sustainability in general education after one year: assessment, opportunities, and challenges jim...
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Sustainability in General Education After One Year:
Assessment, Opportunities, and
Challenges
Jim FeldmanAssociate Professor of Environmental Studies &
HistoryUniversity Leadership Fellow for Sustainability
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Sustainability in General Education After One YearOutline: Describe the Sustainability Initiative &
the University Studies Program (General Education) at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Discuss challenges of training & implementation
Present initial information on assessment of both the USP and Sustainability
Raise questions about the tension between the AASHE model of sustainability across the curriculum and content-focused sustainability literacy
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Public, comprehensive, regional university
Enrollment: 13,500 students
Carnegie classification: Master’s/L
AASHE STARS: Gold
Sustainability at UW Oshkosh
Committed to the integration of sustainability throughout the university
Campus Sustainability Plan (2008 & 2014): Operations, Research, Community Outreach, and Curriculum
Cortese 2003
Winnebago Sustainability Project
2-day faculty college Based on AASHE model:
“entice and trickle out” Big tent concept; three
dimensions of sustainability: environmental, social, economic
Place-based emphasis on campus & community
Stipends funded by Faculty Development & Sustainability funds
Winnebago Project:Stats
4 workshops, 2008-2011: 44 participants Over 24 departments 4 colleges (COLS, Nursing,
Education, Business) Vertical integration: Intro-level pit
classes through graduate-level classes
Philosophy of Teaching Sustainability
Moving beyond prescription Moving beyond specialization
Sustainability as a lens of inquiry: a way of looking at, evaluating, and solving problems
Sustainability as a core educational value, one that ought to find its way into courses across the disciplines
General Education Reform
Process started in 2007
Motivated by pressure from Higher Learning Commission
First significant step: adoption of Essential Learning Outcomes, 2008
Sustainability as an Essential Learning
Outcome Based on AACU (American Association
of Colleges & Universities) model “Knowledge of sustainability and its
applications” was ratified as one of our Essential Learning Outcomes for students by the Faculty Senate in 2008
Defined as “the ability to understand local and global Earth systems, the qualities of ecological integrity and the means to restore and preserve it, and the interconnectedness of ecological integrity, economic well-being, and social justice.”
General Education Reform
New Gen Ed needs to be: Aligned with learning outcomes and
assessable Coherent, intentional, and relevant Incorporate high-impact practices Prepare students for citizenship in a 21st
century world
General Education Reform
New program (University Studies Program) passed by Faculty Senate on March 2012
Unveil in Fall 2013 General Education
supplemented by: best practices First Year Experience Focus on liberal arts Learning communities
Components: Question Explore Connect (capstone)
Question
Engage with three “signature questions” based on essential learning outcomes through three sequential courses (Quest I, II, III)
Quest I and II paired with required introductory writing and speaking courses: learning communities
Quest courses also incorporate other USP goals: First Year Experience, Ethical Reasoning, Community Engagement
Signature Questions
Sustainability: How do people understand and create a more sustainable world?
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence: How do people understand and engage in community life?
Civic Knowledge and Engagement: How do people understand and bridge cultural differences?
Explore and Connect
Explore Distribution requirements
(mathematical literacy, lab science, humanities, etc.)
