Meghann Jarchow Matthew Sayre Shane Nordyke and Paul Formisano Sustainability Program University of South Dakota Education focused on sustainability is not based on a shared consensus of important concepts or curricular organization ID: 468950
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Slide1
Assessing Student Learning Outcomes for Sustainability: Curriculum Mapping
Meghann Jarchow, Matthew Sayre, Shane Nordyke, and Paul Formisano
Sustainability Program, University of South DakotaSlide2
Education focused on sustainability is not
based on a shared consensus of important concepts or curricular organization.”
-Curriculum for the Bioregion Initiative from Fall 2011
What are the big ideas, learning outcomes, and skills for students in academic sustainability programs?Slide3
Sustainability Program at The University of South Dakota
Interdisciplinary major and minor
Began in Fall 2012
~20 faculty members teach courses for the Sustainability ProgramCourses offered from 13 departments within the College of Arts & Sciences
30 declared majors as of Spring 2015Slide4
Sustainability Curriculum
SUST 201
Sustainability & Society
SUST 203
Sustainability & Science
POLS 226
Introduction to Public Policy
SUST 489
Sustainability Capstone
BIOL 310
Environmental Science
OR
ESCI 205Environmental Earth Science
PHIL 454 Environmental EthicsORECON 472Resource & Envt’l Economics
SUST 494InternshipORSUST 498Undergraduate Research
Core Courses18 credits
Natural Science SpecializationCourse options include:Restoration EcologyGlobal Climate ChangeEnergy & Sustainability
Social Science SpecializationCourse options include:Sustainability & UrbanismEnvironmental Law & PolicyEnvironmental Communication
Electives
18 creditsSlide5
Sustainability Major Student Learning Outcomes
Work
cooperatively to address multidisciplinary, sustainability issues using a systems thinking
approachCommunicate proficiently about sustainability, both orally and in writing
Apply their
knowledge of the social or environmental aspects of sustainability in their chosen area of specialization (natural sciences specialization or social sciences specialization) to a sustainability
issueSlide6
How well do the learning outcomes of the Sustainability major align with the learning outcomes of the courses offered in the Sustainability major?
Curriculum MappingSlide7
Sustainability Program Curriculum Map
Work cooperatively to address multidisciplinary, sustainability issues using a systems thinking approach
Communicate proficiently about sustainability, both orally and in writing
Apply their knowledge of the social or environmental aspects of sustainability to a sustainability issue
Work with others respectfully
to accomplish shared goals
Integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines to assess sustainability issues
Use a systems-thinking approach to assess issues
Deliver well-organized content
orally to designated audience(s)
Compose
readable prose that effectively conveys content to designated audience(s)
Apply knowledge
of social sustainability to other sustainability issues
Apply knowledge of
envt’l
sustainability to other sustainability issues
Take action to address sustainability challenges
Integrate knowledge
to assess complex sustainability issues
Core Courses
(11 courses)
Natural
Science Specialization
(19 courses)
For each
course, we evaluated whether each learning outcome was presented at a
beginning, developing, or mastered
level and whether or not the learning outcome was
assessed
.
Social Science Specialization
(14 courses)Slide8
Curriculum Map Summary
Learning Outcome Addressed at Any Level
Work cooperatively to address multidisciplinary, sustainability issues using a systems thinking approach
Communicate proficiently about sustainability, both orally and in writing
Apply their knowledge of the social or environmental aspects of sustainability to a sustainability issue
Work with others respectfully
to accomplish shared goals
Integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines to assess sustainability issues
Use a systems-thinking approach to assess issues
Deliver well-organized content
orally to designated audience(s)
Compose
readable prose that effectively conveys content to designated audience(s)
Apply knowledge
of social sustainability to other sustainability issues
Apply knowledge of
envt’l
sustainability to other sustainability issues
Take action to address sustainability challenges
Integrate knowledge
to assess complex sustainability issues
Core Courses
(n = 11)
82%
100%
45%
82%
91%
82%
91%
82%
73%
Natural
Science Specialization
(n = 17)
41%
41%
12%
59%
65%
0%
65%
0%
29%
Social Science Specialization
(n = 9)
11%
33%
0%
44%
89%
33%
33%
0%
44%Slide9
Improvements to Curriculum Map
Have curriculum map evaluated by multiple faculty members
Have learning outcome assessments evaluated by the instructors for each courses
Obtain syllabus for each courseSlide10
Next Steps
Hone and clarify learning outcomes
Some redundancy between learning outcomes
Evaluate learning outcomes of other Sustainability Program (e.g. Curriculum for the Bioregion)Place-based learning missing
Discuss if or how the curriculum map should inform course offerings for the Sustainability Program
Work with faculty to encourage them to address Sustainability major learning outcomes in their courses
Measure student performance for the learning outcomesSlide11
Measuring Student Performance
Work cooperatively to address multidisciplinary, sustainability issues using a systems thinking approach
Communicate proficiently about sustainability, both orally and in writing
Apply their knowledge of the social or environmental aspects of sustainability to a sustainability issue
Work with others respectfully
to accomplish shared goals
Integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines to assess sustainability issues
Use a systems-thinking approach to assess issues
Deliver well-organized content
orally to designated audience(s)
Compose
readable prose that effectively conveys content to designated audience(s)
Apply knowledge
of social sustainability to other sustainability issues
Apply knowledge of
envt’l
sustainability to other sustainability issues
Take action to address sustainability challenges
Integrate knowledge
to assess complex sustainability issues
SUST 201
Sustainability
& Society
SUST 203
Sustainability & Science
SUST 489
Sustainability CapstoneSlide12
Questions and Discussion