Natural Sciences

Outcome: Students will identify, evaluate, and interpret major scientific concepts and methods through observation and scientific experimentation, and assess their impact on the environment, contemporary society and the student's own life.

The university's general education curriculum develops students' knowledge and skills related to the natural sciences primarily through selected introductory courses in biological sciences, chemistry, geology, and physics. The university gathers data for assessing students' knowledge and skills from these courses each year. (In addition, the university also reviews data from majors that assess related knowledge and skills.)

• Natural Sciences scoring rubric (content subareas must be specified for each discipline and course)
• Natural Sciences reporting template and directions

The Natural Sciences rubric was developed by representatives of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Geology and the administration. It has been in use since the summer 2008. For questions about the rubric or its use, please contact Jonathan Lindzey by email or at extension 2987.

In reporting data for each general content area, programs may report scores for selected questions from a cumulative final exam or scores from unit or midterms devoted to particular areas. The scientific methods portion of the rubric is most easily applied in laboratory settings where different elements of the scientific method can be scored. (Note: It is not necessary that a course address all components of the scientific method.)