Courses in each of these areas can be identified as linking with a signature question (e.g., sustainability)
Connect: Advanced Writing course Synthesize content from all three
QUEST courses General Education capstone
Quest Faculty Development
Quest courses are disciplinary: faculty encouraged to situate sustainability in the “big questions” and concepts of their discipline
Winnebago Project as model Faculty college: introduce sustainability,
strategies for teaching, examples, campus resources
Incentives: stipend and community Ongoing support
Goal of workshops: introduce USP, sustainability, “points of connection”
d
The Challenge of Training
Range of expertise Participants not self-selected Working with adjunct staff as a
challenge—overworked, underpaid Outright resistance to USP &
Sustainability Working with people less
knowledgeable about sustainability as a challenge
Expectations for Sustainability Quest
Courses All Quest courses must include
“substantial signature question content,” reflected in the learning outcomes, assignments, and assessments of the course Quest I: 25%; Quest II and Quest III: 30-
50% Instructors encouraged to integrate
sustainability fully into course All syllabi approved by the
University’s General Education & Curriculum Committees
UW Oshkosh Faculty Describe USP & Sustainability
http://www.uwosh.edu/goto/usp/USP-2013-9-23.html
The Challenge of Implementation
Fall 2013: Quest 1 24 Quest 1 courses focused on
sustainability 24 writing/communication courses
focused on sustainability 72 total Quest 1 sections (all Signature
Questions) + paired writing/communication courses
Spring 2014: Quest 2 20 Quest 2 courses focused on
Sustainability New & modified courses
Total Number of Courses
AASHE STARS Submission Data on Number of Sustainability Courses in the Curriculum
2012 2013Sustainability-related 128 262Sustainability-focused 50 77
Assessment of the USP
Course drops in 100 & 200 level non-Quest courses down 12%
DFW grade reports in 100 & 200 level classes: 2012 DFW rate: 18.8% 2013 DFW rate 15.9%
First Year Fall GPA less than 2.0 2012: 17.8% 2013: 10.1%
Comprehension & appreciation of Liberal Arts up 8%
Assessing Sustainability in USP
Mean class distribution by performance level: Quest 1, Fall 2013, 44/72 sections (61%), Signature
QuestionHigh Proficiency
Proficiency
Some Proficiency
Limited/No Proficiency
N
Sustainability 34.5% 30.0% 25.0% 10.5% 13Intercultural Knowledge 33.2% 39.7% 21.1% 6.0% 18Civic Learning 23.9% 49.6% 20.3% 6.0% 12Total 31.0% 39.5% 22.1% 7.3% 43
Assessing Sustainability in USP
Mean class distribution by performance level for Sustainability Learning Outcome: Quest 1, Fall 2013
Signature Question
High Proficiency
Proficiency
Some Proficiency
Limited/No Proficiency
Sustainability 32.1% 32.3% 26.2% 9.4%Intercultural Knowledge 35.5% 38.4% 20.9% 5.0%Civic Learning 25.3% 47.2% 21.9% 5.3%
Assessing Sustainability in USP
Mean class distribution by performance level: Quest 2, Spring 2014, 56/116 sections (48%), Signature
QuestionHigh Proficiency
Proficiency
Some Proficiency
Limited/No Proficiency
N
Sustainability 29.7% 40.9% 22.8% 6.6% 22Intercultural Knowledge 38.2% 44.7% 11.1% 6.1% 15Civic Learning 21.9% 49.1% 21.3% 7.8% 19Total 30.4% 44.7% 18.2% 6.7% 56
Assessing Sustainability in USP: SoTL Research
Pre- and Post-class essay prompts to evaluate student learning
Write a brief essay (2-4 paragraphs) detailing your perception of what Wisconsin would ideally look like in 15 years if everyone applied the principles of sustainability to his or her choices during that time frame. In your essay, you should address the following questions/points: What is your definition of sustainability? What are the key changes that you would expect to see
in 15 years? How does each of the three factors of sustainability
integrate into these changes? What role will you personally play in the next 15 years? What issues or conflicts may arise that could negatively
impact this process?
Assessing Sustainability in USP: SoTL Research
Signature question
Avg. Pre-Score
Avg. Post-Score
Avg. Change
Liberal arts 55.6% 63.3% 7.7% (1.4 pts of 18)
Civic Engagement 44.9% 42.7% -2.2% (-0.27
pts of 12)Intercultural knowledge 44.9% 52.3% 6.9% (0.86
pts of 12)
Sustainability 49.7% 50.6% 1.1% (0.13 pts of 12)
Evaluating SoTL Research
Essay prompts Aligning research with USP
sustainability expectations Previous presence in curriculum
Assessing Sustainability in USP: Anecdotal
Observations Challenge: Students without
background knowledge Challenge: Students without
background interest Challenge: Students have to be
taught College preparedness Critical thinking Liberal arts
Personal behavior vs. structural instability
UW Oshkosh Student on Sustainability in Quest 1
http://www.uwosh.edu/goto/usp/USP-2013-12-3.html
Conclusions
Focus of UW Oshkosh implementation & assessment has been on FYE not signature question content
Full cycle of USP not yet complete Tension between AASHE model and
general education requirement Next steps
“closing the loop” Direct assessment of signature question
content Revisit faculty development & training
