University General Education Research Articles

Awareness and perceptions of available Major programs by first year Zayed University students

In recent years there has been a large increase of Higher education options in the United Arab Emirates. Emirati school leavers must choose among newly established institutions that provide unproven qualifications, at the same time as their society undergoes a rapid transformation. Online surveys were administered to female Emirati students in the first (n = 407) and second (n = 188) semester of the Zayed University general education program, to investigate entering student awareness and perceptions of the seven majors available. Respondents indicated they were motivated by a desire to learn, and had selected their institution for its high academic standards. Half thought they had already decided their major, and while most felt they had made the decision themselves, they were influenced mostly by their immediate family members. Business was ranked highest for potential salary and job availability, and was second only to International Studies for potential social status. All other majors effectively compete with Business for students. Student awareness of Health Sciences and International Studies lagged behind other majors, indicating a need for promotion and/or rebranding. Respondents expressed a clear desire for the introduction of Engineering, Medicine and Law to the course offerings.

Creating an integrative general education: The Bates experience

AbstractA college education has never been so necessary, or so expensive. It is incumbent upon us, the educators, to do it the best we can. The products of our work are not the buildings on our campuses but our students who go out into this complicated and exciting world to serve as its leaders, its citizens, and its workers. The Bates College general education curriculum is used in this chapter to articulate the importance of several integrative goals and processes that make up our new general education curriculum.

Entrepreneurship Is a General Education Course! The Why, How and Transferability of the Concept

We describe the development and implementation of an innovative university undergraduate course entitled Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I). Our purpose is to explain and justify how the new E&I course adds a fresh dimension to undergraduate general education by emphasizing student integrative learning of opportunity recognition and creativity knowledge and skills within a classroom of students from many academic disciplines and majors. We describe the lengthy and ultimately successful university approval process that we traversed to create the first entrepreneurship course in the United States to be granted university general education (usually consisting of liberal azts and sciences courses) degree graduation requirement status. The E&I course was included as an approved general education social and behavioral science course in 2004. We view the designation of an introductory entrepreneurship course as a general education course as a significant milestone for college and university entrepreneurship education. The core general education curricula of most U.S. colleges and universities have been limited to conventional liberal arts courses and thus exclude professional school courses. We propose that the core concepts of entrepreneurial thinking are consistent with the purpose of university general education and therefore belong in the core undergraduate curriculum model. Our proposals in this azticle are supported by recent studies undertaken by the American Association of University Professors, the Association of American Colleges and Universities and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. These studies address significant gaps in U.S. undergraduate general education and liberal arts core curriculum. Traditional general education courses typically are designed as introductory courses for liberal arts and sciences majors and as such are understandably less likely to assimilate ideas across disciplines and integrate multidisciplinary learning. Our E&I course, by contrast, is inherently multidisciplinary and designed to present and integrate ideas and concepts from divergent academic disciplines and sources as its subject focus. The E&I course adds new capacity to university general education by emphasizing opportunity recognition, creativity knowledge and skills, and integrative learning and thus fills an educational gap defined by educational leaders who seek to reinvigorate general and liberal education and thereby prepare university students for leadership in the 215' Century. We conclude the article with recommendations suggesting faculty at other colleges and universities can utilize our concepts and experience to create their own variation of an E&I course to improve their undergraduate curriculum initiatives.

Latin Teacher Training Initiatives at the University of Maryland, College Park

This discussion of the Latin teacher training initiatives at a large, public state university focuses upon some of the challenges posed by working with both undergraduates and M.A. students to prepare them for the K–12 classroom, in the context of a small classics department with large responsibilities to the university's general education program. In addition to providing information about the department's Latin pedagogy and other workshops which offer in-service certification credits for continuing professional development experience from the state department of education, it also describes the training received by full-time funded M.A. candidates who serve as teaching assistants in our introductory mythology course.

Comparison of Environmentally Responsible Consumerism and Voluntary Simplicity Lifestyle Between U.S. and Japanese Female College Students

Measuring for previous consumer behaviors, data on environmentally responsible consumerism and voluntary simplicity lifestyle were collected from students attending a women's college in the United States. These data were analyzed and compared with similar data collected by Iwata in his study on students attending a women's college in Japan. For voluntary simplicity lifestyle, the means for Japanese students and U.S. students did not differ significantly. For environmentally responsible consumerism, there was a significant difference. Students attending the U.S. college were more likely to engage in environmentally responsible consumer behaviors than were their Japanese counterparts. This study suggests an association between environmentally responsible consumer behaviors and an ethic of care promoted by the college's general education program.

