recent trends in general education design, learning outcomes, and teaching approaches

AAC&U Members on Recent Trends in General Education Design, Learning Outcomes, and Teaching ApproachesKey findings from a survey among 325 Chief Academic Officers or designated representatives

at AAC&U member institutions, conducted July 15 to October 13, 2015,by Hart Research Associates for the Association of American Colleges and Universities

1

Profile of the Sample

2

Carnegie ClassificationAssociate’s degreeBachelor’s degreeMaster’s degreeDoctoral degree/researchOther

11%30%39%19%

1%

AffiliationPublicPrivate/religiousProprietary

46%53%

1%

The survey was conducted among 325 Chief Academic Officers or designated representatives at AAC&U member institutions from a list of 1,001, with a response rate of 32%.

November/December 2008 July – October 2015

Does your institution have a common set of intended learning goals or learning outcomes that apply to ALL undergraduate students?

Most AAC&U member institutions have a common set of learning outcomes for all of their undergraduate students.

3

AAC&U members with common learning outcomes have outcomes that apply to a broad range of skills and knowledge areas; significant consensus exists on outcome areas.

4

Proportions saying their institution has learning outcomes for ALL undergraduate students that address specific skills and knowledge areas*

* Among members at institutions that have a common set of learning outcomes for all undergraduate students

Writing skillsCritical thinking and analytic reasoning skillsQuantitative reasoning skillsKnowledge of scienceKnowledge of mathematicsKnowledge of humanitiesKnowledge of global or world culturesKnowledge of social sciencesKnowledge of the artsOral communication skillsIntercultural skills and abilities

201599%98%94%92%92%92%89%89%85%82%79%

200899%95%91%91%87%92%87%90%N/A88%79%

(continued)

5


Information literacy skillsResearch skills and projectsEthical reasoning skillsKnowledge of diversity in USIntegration of learning across disciplinesApplication of learning beyond the classroomCivic engagement and competenceKnowledge of technologyKnowledge of languages other than EnglishKnowledge of American historyKnowledge of sustainability

201576%75%75%73%68%65%63%49%48%47%27%

200876%65%75%73%63%66%68%61%42%49%24%

AAC&U members with common learning outcomes have outcomes that apply to a broad range of skills and knowledge areas; significant consensus exists on outcome areas.

Proportions saying their institution has learning outcomes for ALL undergraduate students that address specific skills and knowledge areas*

(continued)

Educational leaders at institutions with common learning outcomes do not report that students have a greater understanding of these goals in 2015 than they did in 2008.

6


What is your sense of how many of your students understand your institution’s intended learning outcomes for undergraduate learning?*

45%55%

42%

58%


Many institutions are implementing evidence-based practices, and they are most likely to require those that support the successful transition to college.

7

What approach is your campus taking with regard to these types of learning practices?This is

offered asan option

31%

30%

41%

23%

53%

79%

59%

87%

90%

92%

94%

Totaloffered

91%

82%

93%

65%

87%

93%

71%

96%

97%

98%

96%

First-year experiences that support transition to college

First-year academic seminars

Global/world culture studiesOrientations to liberal

education, purpose/valueDiversity studies/

experiencesService learning in courses

Learning communities

Undergraduate researchPracticums and

supervised fieldworkInternships

Study abroad

Required for all students

Some campuses are exploring ways to engage students in more problem-based learning. For instance, institutions are providing opportunities to students to do significant learning projects that are integrative and/or applied and that take a semester of study or longer. These projects may be conducted within capstone courses, research projects, or in field-based activities or internships.Which describes your campus’s current approach to significant learning projects like these?

Required for some students

Offered option for all students

Offered option for some studentsNot a current option

Nearly all AAC&U member institutions offer significant applied learning projects for at least some students; fewer than one in four require all students to participate.

8

Most administrators think that at least some of their teaching faculty is effectively using digital learning tools, but they see room to expand their effective use.

9

How many of your current faculty are using digital learning tools effectively in their courses?

“All/most of our teaching faculty should be using more digital learning in undergraduate courses.”

At your institution, how high a priority is increasing the number of undergraduate online courses?

* Described as programs designed around demonstrated mastery rather than completion of courses and credits

Most

Some

Very few

Agree 44% Strongly agree 89%

High

Medium

Minor/not

45% Somewhat agree

(1% all programs, 10% some programs)

Attitudes Toward Digital Learning and Online Courses, by Key Subgroups

10

“All/most of our teaching faculty should be using more digital learning in undergrad-uate courses.”

At your institution, how high a priority is increasing the number of undergraduate online courses?

