ERIC Number: EJ1359927
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-3667
EISSN: EISSN-1527-2060
Available Date: N/A
Closing the Gap: Increasing Student Voice on Campus to Improve Understanding of a General Education Program's Goals
Hopkins, Daniel; Bieter, John
Journal of General Education, v69 n1-2 p30-59 2020
This article traces the efforts made by Boise State's General Education program--University Foundations--and an undergraduate researcher to improve understanding of general education on campus. Undergraduate students often struggle to understand general education's goals. In order to improve this understanding, University Foundations committed itself to increasing the student voice on campus. It began by adding three different pieces of experiential learning--an undergraduate research team, a mentor program, and reflection in capstone courses--to build the student voice within the program. University Foundations then changed the language of the program to make it more accessible, created mottos to help in understanding general education's purpose, and made presentations to student and faculty groups. This would lead to further presentations that explained the purpose of general education to the universal freshman seminar course. Finally, University Foundations founded an annual faculty summit to help instructors better understand and articulate the purpose of general education to their students. By adding and sustaining the student voice, University Foundations worked to close the gap in understanding of the program's goals.
Descriptors: Student Attitudes, College Students, General Education, Program Evaluation, Goal Orientation, Undergraduate Students, Experiential Learning, Student Research, Mentors, Reflection, Capstone Experiences, Peer Relationship, Educational Change, School Orientation
Pennsylvania State University Press. 820 North University Drive, USB 1 Suite C, University Park, PA 16802. Tel: 800-326-9180; Tel: 814-865-1327; Fax: 814-863-1408; e-mail: info@psupress.org; Web site: http://www.psupress.org/journals/jnls_jge.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Idaho (Boise)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A