Subject Area Distribution: Effective Fall 2021
Area A: English Language Communication and Critical Thinking
9 semester units (12 quarter units)
One course in each Subarea
| A1 | Oral Communication | (3 semester units or 4 quarter units) |
| A2 | Written Communication | (3 semester units or 4 quarter units) |
| A3 | Critical Thinking | (3 semester units or 4 quarter units) |
Area B: Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning
12 semester units (18 quarter units), with 3 semester units (4 quarter units) taken at the upper-divisional level
One course each in Subareas B1, B2, and B4, plus laboratory activity (B3) related to one of the completed science
courses, and 3 additional semester units (4 quarter units) at the upper-division in one of the following Subareas.
| B1 | Physical Science | (3 semester units or 4 quarter units) |
| B2 | Life Science | (3 semester units or 4 quarter units) |
| B3 | Laboratory Science | A laboratory course of not more than 1 semester (2 quarter) unit value,
associated with B1 or B2, may be required.
|
| B4 | Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning | (3 semester units or 4 quarter units) |
Area C: Arts and Humanities
12 semester units (18 quarter units), with 3 semester units (4 quarter units) taken at the upper-division level
At least one course completed in each of these 2 Subareas, and 3 additional semester units (4 quarter units) at the
upper-division in one of the following Subareas.
| C1 | Arts: (e.g., Arts, Cinema, Dance, Music Theater) |
| C2 | Humanities: (e.g., Literature, Philosophy, Languages Other than English)
|
Area D: Social Sciences
9 semester units (12 quarter units), with 3 semester units taken at the upper-division
Courses shall be completed in at least 2 different disciplines among the 9 required semester units.
Area E: Lifelong Learning and Self-Development
Area E requires 3 semester units (4 quarter units) of study at the lower-division
Area F: Ethnic Studies
3 semester units (4 quarter units)
This lower-division, 3 semester (4 quarter) unit requirement fulfills Education Code Section 89032. The requirement
to take a 3 semester (4 quarter) unit course in Area F shall not be waived or substituted
GE Math & Quantitative Reasoning
Outcomes and Assessments
Sample approaches to identifying and assessing course outcomes and student-learning outcomes are shared here. This is
not intended to be an exhaustive list but to provide a starting point with the most well-established and credible
resources. The majority of these links will lead to additional resources. We welcome further suggestions for this
collection.
AAC&U Quantitative Literacy VALUE rubric:
The VALUE (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education) rubrics "articulate fundamental criteria
for each learning outcome, with performance descriptors demonstrating progressively more sophisticated levels of
attainment. The rubrics are intended for institutional-level use in evaluating and discussing student learning, not
for grading."
CSU East Bay Assessment Resources: A
compilation of resources, including rubrics for a variety of assignments and program assessment needs, all linked to
CSU East Bay's Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs). One rubric faculty developed and approved for pilot
assesses Quantitative Reasoning.
CSU
Monterey Bay Assignment Guides: Developed by the Assessment Coordinators at CSU Monterey Bay to "help
instructors embed critical thinking and information literacy tasks and assessment criteria in quantitative reasoning,
written communication, and oral communication assignments."
Degree Qualifications Profile: The DQP
"outlines a set of reference points for what students should know and be able to do upon completion of
associate, bachelor's and master's degrees — in any field of study." There are five broad areas of
learning and Quantitative Fluency is one of the proficiencies within the "Intellectual Skills" area.
Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) workshop assessment tools: Descriptions and
links to tests and surveys used by some institutions and/or instructors to assess QR skills or growth.
QuIRK resources on QR Program Design and
Assessment: Extensive resources for assessing QR, including learning goals, assessment rubrics and the
assessment protocol Carleton uses for its annual assessment program.
Teaching Resources
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list but to provide a starting point with the most well-established and
credible resources. The majority of these links will lead to additional resources not listed here.
National Numeracy Network (NNN): The
first stop for any instructor interested in QR, the NNN provides modules on pedagogical approaches, collections of
course materials and links to a variety of other QR resources.
QuIRK curricular materials: Includes a
guide to creating QR writing assignments, examples of QR assignments and courses, and a module on using spreadsheets
to teach QR across the curriculum.
"Beyond Calculation" (Madison and Deville, 2014): This peer review article provides
basic design principles for an effective QR course.
Thinking Quantitatively: Eric Gaze's
blog highlights news articles with quantitative information as well as suggestions for QR class
activities.