Enhancing Core Competencies in an Integrated General Education Curriculum:
It Takes a Seed Producing Fruit to Plant an Orchard
By
Emmanuel Eneyo Marjorie Baier Therese Poirier |
Elaine Abusharbain Rowena McClinton Preston Williams |
Michael Afolayan Gertrude Pannirselvam |
The proposed model for general education is built on a model of inner core competencies that have to be achieved by all SIUE students, and an outer core of competencies specific to the various academic programs. The model also focuses on outcomes assessment, using a continuous quality improvement process as a critical component. This model can be described using the metaphor of planting an apple orchard.
The inner core or seed of the apple of the general education at SIUE builds on the values of citizenship, excellence, integrity, openness and wisdom. The general competencies for this model address the “Statement of Objectives for the Baccalaureate Degree” of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The outer core is the fruit which would address general abilities necessary for the various academic programs. Assessment of the achievement of the cores of the competencies would be a necessary component for the general education curriculum. Outcomes assessment would be facilitated with use of student learning portfolios and a general education competency evaluation.
This model will build on existing strengths at SIUE including the Senior Assignment, Interdisciplinary studies, the Freshman Seminar, and other existing resources. Flexibility in achieving the outer core competencies will be allowed. However, commonalities among the outer core competencies will be used to deliver courses to address the outer core competencies more efficiently. The ultimate products of this model are university graduates, i.e., trees in the apple orchard, who can demonstrate the core competencies of the general education and of their specific academic programs and incorporate the values in their life-long learning.
Enhancement of achievement of the core competencies occurs with integration where the inner core competencies would be addressed in all the courses of general education and are also further developed at the outer core but at different levels of learning. Faculty will need to clarify to students the links between courses in the inner core and with the outer core. The integration also occurs with pedagogical shifts to student-centered learning and the incorporation of assessment as critical components to enhance learning. The model will also address some of the competencies through a service learning component which will lead to enhanced civic engagement.
Figure l illustrates this competency-based integrative model. The first step will be to define the core competencies for general education and for the specific academic programs by answering the following question: What will the learner know, be able to do and/or value upon completion of the required general education courses? Integration is a key attribute of the design where the pedagogical methods, course content, resources and assessment are a relational model. Each component influences the other rather than being developed in isolation from each other or in any particular order. Evaluation of how the components of the model achieve the learning outcomes will be performed as a continuous improvement process.