A study on Traditional Culture and 'Writing' as University General Education

A study on Traditional Culture and 'Writing' as University General Education

Making Health Happen on Campus: A Review of a Required General Education Health Course

Revisions of general education curricula have been ongoing as universities strive to meet the general education goal of helping students succeed (Glynn, Aultman, & Owens, 2005). The importance of health status with regard to the future health potential of college students and the impact the college years have on their health has been highlighted in the American College Health Association?Healthy Campus 2010 document (2004). Research has demonstrated the relationship between student health and academic performance (Pritchard & Wilson, 2003). Findings highlight the negative effects that substance abuse, emotional issues, and risky sexual behaviors have on academic performance (Marlatt & Witkiewitz, 2002; Pritchard & Wilson, 2003; Riley, Durbin, & DAriano, 2005; Von Ah, Ebert, Ngamvitroj, Parj, & Kang, 2004). With this understanding, the required status of a personal health course in a college general education curriculum should be self-evident, yet its required status continues to be an issue of contention. This article reviews the need for a college-level personal health course, explains why colleges provide an effective place to teach a general education health course, and provides the evaluation results of a personal health course delivered to four thousand students per year.

THE VALUE OF AN LLB: COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND ENGLAND AND WALES

As the mother of all law degrees in the common law world, the LLB of England and Wales has evolved over a number of centuries in order to reflect the changing nature of the practice of law and the increasing societal necessity for a general university education. Similarly, the provision of the LLB within New Zealand has likewise grown to reflect the nature of New Zealand as a strong and independent nation with a well‐developed legal profession. In relation to the provision of post‐degree legal training, New Zealand has much to learn from the positive initiatives in place in England and Wales. However, conversely it is our contention that there is much for New Zealand to avoid and the system of England and Wales to learn from the dilution of the English and Welsh LLB. 1 Dr Chris Gallavin LLB (Hons) (Cantuar), PhD (Hull). Chris is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. 2 Richard Scragg LLM (Cantuar), Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. Richard is an Asso...

Teaching Mathematics to College Students with Mathematics-Related Learning Disabilities: Report from the Classroom

This article reports on action research that took place in one section of a college general education mathematics course in which all three students who were enrolled had diagnosed learning disabilities related to mathematics. The project emerged in response to a question about performance in a mathematics course in which making sense of mathematics would be a primary focus, explaining one's work would be expected, and discourse among members would be a routine occurrence. Implications for teaching similar courses to students who have a mathematics-related learning disability are discussed.

Synopsis of the Use of Course-Embedded Assessment in a Medium Sized Public University's General Education Program

Recently, a medium-sized public university's General Education Council implemented a faculty-driven course-embedded assessment process that allows for flexibility in teaching style and course content but still measures quality of student performance throughout the program. Information on implementation, reporting processes, data analyses, and how the assessment process improved is presented.

Synopsis of the Use of Course-Embedded Assessment in a Medium Sized Public University's General Education Program

ABSTRACT Recently, a medium-sized public university's General Education Council implemented a faculty-driven course-embedded assessment process that allows for flexibility in teaching style and course content but still measures quality of student performance throughout the program. Information on implementation, reporting processes, data analyses, and how the assessment process improved is presented.

Synopsis of the Use of Course-Embedded Assessment in a Medium Sized Public University's General Education Program

ABSTRACT Recently, a medium-sized public university's General Education Council implemented a faculty-driven course-embedded assessment process that allows for flexibility in teaching style and course content but still measures quality of student performance throughout the program. Information on implementation, reporting processes, data analyses, and how the assessment process improved is presented.

A Participatory Classroom Demonstration: Student Demand for 'Going to the Movies'

With the trend toward teaching introductory undergraduate economics classes as part of a College's general education requirements, classroom experiments are one way of engaging students in applying economic principles, apart from traditional lecture based methods. This paper describes a participatory classroom demonstration where students are taught the Law of Demand and at the same time given a review of the mathematical linear functional form. The demonstration can also be used to teach fundamental spreadsheet skills including simple linear regression. The author has been conducting this demonstration for a number of years and as such has gathered data from a number of classes. The growing dataset allows for a comparison between any given class of students weekly demand for 'going to the movies', and a larger college sample.

Consensus without all the meetings: using the Delphi method to determine course content for library instruction

Encourages the use of Delphi for librarians in search of a research methodology. Describes one of many applications of the method, as an example of how the method can be employed in a library‐related problem solving process. The Delphi method is an effective means of consensus building, without all the meetings. Includes a description of one such consensus building process, used at an academic library a number of years ago, to determine standardized course content for a formal course in library instruction, a component of the university's general education initiative. A 134‐item checklist of learning objectives was distributed to participants, with the aim of refining the list based on an environmental scan of faculty librarians as experts. High consensus learning objectives were included in the manual, and low consensus objectives were not used. Discusses the viability of applying the Delphi technique to library science and librarianship.

