Skills Acquired Through General Education

Based on what you have learned as a university student, including information and ideas gathered from the Week One and Week Three readings and discussions about general education, write a brief journal entry (350- 500 words) in which you will

• Explain newly-developed skills as well as other learning opportunities acquired through your university experience.
• Describe where and how you acquired the necessary skills that helped you excel through the progression of your education. Be sure to include examples.
• Develop a plan illustrating how you plan to transfer those skills into everyday life.
• Demonstrate critical thinking skills by effectively communicating ideas or points clearly, thoroughly, and accurately.

The journal entry should meet APA standards and requirements as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Articles

• Austin, M. W. (2011, April 13). The value of general education [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ethics-everyone/201104/the-value-general-education
• In this article, the author gives some reasons that support the importance of general education courses. The reasons for general education courses include: helping a student become a better citizen; increasing critical thinking skills; and providing students with a broad and deep education.
• Dowd, M. (2015). What is the purpose of taking general classes for a college degree? Retrieved from http://education.seattlepi.com/purpose-taking-general-classes-college-degree-1876.html
• In this article, the author explains the importance of breadth of learning. General education courses encompass several areas of study (social sciences, math, science, humanities and nature), which will help prepare students to think more analytically, consider many views on a topic and value cultural differences when they begin their advanced study courses.
• Lewis, H. R. (2008). A core curriculum for tomorrow’s citizens. Education Digest, 73(5), 47-50. Retrieved from https://www.eddigest.com/
• The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the ERIC database in the Ashford University Library. The author of this article expresses an opinion regarding how college students should have the freedom to choose what they want to learn instead of being forced to abide by the university’s core curriculum. This article also addresses citizenship and how it is important for college graduates to understand the basic principles on which the U.S. government runs. This article will allow the reader to assess their own level of civic engagement and determine if their courses promote this.
• Reysen, S., & Katzarska-Miller, I. (2013). A model of global citizenship: Antecedents and outcomes. International Journal of Psychology, 48(5), 858-870. doi:10.1080/00207594.2012.701749
• The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) database in the Ashford University Library. This article provides information concerning the idea of the global citizen. The authors explain the outcomes of identifying with a superordinate identity (global citizen) from two different studies. The relationship between global awareness and social values was evaluated. This article will allow the reader to assess their level of global citizenship and how it can impact their own identity and psychological well-being.
• Serafin, C. (n.d.). General education requirements: What’s the point? Retrieved from http://www.collegexpress.com/articles-and-advice/majors-and-academics/articles/college-academics/general-education-requirements-whats-point/
• In this article, the author explains what general education requirements are and some of the reasons why colleges include them in degree requirements. The author suggests that one of the biggest problems with general education courses is the fact that students do not think they are important. The author then supports the fact that general education courses increase a student’s critical thinking skills, communication skills, and problem-solving skills before they start taking more advanced courses in their field of study.
• Wehlburg, C. M. (2010). Integrated general education: A brief look back. New Directions for Teaching & Learning, 121, 3-11. doi:10.1002/tl.383
• The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) database in the Ashford University Library. This article addresses that assessment practices that take place in order to measure the course learning outcomes in higher education programs. Assessing general education has been a difficult task compared to assessing different majors based on content and skills. The goals of critical thinking, problem solving and communication may be more difficult to measure. Assessment procedures tend to be more qualitative when it comes to general education curriculum. This article will allow the reader to fully understand the assessment procedures that have been able to measure their core general education requirements.
• White, J. (2009). Why general education? Peters, Hirst and history. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 43,123-141. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9752.2009.00718.x
• The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) database in the Ashford University Library. The author of this article provides historical background information concerning the opposing views of the purpose of general education from Richard Peters and Paul Hirst. This article will allow the reader to use critical thinking skills to assess whether there must be some good intrinsic reason for an academic curriculum as we see it today.

Multimedia

• Studio12TV. (2012, January 3). Global education and global citizenship [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXzRHbISFW0
• This video provides reasons in support of the idea of global citizenship and its relationship with national citizenship. It addresses what people can do to identify more with being a global citizen. If we would look at our own identity and see how we are connected with others, we will be able to appreciate the differences in others. Identity is socially constructed based on the environment we live in. The video will helps raise awareness of one’s own identity and how it can be changed to increase global citizenship. Transcript
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• Articles

  • Noaparast, K. B. (2013). Celebrating moderate dualism in the philosophy of education: A reflection on the Hirst-Carr debate. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 47(4), 564-576. doi:10.1111/1467-9752.12039
  • The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) database in the Ashford University Library. In this article, the author discusses the debate of Paul Hirst and Wilfred Carr in relation to their ideas on the philosophy of education, arguing that we should embrace the idea of modern dualism in regards to theory and practical application of these opposing views.
  • Saito, N. (2006). Philosophy as education and education as philosophy: Democracy and education from Dewey to Cavell. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 40(3), 345-356. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9752.2006.00527.x
  • The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) database in the Ashford University Library. In this article, the author focuses on the comparison of Dewey’s idea of pragmatism to Cavell’s thoughts of democracy as a way of life regarding the relationship between education and philosophy as a form of problem-solving.
  • Saito, N. (2007). Philosophy as translation: Democracy and education from Dewey to Cavell. Educational Theory, 57(3), 261-275. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-5446.2007.00256.x
  • The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) database in the Ashford University Library. In this article, the author addresses the challenges of Dewey’s idea of “mutual national understanding” when it comes to education of global citizenship, proposing an approach to teach global citizenship based on the ideas of Cavell.