GER Assessment
All faculty participate in assessing the General Education Requirements (GERs). This page provides directions, materials, and entry to the online reporting system.
Departments should select courses to assess based on the GER emphasis for that academic year (distribution, diversity, or competency). The Assessment Committee will publicize each year's emphasis and contact department chairs and faculty who teach the designated courses.
Distribution
Distribution outcomes are assessed in introductory courses or courses for non-majors. When distribution outcome data is collected, every department should select courses in which to assess divisional outcomes so that data is collected from across the university.
Diversity
Diversity outcomes are assessed in courses with a G (global diversity) or D (dimensions of diversity) designation. When diversity outcome data is collected, faculty who teach G or D courses should assess outcomes relevant to the course. Department chairs should ensure that data from their G and D offerings is being collected.
Competency
Competency outcomes are assessed in courses with a W (writing-intensive), S (speaking-intensive), or Q (quantitative) designation, or in 200-level courses for the language requirement. When competency outcome data is collected, faculty who teach W, S, or Q courses should assess outcomes relevant to the course. Every department is encouraged to offer one or more W or S courses to develop communication in the discipline, and department chairs should ensure that data from their W, S, and Q offerings is being collected. Language departments may choose to assess different language competency outcomes in their 200-level courses in different years as jointly determined by the language coalition.
Assessment of a GER learning outcome should occur at or near the end of the course. Evidence can be gathered in one of several ways:
- an assignment
- an examination question
- a paper or presentation
- a project or performance
Every outcome has an assessment form with a rubric (next section below). Use the form to tally ratings at different levels while you evaluate student work. Add brief comments on common strengths and areas for improvement related to the learning outcome. Enter this data into the online reporting system (bottom section below).
Note that while you might want to use the rubrics to evaluate individual student work, all that is required for GER assessment is the number of ratings at each level and summary comments. If you decide to use the rubrics for pre- and post-assessment, please report only the post-assessment (outcome) data; you can note growth or lack of growth in your comments on strengths and areas for improvement.
+ Learning Outcomes and Assessment Forms
Each outcome below is linked to an assessment form. Use the assessment form to rate student work samples by: (1) tallying the ratings at each level of the rubric, and (2) jotting summary comments on patterns of strengths and areas for improvement that were common across the work samples. Then enter the information into the online reporting system (below). Click on the outcome to download its assessment form.
A Lawrence graduate should be able to:
Distribution (for introductory or non-major courses)
Humanities
- Engage in close readings of literary, cultural, historical, religious, or philosophical works and provide critical comments on those works.
- Place works in their historical, cultural, and/or literary contexts.
Fine Arts
- Recognize and describe the concepts and/or methods involved in creating a piece of visual art, music, or theatre.
- Create, interpret, or develop a contextual analysis of visual art, music, or theatre using methods practiced in the classroom or studio.
Social Sciences
- Define a significant question within the fields of anthropology, economics, education, government, or psychology.
- Explain how one would seek to answer that question using methods from one or more of those fields.
Natural Sciences
- Use their understanding of a scientific concept to interpret a natural phenomenon.
- Draw reasonable conclusions from scientific data.
Diversity (for G or D courses)
Global Diversity
- Describe an important aspect of the political, economic, social, cultural or environmental context of at least one region of the world outside Europe and the United States. -- OR --
- Articulate a global and/or comparative perspective on a contemporary issue.
Dimensions of Diversity
- Discuss critically at least one dimension of diversity (such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, class, disability, etc.).
- Demonstrate an awareness of how diversity influences social life.
Competency (for W, S, or Q courses)
Writing / Speaking
- Articulate a coherent thesis and supporting argument.
- Incorporate feedback and revision into the writing/speaking process.
- Follow the conventions and traditions of the discipline.
Combined RUBRIC for all three W/S outcomes
Quantitative
Language Other Than English (for 200-level language courses)
Modern Languages
- French, German, Italian, or Spanish: Listen, speak, read, and write at the ACTFL intermediate-mid level.
- Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Russian: Listen, speak, read, and write at the ACTFL intermediate-low level.
- All: Demonstrate understanding of the perspectives, practices, or products of the target culture(s).
Classical Languages
- Latin or Ancient Greek: Read and comprehend extended passages in the target language.
- All: Demonstrate understanding of the perspectives, practices, or products of the target culture(s).
Senior Experience
Click here to report data:
Enter the GER assessment Online Reporting System (requires Voyager login).
Type or paste the information from your assessment form into the online form and submit. Repeat the procedure to enter data for another outcome. All data must be entered into the online system to be included in the analysis.
If you need technical help, contact Ben Willard in Technology Services. For other concerns, contact the Associate Dean of the Faculty, Bob Williams.