communicating effectively about liberal and general education aac&u network for academic renewal...
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Communicating Effectively About Liberal and General Education
AAC&U Network for Academic RenewalMarch 2011—Chicago, IL
Communicating What Really Matters in College
What are the two most important skills you hope your students develop as a result of completing their gen ed requirements?
What are two common misunderstandings or challenges you have heard from students about liberal or general education?
If someone came to your college’s Web site, what would be the main message they would receive about the most important outcomes of college?
LEAP Areas of Work:
• Public Advocacy/Communication—leadership through National Leadership Council, Presidents’ Trust, and work in selected LEAP states to make the case for liberal education and importance of essential learning outcomes
• Campus Action—technical assistance and networking to support campus efforts to increase all students’ achievement of essential learning outcomes and to communicate more effectively about liberal education
• Authentic Evidence—reports on public opinion, high-impact practices that lead to essential learning outcomes, assessment approaches that deepen student learning and periodic reports of national data on student achievement
Why Make Communications a Priority?
Intentionality and coherence of educational experience
Lack of awareness about what really matters in college—especially among first-generation students and their families
Slipping public confidence in higher education
Public Opinion
In 2004, 93% of Americans viewed higher education institutions as one of the most valuable resources to the US. Public ranked colleges as high as military and churches. (Chronicle of Higher Ed)
In 2009, 55% of Americans viewed higher education as absolutely essential to success, up from 31% in 2000. (Public Agenda)
In 2010, 87 percent of Hispanics agreed that a college education is important for a person to get ahead in life. (Univision/AP)
Public Opinion
In 2009, 60% agreed that “colleges today are like most businesses and care more about the bottom line than about making sure students have a good educational experience. (up from 52% in 2007). (Public Agenda)
In 2009, 70% said students shouldered a great deal or a lot of the blame for low graduation rates. (AP/Stanford)
The Communications Challenge
What is a “good educational experience”?
What are the essential elements of a good educational experience—outcomes and practices?
Narrow Learning is Not Enough—The Essential Learning Outcomes
Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World
Focused by engagement with enduring and contemporary big questions
Intellectual and Practical SkillsPracticed extensively across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more
challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance
Personal and Social ResponsibilityAnchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges
Integrative and Applied LearningDemonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems
Main LEAP Messages
There is an emerging consensus about the essential learning outcomes college students need in today’s world.
An engaged liberal education is the best way to ensure that students achieve these outcomes.
All students need and deserve a liberal education. We must raise levels of student achievement of these
outcomes to meet the demands of a volatile economy and globally interdependent world.
General Communications Tips
Communicating messages about aims of education—everyone’s responsibility
Students receive messages from multiple sources (Web sites, syllabi, faculty, advisors, career counselors)
Multiple messages must be consistent, repeated, and reinforced in multiple settings.
Know Your Audience: LEAP/AAC&U Research
• Focus groups with college-bound high school students and advanced college students
• Focus groups with employers• National surveys—business leaders
(2006/2007/2009) and recent graduates (2006)
• National survey—AAC&U member CAOs (2009)
What do Students Think?Selected Focus Group Findings
High-school students feel uninformed about the college curriculum and uncertain of its demands.
Students are focused on choice of major rather than what they will learn
Students lack understanding of liberal educationOnce informed of definition of liberal education,
student embrace the concept, but complain that reality not living up to ideal.
Students’ Definitions of Liberal Education
“It brings up both liberal arts, which to me means a broad education not involving the hard sciences. It also means a politically liberal education, which is the way a lot of colleges are. The professors teaching are often liberal, and I think that usually people come out of college more liberal than when they came in.”
--College student, Alexandria, VA
Students’ Definitions of Liberal Education
The freedom to choose and learn, broad education, it’s not focused on one specific field. It’s a privilege rather than a right, and offers an open door.”
--High school student, Alexandria, VA
Outcomes of College: Student Views
• The outcomes of college that HS and college students think are most important:
maturity, time management, work habits, self-discipline, teamwork.
• The outcomes students think are least important:
values, cultural diversity, science, American history and culture, computer skills, global awareness, civic engagement.
• Students don’t connect outcomes to the curriculum.• Long-term professional success overwhelmingly
primary reason to go to college
Criticisms of General Education
• Timing of general education requirements = less chance of connection to major.
