General Education Outcomes: Across the Curriculum Initiatives
General Education Outcomes: Across the Curriculum Initiatives
Northwest Vista College's general education outcomes fall into the following categories that have been designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). These are often referred to as the "core objectives" or the "across the curriculum initiatives":
- Critical Thinking
- Written Communication
- Oral Communication
- Visual Communication
- Teamwork/Cooperative Learning
- Quantitative and Empirical Literacy
- Personal Responsibility
- Social Responsibility
Critical Thinking
Students are asked to go beyond merely absorbing and reiterating information; instead they synthesize original thoughts base don a critical understanding of the evidence. Students should ask deep questions, examine motives, and take a creative approach to examining complex issues which require an analysis of multiple perspectives.
Written Communication
Students are offered multiple opportunities to engage in educational writing assignments across all disciplines and to receive feedback to improve their writing skills. NVC strives to produce graduates who can write effectively for many audiences and purposes.
Oral Communication
Students learn to express their thoughts and ideas in front of an audience. They must have a sense of purpose, good organization structure, and effective physical and vocal delivery techniques as they deliver an extemporaneous oral presentation without reading from a manuscript.
Visual Communication
Images are more and more important in today’s world; therefore, students must be able to understand and use visual representations in a variety of disciplines. Opportunities for visual communication can be incorporated into many assignments and activities.
Teamwork/Cooperative Learning
Students work together in small groups to maximize their own and each others learning. Five essential elements help to define cooperative learning: positive interdependence, individual and group accountability, interpersonal and small group skills, face-to-face promotive interaction, and group processing.
Quantitative and Empirical Literacy
How do students investigate, observe, and utilize quantitative data and phenomena using statistics, mathematical formulas, and computations to help them understand the world?
Personal Responsibility
In both classroom and outside of the classroom settings, students demonstrate the ability to connect choices and actions to consequences. They understand the process of ethical decision making and demonstrate their understanding of the impact of their own actions on the greater community.
Social Responsibility
Students demonstrate intercultural competency through an understanding of a wide range of diverse communities and their social and cultural points of view. They demonstrate civic knowledge and an ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.