Ethical Implications of Subject Matter:
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to develop their understanding of the ethical implications of the subject matter.
Application: Fulfillment of this purpose assumes that a significant portion of the total class time is devoted to a thoughtful consideration of the ethical issues related to the subject-matter of the course.
Problem Solving:
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to improve their skills in problem-solving.
Application: The purpose is fulfilled when each student is expected to prepare oral or written presentations which require her/him to carefully analyze and suggest approaches and solutions to problems related to the subject area of the course. The analysis should demonstrate comprehension of the various factors which determine the problem, comprehension of the context and implications of the problem, suggestions or approaches to solving the problem, and evaluation of those suggestions.
Writing:
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to improve their writing skills.
Application: The focus of asking students to apply their writing skills should not be simply on the quantity of writing required; rather, the primary concern is the quality of writing.
Oral Communications:
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to develop their skills in oral communications.
Application: The purpose is fulfilled when each student is expected to make one or more prepared oral presentations in the class. They may be speeches, reports, and debates, etc. "Participation in class discussion" does not fulfill the purpose.
Social Interaction:
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to improve their skills in working cooperatively with other people.
Application: Fulfilling this purpose would normally mean that a significant portion of the class time would be utilized by structure in-class exercises and simulations involving all students enrolled in the course. Such exercises and simulations should focus on skills such as giving and receiving responsible feedback, listening and communicating with others, managing interpersonal conflict, etc.
Research:
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to improve their skills in research and/or information retrieval and gain knowledge about major information systems and data bases.
Application: Students in the class should normally be expected to: a) complete an investigative paper on topic requiring extensive use of library sources and/or other information sources, especially computer online databases: or, b) complete an experimental or theoretical research project including a written and/or oral report.
Quantitative Skills:
Purpose: To give student an opportunity to develop their quantitative skills.
Application: In order to fulfill the purpose, a substantial portion of the work done by student in the course (exams, assignments, papers, etc.) should directly involve their abilities to apply basic quantitative skills to the subject-matter of the course. Basic quantitative skills include the ability to understand and interpret the kinds of data, which informed citizens regularly confront in their personal and professional lives (e.g., the ability to develop and interpret graphs) and/or the ability to use formal quantitative descriptions of laws, principles, etc., to explain or predict phenomena (e.g. the ability to use equations to solve problems.)
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