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General Education Assessment
Drake’s general education curriculum is represented by the Drake Curriculum. The Drake Curriculum provides students with a meaningful liberal arts education and ensures students gain the breadth of knowledge and skills necessary.
The bulk of the Drake Curriculum is centered in the Areas of Inquiry (AOI). These 10 AOIs provide students with a solid introduction to a variety of intellectual fields and a diversity of learning experiences. Because the general education curriculum is owned by faculty, the Drake Curriculum Analysis Committee (DCAC) of the Faculty Senate oversees assessment of the Drake Curriculum, in particular the AOIs.
General Education Outcomes (AOIs)
Faculty developed general education outcomes that fall under Drake’s AOI system. This system is designed to provide students with a solid introduction to a variety of intellectual fields and a diversity of learning experiences.
AOI Rubrics
To assess the AOI outcomes, AOI faculty have developed rubrics that describe the standards of performance for each AOI outcome. These rubrics explicitly differentiate student performance across four levels: (1) Unsatisfactory, (2) Marginal, (3) Satisfactory, (4) Excellent.
AOI Assessment Reports
DCAC produces regular reports on student learning in each AOI as a result of the quantitative and qualitative feedback and analysis of faculty, staff, and students.
Global & Cultural Understanding
DCAC Historical Foundations Report
Longitudinal Panel Study
The Longitudinal Panel Study examines students’ perceived intellectual growth over time by comparing students’ self-reported skill on a set of learning outcomes. Students are first assessed at first-year orientation and then assessed in March of anywhere from their first to fourth year.
2011-14 Longitudinal Panel Study
AOI Assessment Cycle & Process
DCAC works towards a cycle of assessing the 10 AOIs within a student’s typical 4-year educational experience. AOI Faculty are heavily involved in the general education process by helping to develop and review the AOI rubrics, by rating and reviewing samples of student work, and by participating in an in-depth discussion of student learning within the AOI.
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November 20, 2024