Not Your Parents' Language Class: Curriculum Revision to Support University Language Requirements

Abstract: Indiana State University's (ISU) foreign language requirement curriculum serves as a model for the 21st century. Unique to the program is an emphasis on integrating the common goals of general education and multicultural studies with the development of critical thinking skills to reach overall objectives of communicative competency, cultural awareness, sensitivity to diversity, and a holistic application of strategies and skills for lifelong learning. This article traces the process of curricular development (outcomes standards, statement of course pedagogy, and course requirements) and program implementation. Of particular interest is the expanded use of learning journals. A comprehensive assessment program is also outlined. Early feedback indicates that the program is meeting its goals and is favorably received by students.

Development of Contemporary Issues Courses: Pitfalls and Opportunities

The development and teaching of contemporary issues courses provide unique opportunities for expanding influence, service to the university, and professional development. During the last decade, there has been a proliferation of such courses centered on the issue of human exploitation of animals. The Ohio State University's general education curriculum, initiated in 1990, includes a requirement that senior students complete a 5-credit course in the category Issues of the contemporary world. Currently, 28 courses are offered in this category, and 5 are from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Our course, entitled Issues concerning the use of animals by humans, was the first from the college included in this category. The course has been offered continuously since 1990-4 quarters per year since 1992. Challenges included gaining approval of the course through a special oversight committee, enhancing visibility of the course outside the college, instructor education, and control of personal biases. The development of this type of course is, necessarily, a continuous process. Instruction of this course has been challenging, enlightening, and exceedingly rewarding. Instructors of similar courses at 11 other universities reported experiences similar to ours.

Exploring the Application of a Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity to a General Education Curriculum on Diversity

This study examines intercultural sensitivity development from a diversity curriculum in two university general education courses. The results indicate that instructional strategies addressing complex levels of student engagement elicited movement from an ethnocentric to an ethnorelative worldview as described in BennettOs Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. The results represent a significant step regarding instructional techniques used in general education courses for teaching intercultural sensitivity, the advancement of multicultural education theory, and the use of deductive research techniques for assessing intercultural sensitivity skills.

The committee that worked: Developing an information literacy course by group process

University librarians at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY), in response to a new requirement for an information literacy component in the University's general education program, formed a committee to create a credit course. The committee was able to work collaboratively and cohesively to quickly create a successful and flexible information literacy course. The committee's progress as they worked through this challenge is described, and the benefits resulting from this approach are examined.

Assessment of the Writing Component within a University General Education Program

Assessment of the Writing Component within a University General Education Program

Science Education for the Public

T he remarkable progress of science and technology in the 20th century has brought enormous benefits to humankind. Long and healthy lives, economic prosperity, and a pleasant and convenient living environment have resulted from technological progress based on advances in scientific knowledge. This progress will continue or may even accelerate in the future, because both the number of scientists and their activities are expanding throughout the world. We may expect, therefore, that science and technology will continue to contribute to the development of human society. At the same time, rapid scientific advances may raise some difficult problems. First, the disparity in scientific knowledge between those in scientific and technical professions and those in other areas will continuously expand. This may create a communications gap between the two groups that could affect obtaining public consent on important issues, such as the use of genetically engineered plants or human embryonic stem cells. Second, the 21st century will be characterized by a knowledge-based society, and a knowledge of science will be required for many professions. Those who lack scientific knowledge will have fewer opportunities for good jobs. Third, the enormous increase in scientific information will become a burden for children who must study science. Already young people seem to be losing interest in science, and this trend may increase in the future. Over the past several years, enrollment in high-school physics courses in Japan has been decreasing, which suggests that many young people are losing interest in physics or avoiding subjects that require diligent study. Finally, scientific research in the next century will require increasing levels of public investment because sophisticated research is usually expensive. If the public loses interest in science or does not understand the importance of research, it will become difficult for scientists to obtain sufficient financial support. Because of these considerations, I think that we need to carefully review present science education at different levels and to improve it in order to meet the expected rapid progress of science in the 21st century. At the level of primary education, the most important task is to stimulate children's interest in nature. Naive surprise at the wonders of nature will hopefully lead to a later interest in science. During their secondary education, students must learn logic and the principles of natural phenomena. They will gradually separate into groups of those who like and those who dislike science. It will be difficult to provide the latter students with the scientific basics that would be useful throughout their lives. This is also the case in university education. It is becoming a goal of general university education to give students who are not majoring in natural science and engineering some level of scientific literacy. In the future, all citizens, especially those expected to lead diverse areas of society, should have a sound basis for understanding the progress of science. Because the pace of progress will accelerate further, continuing science education for the public is also of great importance. Science journalists play an important role, but scientists should also make efforts to enlighten the general public with accurate reports on scientific progress explained in plain language. Japan's Science and Technology Agency this year started a 3-year campaign to promote better public understanding of the progress of science and technology. It includes science festivals for young people, a robot olympics, introduction of advanced technologies through video libraries, construction of a new science museum (Science World), and so on. Science education for the general public is not easy, however. We have to study tactics and strategies to make science education an integral part of every stage of life, from children's primary education to lifelong learning for adults.