Starting in Spring 2023, the Office of Academic Program Review and Assessment conducts a stratified random sample of general education courses each semester, asking selected instructors to share how they have helped students to learn general education outcomes and how their students have achieved the outcomes in their courses. At the end of the semester, instructors complete the assessment form for a specific general education outcome approved for the course. The information collected through the form allows UIC to see how undergraduate students have achieved the outcomes and how students’ learning experience has been improved.

The semester-long general education assessment process can be illustrated as follows:

Step 1: Select General Education Category

APRA identifies either a general education category and / or a course from the First-Year Writing Program to be assessed in a given semester. General education categories and First-Year Writing Program courses will be assessed on a rotating basis using the following schedule:

• Spring 2023: Understanding U.S. Society (USS)
• Fall 2023: Exploring World Cultures (EWC); ENGL 160
• Spring 2024: Analyzing the Natural World (ANW)
• Fall 2024: Understanding the Creative Arts (UCA)
• Spring 2025: Understanding the Past (UP); ENGL 161
• Fall 2025: Understanding the Individual and Society (UIS)

Step 2: Select Course

APRA conducts a stratified random sample of courses by approved general education learning outcome within the selected general education category or First-Year Writing Program course. For general education categories, between 40-50 courses offered in a given semester are sampled within each category, with seven or ten courses sampled for each learning outcome. For First-Year Writing Program courses, approximately 30 instructors teaching the identified course in a given semester are sampled, with 5 instructors sampled for each learning outcome.

Step 3: Notify DUS and Select Section

APRA notifies the DUS of selected courses and asks them to identify specific course sections to assess for a given learning outcome. For general education categories with fewer approved courses offered in a given semester, the DUS will be asked to identify more than one course section to assess for the identified learning outcome(s).

Step 4: Notify Instructor

APRA sends the assessment form and timeframe to the instructors responsible for the selected sections. Instructors are informed about which approved general education learning outcome to assess in their course section.

Step 5: Complete Form

APRA emails a link to the assessment form at the end of the semester via Qualtrics to each instructor.

Step 6: Generate Reports

APRA updates the summary reports showing student performance on the outcomes selected.

Information about the office’s approach to generation education assessment prior to Spring 2023 is available here.