Curricular Aims: Assessment of University Capstone
Albert North Whitehead (1929) believed that the raison d’etre of universities was neither for the imparting of knowledge nor for the opportunity for research. Cheaper alternatives for both were and are available to achieve those functions. Instead, he asserted.
The justification for a university is that it preserves the connections between knowledge and the zest of life, by uniting the young and the old in the imaginative consideration of learning. The university imparts information, but it imparts it imaginatively. At least, this is the function which it should perform for society. A university which fails in this respect has no reason for existence (p. 93).
When Whitehead described the purpose of education in his text, The Aims of Education, he had the luxury of his assertions without the burden of proof. The Academy today, while equally as passionate about the aims of education as Whitehead, must not only describe its reason(s) for existence, it must also provide evidence that those aims which it described as important are ultimately attained by its students. This evidence must be considered and presented both for ourselves (The Academy) and for our “constituents” (i.e. students, accrediting bodies, employers, donors, and society).
The authors assert that three issues are paramount to any assessment of a curriculum in higher education. The first deals with the “reason for existence” issue raised by Whitehead (i.e. Are we doing the right thing?). The second issue has to do with examination of whether we are accomplishing our goals (i.e. Are we doing the right thing right?). The final issue involves how we can assess whether we are doing the "right thing right."
Doing the right thing?
Several years ago, Millikin University embarked on the difficult challenge to create a seamless curriculum that provided for intentional connections -- connections between the major and the non-major, connections between the curricular components at each level, and connections between the curricular components over the course of four years. In the development of this comprehensive and cohesive curriculum (dubbed the MPSL -- the Millikin Program of Student Learning), the faculty identified "common threads" of the MPSL. Those common threads are 1) Student learning goals, 2) Core questions, values, and means, and 3) Proficiencies. (See the student learning goals in Table 1 for the specific elements defining each one). The faculty vision for the University is actualized through the effective implementation of these common threads within the curriculum.
In his article “A Rational Optimist’s View of American Higher Education”, Dr Lane A. Glenn discusses his vision concerning higher education in America. Inside the article, he explains and also re-futes the principal reasons why today, some people doubt of the importance of higher education such as colleges and universities in America. Glenn is writing to an academic and public audience in order to in-form them about what is happening to the education. His main claim is that receiving a higher education is still valuable.
...gue officials conducted various surveys regarding the number of African American employees in several types of jobs. These surveys showed, on average, a very low percentage of African American employees in many, if not all, of the job types the Urban League surveyed. In response to this low percentage, Urban League officials and members created several programs to assist African American youth and adults in having success with obtaining higher education and steady employment. With their efforts, the Detroit Urban League has opened many doors for the African American citizens of Detroit which were previously thought of as unattainable. As the services and programs offered by the Detroit Urban League continue to grow and evolve, the positive impact the Urban League has had for many of the African American citizens of Detroit will continue for many generations to come.
The Bitcoin is a change for the global economy because it has the “…ability to move large sums of money across borders instantly, cheaply and potentially anonymously” (Foley, Noble, Chilkoti, and Jones, 2014). Although some countries have established strict enforcements on the Bitcoin, other count...
The university is a convenience store located along the highway of life. It's not a place the customer-student necessarily wants to stop at, but looking at the gas gauge of opportunity, the customer has decided to stop and fill up on knowledge in order to continue on the journey. Everything the university offers can be compared with an item offered at the convenience store.
Nick Bilton starts “Artificial Intelligence as a Threat” with a comparison of Ebola, Bird flu, SARS, and artificial intelligence. Noted by Bilton, humans can stop Ebola, bird flu, and SARS. However, artificial intelligence, if it ever exceeds human intelligence, would not be stoppable by humans. Bilton, in his article, argues that AI is the biggest threat to humans at our current time, more serious than Ebola and other diseases. Bilton references many books and articles which provide examples of threats of AI.
