Assessing General
Education
February 14, 2002
Developing General Education Goals and
Objectives
Overview
Topics Covered in this Workshop
Review of the Assessment Process
Definitions, Overview of Process and Sequence
Assessing Goals and Objectives
Rationale: Why Articulate Goals and Objectives?
Defining Key Terms
Sources of Goals and Objectives
Types of Goals
Guidelines for Writing Goals and Objectives
Checklist for Evaluating Your Goals and Objectives
Sample General Education Goals and Objectives
Practice Writing Goals and Objectives
Defining Assessment
 “…assessment refers to
systematic attempts to
gather information about
what students have
learned, to discern
meaningful
interpretations from that
information, and to use
the information to
improve our programs…”
Defining Assessment
“…good practice in
(assessment) occurs
when we ask, ‘what
are students
learning from our
programs, and how
can their learning be
enhanced?’…”
ACPA and NASPA
Principles of Good
Practice, 1997)
The Assessment Process:
Overview of the Sequence
 State the broad educational mission (purposes) and goals of
the program
 State the more specific objectives and intended educational
outcomes of the program
 Select appropriate assessment methods and measures;
establish target criteria
 Gather data using assessment methods & measures chosen
 Analyze and interpret findings; report to stakeholders
 Identify and implement any changes to the program
 Revise assessment objectives, methods, measures, criteria
as appropriate
Why Articulate Goals and
Objectives?
“If you don’t know where you’re going,
you’ll probably end up somewhere else”
Campbell, 1974
Why Articulate Goals and
Objectives?
Goals and Objectives Provide Direction for all
Instructional Activities
Informs Students about the Intentions and
Priorities of the Faculty
Goal-Directedness as a Marker of Successful
Individuals and Organizations
The Importance of Modeling Goal-Setting
and Goal-Directedness for our Students
Defining Key Terms:
Mission, Goals, Objectives
Statements of Mission or Purpose
• Broad statements outlining institutional philosophy and
character, as well as principal focus of the curriculum
Goals
• Statements regarding general aims or purposes of education
• Broad, long-range intended outcomes
• Used primarily in planning, policy-making,
Objectives
• Brief, more specific statements describing the intended
learning outcomes of a program
• Focus is on features students expected to exhibit
• also known as, “intended learning outcomes”
Sample Mission, Goal, and
Outcome Statements
 St. Norbert College (SNC Catalog, p. 10,12)
Mission
• …SNC strives to provide an education that is personally, intellectually,
and spiritually challenging.
• …(to sustain)…an environment that encourages all religions of the world
to develop their full potential in understanding and serving the world
Goal(s)
• …to produce students (who) have the ability to come to grips with
cultural change--to confront, to shape, and to grow with the future
• In the personal sphere…to help students clarify and develop their
personal goals, achieve a sense of self-worth, gain a deeper level of selfunderstanding, and become open, honest, and trusting in their
relationships with others
• In the area of moral development…to encourage students to clarify their
own values and embrace their beliefs from personal conviction.
• (continued on next slide)
Sample Mission, Goal, and
Outcome Statements
 St. Norbert College (SNC Catalog, p. 10,12)
Goal(s)
• In the intellectual realm…to make students self-educating people…to
develop in students the ability to synthesize knowledge from various
sources, and to train students in the methods of scholarly inquiry
• …students should (learn) that the methods and data necessary to solve
problems vary with the nature of the problem and sometimes must be
newly invented…
• …students should also have gained confidence in their abilities to work
in this way
Intended Learning Outcomes (?)
Sample Mission, Goal, and
Outcome Statements
General Education Assessment for the Improvement of
Student Academic Achievement (Nichols & Nichols, 2001)
Mission
• (to ensure that) students can realize the full potential of their
abilities and come to understand their responsibility for service in
the human community
Goal
• Graduates will act in accordance with Judeo-Christian values
Intended Outcome
• Graduates of ABC College will behave in ways that demonstrate
their commitment to commonly accepted Judeo-Christian values
in their personal and professional lives
Sample Mission, Goal, and
Outcome Statements
 College of St. Scholastica
Mission (of General Education program)
• …seeks to broaden students’ grasp of the accumulated wisdom
of the past so that challenges of the present--racism, global
conflict, injustice, dehumanization, spiritual emptiness--may be
met with wisdom, faith, and imagination.
