Survey of American History
Survey of European History
 European
History To 1815
 European History Since 1815
 American History To 1877
 American History Since 1877
 Enroll
about 1500 Students per Year
 Most of whom (70-85%) for Gen Ed
 Fewer (10-15%) for Major Requirements
 One
European History Course.
 One American History Course.
 One
Section of each per Semester.
 Replace 27 Sections with 4 Sections for
General Education Students.
 Weekly Textbook
Assignment
• Required Reading Quiz
 Weekly
One Hour Thematic Lecture
 Weekly Primary Source Assignment
• Required Online Discussion
 Creating
Courses Targeted toward
General Education Learning Objectives
 Which
Ones?
• System
• Local
 knowledge
of a basic narrative of
American history: political, economic,
social, and cultural, including knowledge
of unity and diversity in American
society.
 knowledge of common institutions in
American society and how they have
affected different groups.
 understanding of America's evolving
relationship with the rest of the world.
 demonstrate
knowledge of the
development of the distinctive features of
the history, institutions, economy, society,
culture, etc., of Western civilization.
 relate the development of Western
civilization to that of other regions of the
world.
 New
Courses differ from Traditional
Courses in
• Temporal Scope
• Thematic Focus
 No
Common Standards in Discipline
 Considerable Variation among Courses
Offered
 Minimal
Additional Work—for Faculty or
Students: Measures Integral to Courses
as Offered.
 Capture
Data from Current Measures of
Student Learning.
 Factual
Knowledge: Capture data
demonstrating student performance
relative to criteria.
 Narrative
Ability: Capture data
demonstrating student performance
relative to criteria.
 Example:
AH Criteria 2: Common
Institutions, and their effect on various
groups.
 Consider Constitution: How it was
understood with regard to race, class,
and gender over time.
 Measures: “Objective” Exam Questions.
 Example: WC
Criteria 2: relate the
development of Western civilization to
that of other regions of the world.
 Consider Scientific Revolution: How (and
how well) did Enlightenment ideals of
rationality serve to justify conquest and
subjugation of peoples of Africa, Asia,
and the Americas?
 Measure: Essay Exam
 Track
Responses to
• Specific Questions
• Specific Kinds of Questions
 Initially: Compare
Responses on Selected
Multiple Choice and Essay Questions to
Traditional Course
 Ongoing: Maintain Data over Time