• Limited options for fulfilling requirements.• Don’t connect general education to important
broad learning outcomes.• General education classes are sometimes
duplicative of what is learned in high school and are too elementary.
• Concern expressed more by career-oriented students.
What Employers Say
“my company lives and dies on our ability to innovate and to create the new products and processes that give us an edge in this very competitive global economy. ESCO needs people who have both a command of certain specific skills and robust problem-solving and communication skills.”
Steven Pratt, CEO, ESCO Corp. and Chair of the Oregon Business Council
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What Employers Say
“[Employers] generally are...frustrated with their inability to find ‘360 degree people’ who have both the specific job/technical skills and the broader skills (communication and problem-solving skills, work ethic, and ability to work with others) necessary to promise greater success for both the individual and the employer.”
From Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Report of Findings Based on Focus Groups Among
Business Executives (AAC&U, 2006)
National Surveys of Employers on College Learning and Graduates’ Work
ReadinessAAC&U commissioned Hart Research Associates (in 2006, 2007, and in late
2009) to interview employers (C-level suite executives and, in 2009 additional human resource professionals) whose companies report that hiring
relatively large numbers of college graduates
Findings are summarized in the following reports:
How Should Colleges Prepare Students to Succeed in Today’s Global Economy? (AAC&U, 2007)
How Should Colleges Assess and Improve Student Learning? Employers’ Views on the Accountability Challenge (AAC&U, 2008)
Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn (AAC&U, 2010)
See: www.aacu.org/leap/public_opinion_research20
How important is it for colleges and universities to
provide the type of education described below?
This particular approach to a four-year college education provides both broad knowledge in a variety of areas of study and more in-depth knowledge in a specific major or field of interest. It also helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as intellectual and practical skills that span all areas of study, such as communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.
26%
1%4%
69%
Not sure
Less/not important
Fairly important
Very important
* 76% of employers would recommend this type of education to a young person they know.
How important is it for colleges and universities to provide this type of education (see previous slide)?
Business Leaders
Employers Evaluate College Graduates’ Preparedness
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TeamworkEthical judgmentIntercultural skillsSocial responsibilityQuantitative reasoningOral communicationSelf-knowledgeAdaptabilityCritical thinkingWritingSelf-directionGlobal knowledge
Meanrating*7.06.96.96.76.76.66.56.36.36.15.95.7
*ratings on 10-point scale: 10 = recent college graduates are extremely well prepared on each quality (How Should Colleges Assess and Improve Student Learning? AAC&U/Peter D. Hart, 2008)
Very well prepared(8-10 ratings)*39%38%38%35%32%30%28%24%22%26%23%18%
Not well prepared(1-5 ratings)* 17% 19% 19% 21% 23% 23% 26% 30% 31% 37% 42% 46%
HARTRESEARCH
P e t e r D
A S S O T E SC I A
Raising The BarEmployers’ Views On College Learning In The Wake Of The Economic Downturn
Key findings from survey among 302 employersConducted October 27 – November 17, 2009
for
2009 AAC&U Survey Methodology
Survey among 302 executives at private sector and non-profit organizations that have 25 or more employees
Each reports that 25% or more of their new hires hold an associate’s degree from a two-year college or a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college.
Overall margin of error = +5.7 percentage points
Source: Raising the Bar (AAC&U, 2010)
Employers’ Expectations of Employees Have Increased
88%
88%
90%
91%
% who agree with each statement
Our company is asking employees to take on more responsibilities and to use a broader set of skills than in the past
Employees are expected to work harder to coordinate with other departments than in the past
The challenges employees face within our company are more complex today than they were in the past
To succeed in our company, employees need higher levels of learning and knowledge today than they did in the past
Source: Raising the Bar (AAC&U, 2010)
Balance of Broad Knowledge and Specific Skills Preferred
59%
20%
20%
Which is more important for recent college graduates who want to pursue advancement and long-term career success at your company?
Broad range of skills and knowledge that apply to a range of fields or positions
In-depth knowledge and skills that apply to a specific field or position
BOTH in-depth AND broad range of skills and knowledge
“Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn” (AAC&U and Hart Research Assoc. 2010)
What Employers Say
“It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough—it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing and nowhere is that more true than in these post-PC devices.”
