following. Again,
you will be asked to respond to all prompts –
How do you view rhetoric and its functions? Whose (the
philosophers in the chapter) views are you most aligned with and
why? How are you influenced by rhetoric and what functions most
apply to you?
How do you see rhetoric as social justice or public advocacy?
Discuss the connection between language and social justice. How
do you use your own communication/language as a rhetorical
vehicle?
Lastly, as we wrap up the semester, discuss what you’ve learned.
About yourself, your communication, and the world. Tie it into
social justice. What is different now, if anything?