With the world’s population continuing to increase, the demand for food is higher than ever. This increase in food demand also calls for more efficient ways of growing and providing the food. Two methods that are very controversial are the organic and conventional method. While many people support the organic method because of its known benefits, others feel that it is an over inflated industry that cheats consumers out of their money. But recently many studies have disproved those critics. These studies prove that Organic food is a better choice than conventional because it is better for the environment, avoids the use of chemicals, and is generally more beneficial.
To begin, the main issue of development of Artificial Intelligence is the economic factors. Firstly, one of the main negative effects of AI on economy is unemployment. According to the suggesting of Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne of Oxford University during next 20 years 47 per cent of all USA jobs under the threat and will be replaced with intelligence machines (Vincent). If jobs will be automated, people will lose their workplaces and it is becomes one of the harmful problems not only for economy, but also for society. Because, if people will not have a workplace, they will not be able to provide their needs. Furthermore, development of AI can be a reason of increasing inequality of wages. For instance, the salaries of computer workers approximately earn 10 to 15 percent more than others. (Frey and Osborne). It is also one of the economic problems because it can lead to discontent of workers who hav...
As time has progressed, there has always been an overarching need for high amounts of crop production throughout the world. With the rapid rate of population growth, the need for crops and other sources of nutrients is only increasing. In order to meet these high demands and increase yields, farmers and other agriculturalists have started implementing the use of pesticides. These chemical mixtures are being used in order to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate any pests from destroying growing crops. However, using pesticides on crops can create massive amounts of pollution, negatively affect an individual’s health, and can spark biodiversity loss within an ecosystem. According to Michael C.R. Alavanja, “Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used within the United States (US) each year and approximately 5.6 billion pounds are used worldwide”. With all this in mind, it is clear that pesticides should not be made available to farmers and agriculturalists, and should
Instead of using pesticides in farming a better alternative would be biological control. This is when a natural predator is released into the crop growing area as a result the number of pests can be reduced.
Pop culture has explored this idea and gave fictional tales of what can happen if artificial intelligence “goes bad”. While it may not be a credible source, it still has room for interpretation. Allowing robotics what is arguably the most influential trait today, a mind, is a frightening thought. Researching the human mind is still a field of study today and is not fully understood. How can scientists and researchers behind artificial intelligence accurately come up with how the human mind interacts with itself and its surroundings? Yes, they can start with the ability to learn, such as a path of an infant absorbing knowledge through its adolescence, but what if the expansion of information becomes exponential? The artificial intelligence may gain full control and depth of their mind and comprehend the world differently as humans do. This brings the artificial intelligence to a cognitive and spiritual level beyond that of the human mind. If this were to happen humans cannot be able to understand the artificial intelligence. They have programmed it to learn itself, its mind, and how to operate. What level is that beyond a human mind, a god? At one point researchers that developed the artificial intelligence had a grasp and outlook for their technology’s lifespan. What they thought the artificial intelligence may derive from its programming, has transformed into something completely dissimilar. The artificial
conventional food, they take in a great deal of harmful chemicals. In organic farming, “... there is
...that a person should read this book. The book will keep people wanting more and they will be unable to put the book down. Most books have a plot and a relationship. These topics are very general and not always interesting. People want something that is less original and more new. An audience want to be entertained and the “hunger games” will entertain any audience.
The idea of education has been a big part of each and every culture on earth. However, as we all know, there are many questions on what it means to be educated in the form of higher education: questions we, as students, must face sooner or later. Here I am, my junior year in college. In a couple of years, I will be either prolonging my education or out in the real world trying to make a living. I must ask myself these questions: What is the purpose of my higher education? What exactly am I learning? Is the education I am receiving here at the University of Arkansas going to be good enough for a future employer? If I am educated does that mean I am trained to do only one thing? Am I one-dimensional?
Curriculum is important being it’s the underlying factor that plays a role in determining ones growth, achievement and success. The majority of curriculum con...
One of the most clearly seen and common aim of schooling is to develop individuals ‘who have skills an...