Student Success Project: Results

Perceptions of Learning

How much did students learn? A comparison of student perceptions about amount learned when enrolled in a general education course and not enrolled.

Every semester, students in the project reported how much they learned on each general education outcome. We later added a tag (yes/no) and split the students into two groups: enrolled or not enrolled in the general education course. Below, as you’ll see, students enrolled in the general education course consistently reported learning more than students not enrolled that semester. (See also: General Education Requirements for Students.)

Written Communication

Written communication general education courses include Foundations Written Communication (FW), 100-level courses taken during students first year, and Writing Intensive (WI), 100-400 level “focus” courses offered by nearly every discipline/degree program on campus.

Students were asked, How much did you learn about

  1. Writing a paper that achieves a specific purpose
  2. Writing a paper that responds adeptly to an identifiable audience
  3. Revising a paper
  4. Editing and proofreading a paper
  5. Finding credible outside sources to use in a paper (an outside source such as a book, website, article)
  6. Integrating outside sources into a paper by following rules for citing sources and creating a Bibliography, Works Cited, or References list
  7. Expressing your viewpoint in a paper
Students enrolled in a Foundations Written Communication course (FW) and/or a Writing Intensive (WI) course reported more learning: on average, they reported learning “a moderate amount” compared to “a little” by those not enrolled in a FW/WI course.

N = 41-251 (in project year 1, 251 students participated; over time, students dropped out, transferred, or graduated and thus in year 5, 41 students remained in project.

Global and Multicultural Perspectives

Global and multicultural perspectives general education courses are 100-200 level courses typically taken by students in their first and second years at UHM.

Students were asked, How much did you learn about

  1. Different human societies and/or cultural traditions
  2. Global issues
  3. Cross-cultural interactions
Students enrolled in a Foundations Global & Multicultural Perspectives course (FG) reported more learning: on average, they reported learning “a moderate amount” compared to “a little” reported by students not enrolled in a FG course. Students in the project did not take FG courses after year 3, presumably because they had completed the requirement and because these courses are at the 100-200 level.
N = see caption under Written Communication.

Symbolic Reasoning

Students in the project were under the previous general education requirements that included a Foundations Symbolic Reasoning course, a 100- or 200-level course typically taken in the first year. (Currently, students take Quantitative Reasoning.)

Students were asked, How much did you learn about

  1. Using symbolic representations to solve a real-world problem
  2. Evaluating a line of reasoning for correctness
  3. Illustrating the power or limitations of a symbolic technique
  4. Solving math problems
  5. Using quantitative reasoning to solve problems other than math problems
Students enrolled in a Foundations Symbolic Reasoning (FS) course reported more learning: on average, they reported slightly below “a moderate amount” compared to “a little” reported by students not enrolled in a FG course. Students in the project did not take FS courses after year 3, presumably because they had completed the requirement and because these courses are at the 100-200 level.
N = see caption under Written Communication.

Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Issues

General education courses designated as Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Issues (HAP) are offered at the 100-400 levels in many disciplines on campus. Students in the project did not take HAP-designated general education courses after their third year, presumably because they had satisfied the requirement.

Students were asked, How much did you learn about

  1. Native Hawaiian culture or issues
  2. Asian cultures or issues
  3. Pacific Island cultures or issues
Students enrolled in a Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Issues (HAP) general education course reported more learning: on average, they reported slightly above “a moderate amount” compared to “a little” to “zero” reported by students not enrolled in a HAP course. Students in the project did not take HAP courses after year 3, presumably because they had completed the requirement
N = see caption under Written Communication.

Contemporary Ethical Issues

Contemporary Ethical Issues (ETH) general education courses are offered at the 300- and 400-level in many disciplines/degree programs on campus. Students in the project began taking ETH courses in their fourth semester.

Students were asked, How much did you learn about

  1. Identifying an ethical issue
  2. Thinking about an ethical issue
  3. Forming sound ethical judgments
Students enrolled in a Contemporary Ethical Issues (ETH) general education course reported more learning: on average, they reported “a moderate amount” compared to “a little” reported by students not enrolled in an ETH course. Because these courses are offered at the 300 and 400 levels, students began taking them at the end of their second year.
N = see caption under Written Communication.

Oral Communication

Oral Communication (OC) general education courses are offered at the 300- and 400-level in many disciplines/degree programs on campus. Students in the project began taking OC courses at the beginning of their second year.

Students were asked, How much did you learn about

  1. Giving an oral presentation
  2. Using handouts or visual aids to enhance an oral presentation
  3. Orally presenting in a manner appropriate for the intended audience and purpose
  4. Selecting appropriate content for an oral presentation
Students enrolled in an Oral Communication (OC) general education course reported more learning: on average, they reported “a moderate amount” compared to “a little” reported by students not enrolled in an OC course. Because these courses are offered at the 300 and 400 levels, students began taking them during their second year.
N = see caption under Written Communication.