Student Learning Outcomes & Assessment Cycles for the Department of Psychology

The Department of Psychology developed its plan for using SLOs around a synthesis of two models: Bloom's (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and Wiggins and McTighe's (1998) Six Facets for Understanding. Both paradigms characterize learning across multiple domains, and each domain demarcates learning as moving from simple to complex. Both suit the Dept. of Psychology well because they provide a framework for thinking about the relationship between teaching and learning content that is both objective and subjective. Across courses, the Dept. of Psychology has the ultimate goal of providing education that increases each student's ability to think, behave, and feel in increasingly complex ways so that each student can better the relationships with the self, their families, their communities, and the world.

To accommodate the broad diversity among students as well as to honor the unique pedagogical philosophy of each faculty member, the Dept. of Psychology has elected to share best practices of assignments given and assessments collected to evaluate learning among all students in the department. These best practices will also serve to evoke discussions within the department to refine and adapt curricula and assessments to meet both faculty and student needs. Ultimately, revisions made will be in keeping with the following nine exit standards and core competencies:

Upon successful completion of the required course work in General Psychology, the student will be able to:

  1. explain the scientific methods used in psychology;
  2. discuss current theories of emotion and motivation;
  3. explain types of consciousness and altered states of consciousness;
  4. evaluate the factors in emotion and motivation;
  5. define the basis of sensation and perception;
  6. define methods of personality assessment and theories of personality;
  7. define individual differences in intelligence and discuss cultural biases in assessing intelligence;
  8. identify and define the classifications of abnormal behavior;
  9. apply the neurobiological, psychoanalytical, behavioral, cognitive, and humanistic perspectives to modifying and explaining behaviors.

Exit Standards for:

GCC CORE COMPETENCIES (Institutional Learning Outcomes)

1) Communication: Learners express themselves clearly and concisely to others in logical, well-organized papers and/or verbal presentations using documentation and quantitative tools when appropriate. Learners listen, understand, debate, and use information communicated by others.

2) Mathematical Competency/Quantitative Reasoning: Learners understand, interpret, and manipulate numeric or symbolic information; solve problems by selecting and applying appropriate quantitative methods such as arithmetic, quantitative reasoning, estimation, measurement, probability, statistics, algebra, geometry and trigonometry; and present information and construct arguments with the use of numerical and/or statistical support.

3) Information Competency: Learners recognize the need for information and define a research topic; select, access, and use appropriate sources to obtain relevant data; evaluate sources for reliability and accuracy; and use information in an ethical and legal manner.

4) Critical Thinking: Learners evaluate the credibility and significance of information, effectively interpret, analyze, synthesize explain, and infer concepts and ideas; solve problems and make decisions; and construct and deconstruct arguments.

5) Global Awareness and Appreciation: Learners recognize and analyze the interconnectedness of global, national, and local concerns, analyzing cultural, political, social and environmental issues from multiple perspectives; they recognize the interdependence of the global environment and humanity.

6) Personal Responsibility: Learners demonstrate an understanding of the consequences, both positive and negative, of their own actions; set personal, academic and career goals; and seek and utilize the appropriate resources to reach such goals.

7) Application of Knowledge: Learners maintain, improve and transfer academic and technical skills to the workplace; demonstrate life-long learning skills by having the ability to acquire and employ new knowledge; and set goals and devise strategies for personal and professional development.

Last updated: 2/12/2009 4:14:29 PM