Assessing Student Learning in General Education Good Practice Case Studies

Many resources on implementing general education are available, but few are written to help those faculty and administrators responsible for general education with its evaluation. This book is a compilation of good practice case studies that are intended to assist faculty and administrators in both two-year and four-year institutions with the evaluation of student learning as it relates to general education. There are several ways in which to evaluate general education, and each case study varies in its approach. How do differences in institutional culture affect the evaluation of general education? Are institutions that lack the capacity or the culture to work across departmental or division lines to identify learning outcomes or the criteria to evaluate those outcomes employing effecting outcomes-based assessment? While not a how-to book on engaging in general education assessment, this book provides the reader with ideas to consider when adapting the evaluation of general education to his or her own institutional culture. Thirteen good practice institutions outline their assessment strategies and illustrate self-reflection that contributes to improved integration of and quality in student learning and development within general education. The case studies are supplemented by an introductory chapter that presents some considerations to address when planning for general education assessment and a concluding chapter that summarizes good practice strategies for application.

Marilee J. Bresciani is a professor of postsecondary education and codirector of the Center for Educational Leadership, Innovation, and Policy at San Diego State University.