Steve Jobs, Seattle Times, March 3, 2011
70%
70%
71%
75%
75%
79%
81%
89%
% saying two- and four-year colleges should place MORE emphasis on helping students develop these skills, qualities, capabilities, knowledge
Employers’ Top Priorities for Student Learning Outcomes in College
Effective oral/written communication
Critical thinking/ analytical reasoning
Knowledge/skills applied to real world
settings Analyze/solve complex
problemsConnect choices and
actions to ethical decisions
Teamwork skills/ ability to collaborate
Ability to innovate and be creative
Concepts/developments in science/technology
“Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn” (AAC&U and Hart Research Assoc. 2010)
HARTRESEARCHA S S O T E SC I A
AAC&U Members On Trends In Learning Outcomes, General Education, and Assessment
Key findings from online survey among 433 Chief Academic Officersand other academic leaders at AAC&U member institutions
Conducted November 19, 2008 – February 16, 2009
for
Margin of sampling error ±4.7 percentage points
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Goals/Outcomes for All Students’ College Learning
24%
42%
49%
61%
73%
87%
87%
90%
91%
92%Humanities
Science
Social sciences
Global/world cultures
Mathematics
Diversity in U.S.
Technology
U.S. history
Languages
Sustain-ability 63%
65%
66%
68%
75%
76%
79%
88%
91%
95%
99%Writing skills
Critical thinking
Quantitative reasoning
Oral communication
Intercultural skills
Information literacy
Ethical reasoning
Civic engagement
Application of learning
Research skills
Integration of learning
Among respondents from campuses WITH campus-wide goals, percent saying their institution’s common set of learning goals/outcomes addresses each area of knowledge/intellectual skills & ability
Areas of Knowledge Intellectual Skills/Ability
9%
37%
49%
5%
32
Many institutions recognize room to expand students’ understanding of common learning
outcomes.How many of your students understand your institution’s intended goals or outcomes for undergraduate learning?*
* Among members at institutions with learning outcomes for all undergraduates
Majority
Some
Almost allNot many
The majority of institutions uses a distribution model with additional
integrative features.
Distribution model with other features
Distribution model only
One or more other features
only
Which of these features are part of your institution’s general education program?
15%
64%
18%
Other features:
Common intellectual experience
Thematic required courses
Upper-level requirements
Core curriculum
Learning communities
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Messages That Work
Liberal education outcomes are key to success in today’s global economy.
Narrow training is not enough.Students must gain broad knowledge
and have multiple opportunities to hone skills over time and in real-world settings.
Messages That Work
Liberal Education outcomes are important because students are likely to change jobs multiple times
Liberal education introduces students to multiple perspectives and develops their own independent critical judgment.
Students needn’t choose either a liberal education or preparation for professional success—both forms of education can be pursued together in mutually reinforcing ways.
Messages That Work
“Given the pace of technological and social change, it no longer makes sense to devote four years of higher education entirely to specific skills. By learning how to learn, one makes one’s educational last a lifetime…students should develop the ability to continue learning so they can become agents of change—not victims of it.”
Michael Roth, Huffington Post, 2010
Ways to Get the Message Out
Wisconsin Student Essay ContestStudent Focus Groups Op-Eds, blogs, speechesWeb sites--www.stolaf.edu/offices/ir-
e/generaled/requirements
LEAP Online Resources
How Should Colleges Assess and Improve Student Learning? (2008)
How Should Colleges Prepare Students to Succeed in Today’s Global Economy? (2007)
Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views of College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn
Findings from Student Focus Groups
Focus Group Discussion Guide
www.aacu.org/leap
LEAP Resources
Making the Case for Liberal Education: Responding to ChallengesCommunicating Commitment to Liberal Education: A Self-Study Guide
for Institutionswww.aacu.org/leap/LEAP_Resources
Why Do I Have To Take This Course? A Student Guide to making Smart Educational Choices
What Will I Learn in College? What You Need to Know Now to Get Ready for College Success
(available in print; bulk prices available)What is a Liberal Education? and Why is it Important to My Future?(available in bulk; 500 minimum order)
www.aacu.org/leap/students