Goal(s)
• …to facilitate student learning in the following areas:...problemsolving, values-based decision making, social responsibility,
effective communication, disciplinary understanding, the
aesthetic response, and living with diversity
Intended Outcomes (see next slide)
Sample Mission, Goal, and
Outcome Statements
 College of St. Scholastica
Intended Learning Outcomes
(in the area of Values-Based Decision Making)
• The student will…
– understand his/her own value system and how
these values have been influenced by his/her
personal experiences and decisions
– differentiate between his/her personal values and
the value systems of others
– appraise personal and communal values in the light
of new knowledge, recent experience, and insight
– defend value-based decisions as ultimately serving
the common good
Sample Mission, Goal, and
Outcome Statements
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
(Mission)
• ...every graduate of an IUPUI baccalaureate program should
attain fundamental intellectual competence and ethical
awareness in the area of…understanding society and culture…
(Goals)
• students should recognize their own cultural traditions and
understand and appreciate the diversity of the human
experience, both within the United States and internationally
Intended Learning Outcome
• students should demonstrate the ability (a) to compare and
contrast the range of diversity and universality in human history,
societies, and ways of life, (b) to analyze and understand the
interconnectedness of global and local concerns, and (C) to
operate with civility in a complex social world
Sample Mission, Goal,
Outcome Statements
University of South Carolina
Mission
• …strives to educate graduates who are capable of excelling in their
chosen fields, who are dedicated to learning throughout their lives, and
who are responsible citizens in a complex society requiring difficult
ethical and value-related decisions
Goals
• Students will become familiar with the diversity of a global culture
marked by racial, ethnic, gender, and regional differences
Intended Learning Outcome
• Students will demonstrate the ability to...
– Recognize multiple perspectives and appreciate perspectives which produce
a world view different from one’s own
– Use another perspective to analyze current or historical, social, and cultural
events and practices
Sources of Goals and
Intended Learning Outcomes
Open Discussions…who are our ideal
students?
• What can they do, what do they know, what do they
value (at various points in the General Education
program)?
• What achievements do you expect of General Education
program graduates (career, lifestyle, citizenship,
aesthetic appreciation)?
• What skills, knowledge, & values should they possess
that will be necessary for entry level work or graduate
study?
Existing Documentation
• College Catalog, General Education Handbook, syllabi,
external versions of same
Ingredients of Goal and
Outcome Statements
Assessable goals and intended learning
outcomes state…
What is to be learned (knowledge,skills,values)
What level or form of learning is expected
Example
Students will be able to apply logical and
ethical principles to personal and social
situations
What is to be learned?
Knowledge (what do students know?)
the process by which a bill becomes a law
Skills (what can students do?)
communicate findings to two different audiences in
written, oral, and visual formats
Attitudes (what do students believe and value?)
value exposure to diverse cultures as a part of their
educational experience
Knowledge (Cognitive) Outcomes:
Levels or Forms
Knowledge
(e.g.,define,describe, identify, list, match,recall)
Comprehension (e.g., explain,paraphrase,summarize)
Application (e.g., apply, relate, use in new situations)
Analysis (e.g., compare/contrast, differentiate, analyze)
Synthesis (e.g., compose, create, design, produce)
Evaluation
(e.g., assess, critique, defend, grade, judge, prioritize)
Skill (Behavioral) Outcomes
General Description
Learned observable behaviors
Contexts and Areas of Application
Performing arts, professional programs,
technical/trade programs, athletics, etc.
Sample skills
Oral & written communication; presentation;
interpersonal problem-solving; managerial,
laboratory, music/art performance skills; critical
thinking skills
Attitudinal (Affective) Outcomes
Categories
(Krathwohl et al. 1964)
attitudes, beliefs, values, goals, expectations,
interests, appreciation of…(person, object, goal,
place)
Potential Problems
Can’t be measured directly, often inconsistent
w/ behavior, disagreement over conceptual,
operational definitions
Benefits
An indication of the status, development of
values and beliefs
Sample Affective Outcomes
Students…
…will value opportunities to learn through diverse
experiences
..will appreciate the beauty of creation
…will value the artistic dimensions of human
experience
…will express confidence in and commitment to
their values (all of the above from Loras College)
..will appreciate the value of exposure to those
from diverse cultures as a part of their formal
educational experience
…will express confidence in their ability to…
…acknowledge that the College has helped
Guidelines for Evaluating
Intended Learning Outcomes
Are they framed in terms of what students
should know, do, and value or believe?
Are they characterized by clear and simple
language? Action verbs?
Are the intended outcomes reasonable,
achievable?
Are they assessable? by multiple methods?
Is their consensual agreement among
colleagues concerning the outcomes?
Are the outcomes important ones?
