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Course Approval and Revision Process (CARP)

General Learning Outcomes (GLO)

Technology Skills (GLO 1)

Electronic Communications Skills (email)

Send and receive email with or without attachments. Participate in electronic discussion boards.

Word Processing Skills

Create a document and demonstrate basic editing and formatting functions:

  • Enter and edit text.
  • Copy and move block of text.
  • Name, save, retrieve, revise, and close a document.
  • Change text format and style, set margins, line spacing, and tabs.
  • Check spelling, grammar, word usage.
  • Create a header or footer.
  • Print a document.

Basic Computer Skills

Navigate Windows operating system, possess keyboarding and mouse skills and practice effective file management skills.

World Wide Web/Internet Skills

Access a given web site, navigate a basic web site and conduct research using search engines.

Communication Skills (GLO 2)

Written Communication

Students will practice effective written communication that has a clear sense of purpose and is appropriate for the audience.

Students should be able to demonstrate the following skills in relation to writing a variety of written assignments: lab notes, essays, technical work, patient assessments, proofs, creative genres, etc.

  1. Writing reflects skilled use of vocabulary and tone of voice as determined by the subject, purpose and audience.
  2. Writing reflects:
    • Mastery of sentence, paragraph, and other organizational structures.
    • Discrimination between relevant and irrelevant information.
    • Clarity in communication the central point, principle, theory, theme or idea.
    • Ability to edit surface features when needed (spelling, usage, punctuation etc.)
  3. Selection of appropriate organizational pattern of ideas (process or sequence of events, example, definition, exposition, causation, comparison and contrast, spatial, order of importance, etc.)
  4. Awareness of when the documentation of external source is required and compliance with formats (MLA, APA, multimedia, Chicago Style etc.)

Speaking

Since speaking is often a general act of communication, students should be able to speak effectively to general audiences as well as to those in their discipline.)

Student should be able to demonstrate the following skills in relation to speaking:

  1. Awareness of the audience to which they are speaking
    1. General audiences
    2. Discipline or field-specific audiences
  2. Ability to prepare appropriately for and conduct an interview, whether field-specific or for a course not related to the student's discipline
  3. Understand the purpose of their particular speech
    1. Persuasion
    2. Information
    3. Demonstration

Reading

Reading texts and materials at a level appropriate to the discipline with demonstration of success in the context of the discipline.

Student should be able to demonstrate the following skills in relation to reading:

  1. Ability in vocabulary areas:
    • Technical vocabulary
    • General vocabulary
    • Familiar words used in new ways
  2. Ability to read and perform described tasks or steps
  3. Ability to discriminate between relevant and irrelevant information
  4. Ability to recognize main idea, principle, theory, and/or theme
  5. Critical reading abilities: include the ability to detect fact and opinion, prejudices, propaganda, bias, inferences
  6. Ability to compare and contrast events, persons, historical periods
  7. Ability to comprehend formulas, symbols, and abbreviations

Listening

Listen interactively within the classroom and other learning settings at a level appropriate to the discipline with demonstration of success in the context of the discipline.

Student should be able to demonstrate the following skills in relation to listening:

  1. Ability to take an active role in listening
  2. Ability to understand vocabulary:
    • Technical
    • General
    • Academic
  3. Ability to listen and perform described tasks
  4. Critical Listening Ability: to detect fact and opinion, prejudices, propaganda, bias and inference
  5. Ability to follow the organizational patterns in heard texts and determine relationships of ideas within what is heard.
  6. Ability to debate and defend in response to what is heard

Computation Skills (GLO 3)

Computational skills with positive and negative integers, fractions, decimals, and percentages

Example class activities: Students are assigned problems/projects where they are required to perform basic calculations, interpret results, and/or make conjectures as a component of their grade.

Estimation and graphical interpretation skills.

Example class activities: Estimation skills are used to compare results, establish a range of values, or comprehend very large or small quantities. Students produce graphs to present data or interpret information from a given graph.

Proportional reasoning skills.

Example class activities: Students express the ability to compare ratios and/or differentiate between direct and indirect variation.

Spatial reasoning skills.

Example class activities: Students use spatial skills to relate distances, areas, and/or volumes. Students are asked to analyze relationships in designs.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills (GLO 4)

Problem Solving Skills Including Decision-Making Skills for Best Strategy

Ability to understand a problem, make a plan, carry out the plan, and check, generalize, and look back.

Example class activities: Students are asked to paraphrase the problem, suggest possible solutions, carry out the solutions, and look back to see if there could have been a better strategy or solution or under what other conditions a different solution would be better. Choosing the best formula and correctly solving a mathematical or scientific problem.

Creative Skills

Ability to form new ideas, representations, or methods.

Example class activities: Students could be asked to classify objects whether real or abstract, such as numbers, moral values, cells, chemicals, etc. Thus students have to create classifications. Other examples are brainstorming, creating analogies, and pictorial representations of abstract concepts.

Explanation and Justification Skills

Ability to provide convincing and well supported evidence.

Example class activities: The most direct example is a mathematical proof; but any conclusion at which we can arrive, using logical reasoning is an activity of this kind. Research papers, essays on tests, lab reports might require this skill.

Logic Skills

Ability to use deductive and inductive reasoning.

Example class activities: Students are presented with premises and general principles and could be asked "To what conclusion can we arrive given this information?" Deductive reasoning is finding specific examples when given a general principle. Inductive reasoning is forming a general principle from specific examples.

Multiple Perspective-Taking Skills

To view an issue from a variety of viewpoints, standpoints, or positions in order to gain a more comprehensive and holistic understanding.

