Abstract Detail

Teaching Section

Nepal, Madhav P. [1], Turner, Robert [2], Shea, Patricia A. [3].

Helping Transfer Students: Drafting Passport Learning Outcomes and Proficiency Criteria for Natural Science General Education Courses.

The main goal of the Interstate Passport Initiative is to eliminate the unnecessary repetition of academic work by students after they transfer between or within states. This initiative began in 2012 with initial funding from Carnegie Corporation, and is currently supported by Gates Foundation and Lumina Foundation. The Passport focuses on the transfer of lower division general education courses and, due to its interstate nature, employs learning outcomes as the “currency” of transfer. Constructing a Passport that accomplishes these goals requires agreement on learning outcomes among faculty from the 22 institutions in 7 states that are participating in constructing the Passport. The LEAP (Liberal Education and America’s Promise) Essential Learning Outcomes developed by Association of American Colleges & Universities (AACU) were used to establish nine content/skills areas, also common to the most lower division general education programs, that are addressed by the Passport. Teaching faculty with experience and expertise in each area were identified and convened to write Learning Outcomes for each area, and then proficiency indicators for each Learning Outcomes. Guiding principles for this faculty work were that the faculty are the authors of the outcomes and indicators and that institutional individuality is honored. The success of the process with examples of the Learning Outcomes and Proficiency Indicators developed for Natural Science courses will be presented.

Related Links:
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Passport Initiative

1 - South Dakota State University, Biology And Microbiology, Northern Plain Biostress Laboratory, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA
2 - Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Interstate Passport Initiative, 3035 Center Green Drive, Boulder, Co, 80301, United States
3 - Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Academic Leadership Initiatives, 3035 Center Green Drive, Boulder , Co, 80301, USA

Keywords:
Interstate Passport Initiative
Interstate Student Transfer Pathways
Passport Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Proficiency Criteria (PC)
Natural Science General Education Courses.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 34
Location: Salon 9/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2015
Time: 8:15 AM
Number: 34002
Abstract ID:1324
Candidate for Awards:None