Concluding Remarks
Goals and Outcomes Need not Reflect
Present
can reflect hopes, future; serve as guide
Not all Actual Outcomes are the Intended or
Expected Ones
side effects & surprises can be informative
Any Progress is Better than Inertia or
Regression
don’t wait for “perfect” goals or objectives
SNC General Education Program:
Area 1 (Upper and Lower Biennium)
Broad General Education goals
• students will become more aware of the Judeo-Christian heritage, especially
as developed in the Catholic Christian tradition; …will recognize differences
and similarities between their own and other Christian and non-Christian
religions; …will identify their own moral and religious convictions; …will
recognize the moral issues involved in making human choices; …will
exercise their duties as citizens through responsible participation in the
social, political, and economic processes of daily life
Area 1 Lower Biennium
• students will develop a deeper understanding of the Catholic
Christian heritage and other religious traditions to help them clarify
their values in the context of the Christian tradition
Area 1 Upper Biennium
• students will become more aware of the Judeo-Christian heritage,
especially as developed in the Catholic Christian tradition, will
recognize the diversity and similarities between their own and other
Christian and non-Christian religions, and will be able to identify
their own moral and religious convictions
Sample Learning Outcomes:
Area 1
• …(context)…students will be able to recognize and articulate the values
that underlie the Catholic Christian tradition
• …will be able to recognize and articulate the values underlying and
affecting decisions, interpretations, analyses and evaluations made by
themselves and others (Loras College, IA)
• …will be able to analyze their own values in efforts to respond to ethical
dilemmas and offer solutions to moral problems (Loras College, IA)
• ..will demonstrate in their behavior their commitment to commonly
accepted Judeo-Christian values
• …will be able to understand ethical principles and apply them to
personal and social situations involving ethical dilemmas or moral
problems
• …students’ appreciation of the values underlying the Catholic Christian
tradition will be reflected in their attitudes and positions on major social
issues
• …appreciate, understand, and evaluate historical, philosophical, and
ideological foundations of human values (Shepherd College, WV)
More Sample Outcomes:
Area 1
College of St. Scholastica
Outcome area: Social Responsibility
• The student will…
– identify specific issues that call for socially
responsible action
– understand and evaluate the complexity of social
justice
– identify and evaluate differing points of view on the
issue of social responsibility
– evaluate the moral and social obligations to respond
to injustice and to work for social change
SNC General Education Program:
Areas 7 and 11
Broad General Education Goals
• students will achieve an awareness of of the continuity and diversity of
human experience; will develop an awareness of the continuity of old
and new, past and present, far and near; will become aware that
heritages other than their own exist and become more familiar with
the unique heritages of others
• students will understand that we share the world with people who
have unique heritages of their own and that ours is not the only one
Area 7--Lower Biennium
• students will develop a deeper understanding of the world’s
diverse heritages and peoples through a study of their
languages, history, literature, and/or culture
Area 11--Upper Biennium
• students will become aware of the relationships between the
developing and the more developed world, and of issues or
themes of international significance
Sample Learning Outcomes:
Areas 7 and 11
• students should demonstrate the ability (a) to compare and
contrast the range of diversity and universality in human history,
societies, and ways of life, (b) to analyze and understand the
interconnectedness of global and local concerns, and (C) to operate
with civility in a complex social world (IUPUI)
• Students will demonstrate the ability to...
– Recognize multiple perspectives and appreciate perspectives
which produce a world view different from one’s own
– Use another perspective to analyze current or historical, social,
and cultural events and practices (University of South Carolina)
• The student will (a) identify challenges posed by living and working
in a multicultural nation and in a world community, (b) will
comprehend how ethnicity, race, class, and gender have contributed
to the shaping of personality and American cultures, and ( c)
comprehend how the assumptions and values of other people
provide a framework for making choices that can be valuable to the
student’s own assumptions and values (College of St. Scholastica)
Sample Learning Outcomes:
Areas 7 and 11
• students should demonstrate the ability (a) to compare and
contrast the range of diversity and universality in human history,
societies, and ways of life, (b) to analyze and understand the
interconnectedness of global and local concerns, and (C) to operate
with civility in a complex social world (IUPUI)
• Students will demonstrate the ability to...
– Recognize multiple perspectives and appreciate perspectives
which produce a world view different from one’s own
– Use another perspective to analyze current or historical, social,
and cultural events and practices (University of South Carolina)
• The student will (a) identify challenges posed by living and working
in a multicultural nation and in a world community, (b) will
comprehend how ethnicity, race, class, and gender have contributed
to the shaping of personality and American cultures, and ( c)
comprehend how the assumptions and values of other people
provide a framework for making choices that can be valuable to the
student’s own assumptions and values (College of St. Scholastica)
SNC General Education Program:
Skills in Critical Thinking
College-Wide Goal(s) (SNC Catalog, p. 10,12)
• In the intellectual realm…to make students selfeducating people…to develop in students the ability to
synthesize knowledge from various sources, and to train
students in the methods of scholarly inquiry
• …students should (learn) that the methods and data
necessary to solve problems vary with the nature of the
problem and sometimes must be newly invented…
Broad General Education Goals
• …students should be able to integrate knowledge from a
variety of sources...
Samples Learning Outcomes:
Critical Thinking
• Students will be able to clarify, analyze, evaluate and extend
arguments
• Students will demonstrate the ability (a) to analyze complex
issues and make informed decisions, (b) to synthesize
information in order to arrive at reasoned conclusions, (C) to
evaluate the logic, validity, and relevance of data, (d) to solve
challenging problems, and (e) to use knowledge and
understanding in order to generate and explore new questions
(IUPUI)
• Students will be able to analyze logical connections among facts,
goals, and implicit assumptions relevant to a given problem or
claim, and to generate and evaluate the implications which follow
from them (Loras College)
• Students will be able to differentiate arguments from evidence
and to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments
and the evidence used to support competing positions on major