Example class activities: Students are engaged in meaningful ways to see things from different, and possibly opposite, perspectives and points of view. Students might debate an issue from the opposite opinion of their own. Students analyze why others might find certain statements or jokes insulting.

Information Management Skills (GLO 5)

Ability to identify the research question, potential sources of information; ability to search, retrieve or obtain information from a variety of sources (including human resources)

Students should be able to:

  1. State a research question and create a corresponding list of search synonyms and alternate spellings
  2. Select resources likely to cover the search topic, and create a Boolean (and/or/not) search strategy appropriate to the resource
  3. Search for resources in a variety of sources using appropriate methods
  4. Limit or expand search results by basic criteria
  5. Locate identified resources in the library, or, request them via interlibrary loan
  6. Identify when personal contact would provide the information needed, and identify potential interview candidates

Example Class Activities:

  • Instructor assigns a project with multiple and progressive deadlines for: research question statement with potential sources; annotated works cited; first draft; and final product
  • Instructor assigns students to compare / contrast a topic from the "public web" and in traditional sources
  • Instructor assigns in-depth website reviews on topic discussed in syllabus
  • Instructor models a quality search on topic of classroom discussion

Ability to physically process information appropriately, and to discern what information is relevant through multiple means of evaluation

(For further help with processing and using tool interfaces, see Technology Skills GLO 1.)

Students should be able to:

  1. Choose appropriate types of sources
  2. Process selected results and effectively use tool interface special features
  3. Present a clear rationale for evaluating materials
  4. Write informed interview questions to elicit needed information

Example Class Activities:

  • Instructor requires a variety of sources for a project to be listed in a standard citation format
  • Instructor requires a paper with content written for two audiences: Scholarly and general public
  • Instructor assigns a verbal review of a resource used
  • Instructor assigns potential interview questions
  • Instructor assigns students to print out search history of their final search set
  • Instructor assigns students to verify authenticity of a website

Ability to paraphrase, synthesize, and organize information into an final product that conforms with ethical and legal guidelines

(For further help with organization, SEE ALSO Communication Skills GLO 2. For further help with ethical issues, see Personal Skills GLO 7.)

Students should be able to:

  1. Understand legal copyright guidelines and ethical issues involved in reusing copyrighted and non-copyrighted materials
  2. Understand institutional guidelines regarding plagiarism and human/animal studies
  3. Understand and honor confidentiality concerns
  4. Understand etiquette involved in personal communications for academic use

Example Class Activities:

  • Instructor uses Safe Assignment in BlackBoard for plagiarism detection
  • Instructor assigns role plays re: consequences of not following guidelines

Interpersonal Skills (GLO 6)

Group Interaction: Describe some of the challenges they will face working in a group or team because of their personality type/style.

Example class activities: Personality traits and/or group dynamics are discussed; students write reflection papers on group or team work, students receive feedback on their participation on a team.

Group Interaction: Be able to explain the roles inherent in any group (e.g. recorder, facilitator, and reporter) and the function of each role.

Example class activities: Students choose or are assigned roles in groups/teams.

Group Interaction: Understand/demonstrate acceptable interpersonal skills in a setting (e.g. classroom, lab, workshop, office) appropriate for their discipline. (Skills include using the proper eye contact and body language, being an active listener and giving feedback to others.)

Example class activities: Group/team work or class discussions that are observed by the instructor, especially if participation is given credit in the course. Individual or group presentations where relating to the audience is part of the presentation grade.

Teamwork:

Exhibit the ability to build consensus, manage conflict and communicate respect to other team members while accomplishing a team task.

Example class activities: Group/team work that is observed by the instructor, role playing conflict resolution or consensus building.

Personal Skills (GLO 7)

Ethics and Values.

Identifies and applies values to guide ethical decisions and actions.

Time and Resource Management

Manages the use of time and other resources to complete tasks and achieve goals.

Responsibility

Recognizes and practices responsibility to self and others for attitudes, decisions, and actions.

Lifelong Learning Skills

Adapts to new situations and demands by applying and developing knowledge and skills.

Diversity Skills (GLO 8)

Demonstrate knowledge of the breadth of diversity (culture, race, disability, socio-economic status, geographic origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, religion, and/or any other legally protected class), while recognizing the commonality of human experience across cultures.

Example class activities: Students define their understanding of what diversity means and their understanding of the necessity of legal definition and application. Instructors assign work of scholars from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds relevant to the field of study.

Describe and analyze one's own cultural values, beliefs and biases, and the influence of diverse cultural perspectives on human thought and behavior.

Example class activities: Students discuss in dyads or small groups the source of their understanding (who taught them) of "what it means to be..." male, young, African American, etc. Instructors develop projects that encourage students to explore different racial, gender and cultural perspectives.

Recognize the consequences of societal exclusion, both past and present on the human experience.

Example class activities: Students examine demographic information and discuss in small groups the probable cause(s) of inequity. Instructors structure project groups, panels, laboratory teams, and the like so that membership and leadership roles are balanced across ethnic and gender groups.

Articulate the difference between and among these constructs; awareness of, sensitivity to, tolerance for, and respect for those from different cultures and lifestyles.

Example class activities: Students seek to define each term as a full class activity. As appropriate to your field, instructors develop paper topics or term projects that encourage students to explore the roles, status, contributions, and experiences of groups traditionally underrepresented in scholarly research studies.

Recognize the impact of socioeconomic status on life opportunities.

Example class activities: Students discuss a particular topic (i.e. health care access, education) in terms of life-long opportunities. Instructors can use role-plays and simulations with students to develop empathy with the other's point of view.


Updated on 20-SEP-07
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