Mission Statement > CSLO > CBSLO > Assignment:

Below are excerpts from the prototype syllabus I have posted to my faculty webpage at:

http://www.sci.edu/classes/ellertsen/betalinks/com150prototype.html

The words, phrases and coding prefixes in green boldface type show how specific learning objectives -- the things we want our students to learn -- are derived from SCI's mission statement and how they are reflected in specific assignments. The Common Student Learning Objectives below were identified Dec. 9, 2004, at a workshop "on developing an understanding of how the College's mission serves as a framework, which guides and shapes how curriculum is taught and how co-curricular activities are selected" (see Kolich). -- Peter Ellertsen, assessment chair, SCI

III. Mission statement. The mission of Springfield College in Illinois is to provide students the best liberal arts education in the Ursuline tradition of a nurturing faith-based environment. We prepare students for a life of learning, leadership and service in a diverse world.

IV. Goals, objectives and outcomes.

A. Goals.

• Students will understand the nature, functions and responsibilities of communication media, including print and broadcast journalism.
• Students will become intelligent consumers of mass media.

B. Objectives. The following Common Student Learning Objectives (CSLOs) adopted Dec. 9, 2004, are addressed:

• Content Knowledge (Lifelong Learning) CK-1. Know and apply the central concepts of the subject matter.
• Communication Skills (Lifelong Learning and Leadership) CS-1. Communicate effectively in oral and written forms.
• Problem Solving Skills (Lifelong Learning and Leadership) PS-2. Seek information and develop an in-depth knowledge base, grounded in research.
• Social Responsibility (Service and Leadership) SR-3. Develop good citizenship.
• Global Perspectives (Diversity) GP-1. Recognize the importance of diversity of opinion, abilities and cultures.

C. Course Based Student Learning Objectives. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to demonstrate their mastery of the following learning outcomes, addressing the following CLSOs (in parentheses):

• CBSLO-1. To define the functions of the mass media in the United States (CK-1, SR-3, GP-1).
• CBSLO-2. To describe the various mass media, including books, newspapers, radio, motion pictures, television and the Internet as technologies of communication (CK-1, CS-1).
• CBSLO-3. To articulate the complexity of practices in the industries that make up the media, as well as the trend toward concentration of ownership (CK-1, CS-1).
• CBSLO-4. To apply critical methods to the study of mass communication. (CK-1, PS-2).
• CBSLO-5. To evaluate the importance of traditional and nontraditional mass communications media (CK-1, GP-1).

V. Teaching Methods. [omitted]

VI. Course Requirements.

A. Attendance Policy. [omitted]

B. Reading Assignments. [omitted]

C. Written Assignments.

• Students are required to post to the message board journal observations on the newspaper or broadcast news site you monitor. When news events occur that relate to principles we are studying, I will post pertinent information and questions to the message board. (CBSLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
• Students are required to write an eight- to 12-page documented term paper on some aspect of the mass media's impact on society and to summarize your research in a three- to five-minute informal oral presentation. (CBLSO 1, 3, 4)
• Both the midterm and final exam will be a combination of essay questions, in which students will discuss broad trends related to overarching course goals and objectives; and shorter (25-point) essay questions in which students will define terms and tell their significance. Reflective questions, in which students speak to changes in their knowledge and understanding of media issues at the beginning and end of the course, may be embedded in the test format. The final exam will be cumulative, covering the entire semester. (CBLSO 1, 2, 3, 5)

References:

Kolich, Eileen. Evaluation Summary, Assessment Workshop, Springfield College in Illinois, Dec. 9, 2004. http://www.sci.edu/assessment/programgoals/workshop.html