Non-Western Traditions Assessment Results 2007-2008

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2007-2008 Results

Reflection

What were the major findings of this assessment?

Our findings suggest that students seem to better at knowledge, and weaker at a holistic view of  social and economic issues. 

Our findings suggest that students need to be more actively engaged in discussion.

Our findings suggest that students need to be more profoundly engaged in ethical issues and current events. 

In light of these findings, what actions might be taken to improve teaching and learning?

For this course (ANTH 224), for students, more clearly code the lectures and readings as "Knowledge," History," "Social Issues," "Economic Issues," "Political Issues," or "the Symbolic World."

For this class (ANTH 224), engage students by expanding student use of Google Images and YouTube short clips to support the class, add these images to current use of films in this class. 

For this class (ANTH 224), expand use of a class wiki to encourage students to read and post images and news to enhance knowlege of the developing world. 

For this class (Biol.235), the overwhelming majority of students did not address non-western knowledge or history, not because we did not do so in the course, but because this specific assignment did not call for them to do so.  Student are writing on discipline-specific themes rather than core-related themes and multicultural issues.

For this class (ANTH 243), invite a speaker(s) from another culture to talk about gender in their native cultures.  Might invite international students for these discussions.

For this class (ANTH 243), incorporate more current events in class discussions.

For this class (ARTH 281), add another assignment devoted to understanding precolumbian and Latin American art to enhance knowledge.

For this class (ARTH 281), make assignments to watch videos outside of class.

For this class (PHIL 202), perhaps add an additional "Non-Western Humanities" course, required or optional for all students.

In this class (ANTH 100), one major obstacle to the learning of non-Western knowledge is ethnocentrism.  Students can overcome ethnocentrism in the discussion of specific issues, but it take a more concentrated and conscious effort to shed the ethnocentric way of thinking that everyone is so accustomed to.  Invite more critique by students themselves in the class.

In this class (PLSC 228), expand discussion on how to travel in the developing world, including discussion on cultural differences, intercultural interaction, travel ethnics and so on.

For this class (PLSC 228), include more primary source material.

For this class (HIST 282), plan to include more class discussion with discussion on topics available ahead of time and structure the class to use mycourses for more student interaction. 

For this class (ANTH 215), use a pretest to compare to final, both essay and multiple choice questions.

For this class (ANTH 215), emphasize social and ethical issues more in class discussions.

What might other gen ed areas learn from your assessment?

Use of a class wiki, Google Images and YouTube.

Include a focus on primary source material. 

Include more interactive student discussions. 

Incorporate more current events in class discussions where appropriate. 

Include a list of topics for discussion ahead of time so that students may be prepared for the class. 

Use pre-test and post-test. Include a focus on both social and ethnical issues in class presentations and discussion.