Strongly agree

29%53%52%

51%36%

42%

By Carnegie Classification: Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Doctoral degree/research

By Affiliation: Public Private/non-religious independent institutions Religious

Some-whatagree

53%38%42%

42%48%

48%

Highpriority

14%28%27%

34%16%

22%

By Carnegie Classification: Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Doctoral degree/research

By Affiliation: Public Private/non-religious independent institutions Religious

Mediumpriority

23%42%41%

44%24%

35%

Minor/nota priority

63%30%32%

22%60%

43%

In regard to electronic portfolios, which describes your campus?

Required of almost all students

Used for some students and programs

Not used/exploringfeasibility of using

Not used/no plans to use

November – December 2008 July – October 2015(64% required/used)(57% required/used)

Many AAC&U member institutions use e-portfolios, but few require the for all students.

11

How has general education changed as a priority for your institution in the past five years?

The majority of AAC&U member institutions continue to say that general education is more of a priority than it was five years ago.

12

Has become moreof a priority

Has not changedas a priority

Has become lessof a priority

Institutions are placing greater emphasis on integration of knowledge, skills, and application than on broad knowledge acquisition in their general education programs.

Integration of knowledge, skills, and application

Applied learning experiences

Cross-cutting skill development

Broad knowledge acquisition

Proportions saying their institution is placing more emphasis on each practice in their general education program

13

Clear learning outcomes

Assess student achievement of learning outcomes

Has requirements linked to outcomes

Ensures all develop ability to integrate/apply learning to complex questions

Proportions saying each describes* their institution’s general education program

* 4 + 5 ratings on a five-point scale, 5 = describes the program very well

2008

63%

49%

62%

N/A

Large majorities describe their gen ed programs as “having clear learning outcomes,” “assessing achievement of learning outcomes,” and “having requirements linked to outcomes.”

14



2008

35%

N/A

Few institutions describe their general education programs as coherent or having structured pathways.

15

Coherent sequence of courses and/or educational experiences

Structured pathways that progressively develop proficiencies in key areas

Includes global courses

Includes first-year seminars

Includes diversity courses

Includes interdisciplinary courses

Includes service learning opportunities

Includes civic learning or engagement activities

Requires experiential learning opportunities



2008

60%

58%

56%

51%

38%

38%

36%

AAC&U member institutions report similar curricular patterns for their general education programs today as in 2008 and are most likely to include global courses and first-year seminars.

16

The majority of institutions use a distribution model with addition-al integrative features. Fewer use only a distribution model in 2015 than did so in 2008.

Which of these features are part of your institution’s general education program?

Other features:Common intellectual experience

Thematic required courses

Upper-level requirements

Core curriculum


November – December 2008 July – October 2015

17

Distribution model

Capstone or culminating studies (taken in major programs)

Upper-level general education requirements

Core curriculum

Thematic required courses

A common intellectual experience

Capstone or culminating studies (taken as part of general education)


Proportions saying each is included as part of their institution’s general education program

Institutions incorporate various general education program design elements.

18

The majority of member institutions think that their general education programs are well integrated with students’ major requirements, but there is still room to improve.

19


How well integrated would you say that your general education program is with students’ major requirements?

58%

42%48%

52%

Only minor shifts have occurred since 2008 in the required number of general education credits at AAC&U member institutions.

20

Nov/Dec 2008 July–Oct 2015

How many total general education credits are required at your institution for this degree?

Nov/Dec 2008 July–Oct 2015

Bachelor’s degree* Associate’s degree*

* Among members in institutions that grant bachelor’s degrees or higher * Among members in institutions that grant only associate’s degrees

Mean: 46.6Median: 44




Very familiar withthe LEAP initiative

AAC&U’s Liberal Education and America’s Promise initiative (LEAP initiative) champions the importance of--and assists campuses in providing--a 21st century liberal education through a focus on principles of excellence, Essential Learning Outcomes, high-impact educational practices, and the creation and effective use of authentic assessments.How familiar are you with the LEAP initiative?

Nearly all of AAC&U’s member institutions are familiar with the LEAP initiative.

Fairly familiar withthe LEAP initiative

Only somewhat (9%)/not at all (2%) familiar with the LEAP initiative

89% VERY/FAIRLYFAMILIAR

21

Increasing development of and participation in engaged learning practices *

Defining or updating common student learning outcomes

Improving the assessment of student learning outcomes

Reforming general education programs

Advancing civic and global learning

Advancing equity and student success

Does your institution use AAC&U’s LEAP initiative to advance goals in these areas?

Among those who are familiar with LEAP, most institutions are already using or are planning to use LEAP to achieve specific goals.

* Described as high-impact practices such as learning communities, undergraduate research, applied hands-on projects, internships, etc.

78%

75%

75%

73%

67%

53%

22