Summary of reform: Although general education reform
varies from institution to institution, central to this reform are the concepts
of content, coherence, and comprehensiveness. The idea of content relates to
what students should know and be able to do with that knowledge after
graduation. The idea of coherence has emerged, to a large degree, in response to
the fragmentation of the general curriculum. A coherent general curriculum seeks
to restore higher levels of intentionally, clarity, and rationale to the
curriculum. Related to the issue of coherence is integration of knowledge. As a
result, interdisciplinary arrangements are important to general education
reform. The third idea, comprehensiveness, involves the rethinking of the
general curriculum. Such reflection considers content, appropriate pedagogies,
and the institutional support needed.
Level of institutionalization: General education reform requires changes
or modifications of the existing formal curricula, a such, it requires
institutional level support and panning for effective implementation.
Outcomes: Inquiry, abstract logical thinking, critical analysis,
literacy, understanding numerical data, historical consciousness, science
literacy, development of values, appreciation of arts, multicultural and
international experiences and understandings, and in depth knowledge of a set of
given subjects.
Description of assessment: Historically, institutions have assessed their
general education on their own initiative and done so as a starting point for
curriculum reform. However, in the wake of public scrutiny, politicians,
agencies, and associations are calling colleges and universities to determine
what students should study and to demonstrate the extent to which such learning
has taken place.
Resistances: Many of the resistances to general
education reform are similar to the resistance to science reforms. Student
culture is seen as a barrier as students often feel they are not being taught
and are resentful and skeptical as a result. Faculty and students are both
frustrated at times because these classes move more slowly creating a perception
that students are not learning as much content as they would in a traditionally
structured environment.
Evolution/History: While the concern with general education has a long
history, the current focus on the core curriculum began in the late 1970s and
continued into the early 1980s. Since this time, faculty and staff from the
majority of American colleges and universities have engaged in discussions,
seeking to identify constructive means for improving general education.
Connection to other reforms: The breadth of this reform and its varied outcomes suggest connections to many other reforms. For the most part, general education refers to the "core" curriculum of a university or college. It is related closely to critical thinking, cultural literacy, less specialization and greater coherence, higher standards, and interdisciplinary study.
Link to suggested readings: Articles
on General Education
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