Social Science
Purpose
The Social Science general education program assists students in acquiring empirical knowledge of those aspects of human experience that are social, political, economic, and psychological.
Educational Objectives
Foster intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and logical reasoning.
Develop knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods for understanding human behavior.
Provide an introductory understanding of the structures and processes of social institutions and individual behavior within cultures.
Expected Student Learning Outcomes
Structure, analyze, evaluate, and support an argument both orally and in writing in the social sciences.
Interpret, compare, and contrast ideas in the social sciences.
Demonstrate knowledge of the methods, techniques, concepts, and vocabularies of the social sciences.
Demonstrate knowledge of historical and contemporary issues.
Summary of Student Learning Outcomes
During the 2007-08 academic year, the Social Sciences faculty formally assessed the student learning outcomes summarized below. Additional details can be found in the attached assessment report and in department assessment records.
Student Learning Outcome #1: Structure, analyze, evaluate, and support an argument both orally and in writing in the social sciences.
Strengths in written expression: Students demonstrated proficiency in written expression related to the social sciences, in particular with accuracy.
Areas needing improvement: The faculty identified a need for improvement in vocabulary, diction, grammar and mechanics.
Action plans: The faculty will provide earlier feedback through short papers in social science courses in order to model and demonstrate a higher level of written expression.
Strengths in oral expression: Students demonstrated strengths with accuracy, supporting arguments with examples, content, and logic.
Areas needing improvement: Vocabulary, diction, use of student vernacular, grammar, mechanics, and interrupting behavior.
Action plans: Social Science faculty have notified the department chair of Communications about students' overall weakness in the areas of oral and written communication, which is primarily taught in WRI 122 and COMM classes. Social science professors will emphasize to students the importance of listening and appropriate turn-taking in small group discussions.
Student Learning Outcome #2: Interpret, compare, and contrast ideas in the social sciences.
Strengths: Student performance was in general satisfactory, with students able to discuss ideas and use evidence from the reading to support their arguments. They were less successful at comparing and contrasting ideas, though performance in this area was still acceptable.
Action plans: Although student performance was satisfactory, faculty will provide more thorough modeling of how to compare and contrast ideas in early class discussion.
Additional assessment on critical thinking
Strengths: The students were most successful at understanding contexts and developing a perspective.
Areas needing improvement: They were least successful at identifying assumptions and using evidence accurately and effectively.
Action plans: The above analysis identifies the need to not only improve the students understanding and execution of critical thinking skills, but to engage in early intervention in this area during classroom activities. In future classes, questions posed in homework assignments will more specifically address the areas of critical thinking in which the students have shown the greatest weakness, particularly in identifying assumptions. This is already done to some extent, but it is clear that a greater emphasis on critical analysis of the material is needed in addition to the requirement to control content.