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Examples of Assessment by Institution |
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The University of Wisconsin-Madison: In the mid-1990s, Wisconsin implemented a set of general education requirements for all undergraduates. Component requirements are in communications, quantitative reasoning, ethnic studies and disciplinary breadth. These requirements have been explicitly aligned with the Essential Learning Outcomes that were developed in the LEAP project of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Regular evaluation of the effectiveness of the general education requirements is conducted under the auspices of the Undergraduate General Education Committee and long-term assessment plans: the first plan was adopted in 2000, and a renewed plan was adopted in 2008. Recent findings demonstrate that students have a significantly higher ability to communicate orally and in writing after taking one of the "Communications A" courses. Students taking more than one such course achieved significantly higher gains, compared to a student taking just one. Students taking ESL versions of Communications A courses showed communication skills equal to native speakers. The Communications A study provided an opportunity to compare and calibrate across the various courses that satisfy the Communications A requirement. Similarly, students show significantly higher quantitative skills after taking a "Quantitative Reasoning A" course, and significantly stronger mathematical reasoning skills after taking a "Quantitative Reasoning B" course. Findings are useful in identifying both aspects of the general education program that are working, and those that need improvement.
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University of Wisconsin-Madison |
