Generally Speaking

This extensive overview first surveys the history of general education in the United States.  It discusses how the recommendations of stakeholder groups have shaped general education in recent decades. Subsequent chapters detail best practices and findings in the assessment of student learning as it relates to the general education curriculum across institutional types. The discussion then turns to the larger impact of general education on culture and society as students navigate life beyond the undergraduate experience. The final chapters will provide insight into how various institutions are innovating through the general education curriculum, as well as a discussion on the keys to maintaining the relevancy of this curriculum throughout the 21st century and beyond.


Acknowledgments


1. General Education for the 21st Century and Beyond

Madeline J. Smith and Kristen L. Tarantino


2. Assessing the Impact of General Education on Student Learning

Lisa K. Bonneau, Ryan Zerr, Anne Kelsch, and Joan Hawthorne


3. Closing the Assessment Loop in General Education

Nhung Pham and Doug Koch


4. The Impact: Two-Year Institutions

Angie Adams and Devon Hall


5. The Impact: Four-Year Institutions

Kristen L. Tarantino and Yue Adam Shen


6. The Larger Impact: Culture and Society

Mary Kay Jordan-Fleming and Madeline J. Smith


7. Case Studies in General Education: Engaging Through Faculty Learning Communities

Su Swarat and Alison M. Wrynn


8. Case Studies in General Education: Design Thinking for Faculty-Driven Assessment

Tim Howard and Kimberly McElveen


9. Case Studies in General Education: Critical Timing for Critical Reading

Bridget Lepore


10. Case Studies in General Education: Integrating General Education and the Majors

Henriette M. Pranger


11. Guiding Generation Z’s Future: Transforming Student Learning Opportunities to Career Outcomes

Jeremy Ashton Houska and Kris Gunawan


12. The Future Relevance of the General Education Curriculum

Kristen L. Tarantino and Madeline J. Smith


Index


Contributors