The EXACT Plan consolidates GGC’s existing experiential learning resources and practices, expands upon that campuswide inventory by fostering a culture of curricular practice, strengthens practices through focused faculty training that integrates ePortfolio and critical thinking pedagogies into GGC’s expanding experiential learning profile, and operationalizes strategies for ensuring access to all students.
Experiential learning and critical thinking are the topics of GGC’s current QEP.
To accomplish the EXACT Plan, the intentional integration of critical thinking competencies within experiential classroom and curriculum frameworks, when, scaled out, provide all students with opportunities to experience this integrated learning approach multiple times, from general education to upper-division classes in their majors. Additionally, the incorporation of sustained ePortfolio-centered reflection is a foundational component of all experiential learning opportunities demonstrating reflection of the knowledge learned through the experiential learning opportunities.
We aim to identify courses that already have experiential learning assignments or content and scale these courses to form EXACT (Experiential Learning and Critical Thinking) courses through our current QEP (initiated in FA24 with 2 1000 level courses – ITEC 1001 & HIST 1112). By beginning in 1000 level courses, students will practice this skill through multiple classes before taking traditionally known experiential learning courses such as internships, independent research, study abroad, and/or service-learning courses during their senior year. Additionally, we are developing a student recognition program called EXACT Scholars which recognizes and rewards students who take numerous EXACT courses and reflect upon the effect of experiential learning and critical thinking skills on their retention, graduation, and post-graduation opportunities.
EXACT/QEP KPIs:
> Critical-thinking Assessment Test (CAT) score
> Favorable Student & Faculty EXACT perceptions
> Number of EXACT courses
> Number of students in EXACT courses
> Favorable NSSE responses to HIP & Higher Order Learning Prompts
Improved Data on those with EL courses: retention, graduation
> Number of faculty trained to develop EXACT courses
> Number of faculty engaged proactively (over 5 years) in EXACT courses
> Publications of learning activity artifacts in EXACT library
Current/most recent data (for each KPI):
Critical Thinking – baseline CAT score for FTF = 11.59 (max = 38) from SP24
Student & Faculty EXACT perceptions – EXACT perception survey has been conducted in FA24 with 331 student respondents and 110 faculty respondents.
- Based on a student perceptions survey, students reported that critical thinking (51%), problem solving (45%), and communication (40%) were the top choices chosen when asked about the most important essential skills that they learn from participating in experiential learning activities.
- Based on a faculty perceptions survey, faculty reported that critical thinking (65%), problem solving (67%), communication (57%) and collaboration (57%) were the top choices chosen when asked about the essential skills strongly learned from participating in experiential learning activities.
Number of EXACT courses – frequency counts (2 inaugural courses in FA24)
Students in EXACT courses – frequency counts (approximately 2000 students in FA24 within 2 courses)
NSSE responses to HIP & Higher Order Learning Prompts – analysis phase ongoing currently (SP24)
Data on those with EL courses: retention, graduation – frequency counts (baseline are current Fall to Fall data)
Faculty trained to develop EXACT courses – frequency count (4 course coordinators + 2 Faculty Fellows + over 45 section faculty in FA24)
Faculty engaged proactively (over 5 years) in EXACT courses – frequency count (baseline = 0)
Publications of learning activity artifacts in EXACT library – frequency count (6 abstracts submitted to 3 separate professional conferences specifically stemming from the EXACT Plan data + 5 abstracts submitted by EXACT Plan faculty related to experiential learning and critical thinking)
Baseline data (for each KPI, starting FA24)
Critical Thinking – CAT score for FTF = 11.59 (max = 38)
Student & Faculty EXACT perceptions – EXACT perception survey to be piloted in SP24
Number of EXACT courses – frequency counts (baseline = 0)
Students in EXACT courses – frequency counts (baseline = 0)
NSSE responses to HIP & Higher Order Learning Prompts – collection phase currently ongoing (SP24)
Data on those with EL courses: retention, graduation – frequency counts (baseline are current Fall to Fall data)
Faculty trained to develop EXACT courses – frequency count (baseline = 0)
Faculty engaged proactively (over 5 years) in EXACT courses – frequency count (baseline = 0)
Publications of learning activity artifacts in EXACT library – frequency count (baseline = 0)
This project is just starting in SU24. It will be assessed each June to determine what changes need to be made. Experiential learning and critical thinking are the topics of GGC’s current QEP.
The project was initiated in SU24 with two faculty coordinators for two lower-division (1000 level – ITE 1001 & HIST 1112), multi-section, general education courses (total of 4 faculty) participating in a summer bootcamp to develop experiential learning activities to embed within their courses that fosters improvement of the desired critical thinking skillsets. These faculty are responsible for training all section faculty in these activities so that all section faculty for the two courses will provide students with experiential learning activities and associated critical thinking reflections. A pilot assessment of artifacts submitted by students during FA24 will be done on December 11-12, 2024. Further plans include:
- In SP25, two additional 1000 level courses and four 2000 level courses will be selected to develop experiential learning activities aligned with the critical thinking skillsets to be offered during AY26
- By adding these courses listed above, 12 additional faculty will be trained as EXACT course coordinators, and 2 additional faculty will be trained as EXACT faculty fellows.
- ITEC 1001 and HIST 1112 will be tagged as EXACT courses in banner
- ITEC 1001 and HIST 1112 faculty will work on lessons learned papers to be published in the EXACT library
- Human Services, Honors, and Education students may pilot an early adoption of the EXACT Scholars ePortfolio
- EXACT faculty will continue to submit abstracts, make presentations, and publish papers related to the innovative experiential learning opportunities for students in IMPACT courses.
- Continue work on the website to provide visibility across campus and outside of campus
Development of an ePortfolio competition to increase visibility of the EXACT Scholars program.
It is expected, however, that not all faculty of these lower division, multi-section general education courses will participate, particularly in the first year of the course implementation as they acclimate to this new institutional project. Consequently, the target for Year ONE is that at least 50% of the sections will participate in the EXACT Plan implementation.
Additionally, based on the faculty perceptions survey, while faculty report that experiential learning is an effective instructional pedagogy, they cite many obstacles to implementation that include both curricular (e.g. not enough time, difficult to cover material, assessment) and logistical (college bureaucracy, not enough money, classroom structure) challenges. Additionally, when asked about their level of proficiency assessing student reflections, approximately 50% of faculty report that they are beginners or novices. Many of these issues will require additional training. There are still logistical issues related to tagging courses in Banner, maintaining curricular changes as the semesters continue, and policies for transfer students to participate in the EXACT Scholars program.
Connecting with other USG institutions that offer significant experiential learning opportunities in a systematic way would be quite helpful.
