GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE PROPOSA

WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY
PHYSICAL SCIENCE EMPHASIS

 

 

Area:   PHYSICAL SCIENCE   

                                               

Date:   ______________________________

 

College: _____________________________                       

 

Department:    _______________________

 

Catalog  Abbreviation:            _________________

 

Title of Course for Catalog: _____________________________________________

 

Course Number: _____________________  

Credit Hours: _____

 

Substantive: ______

New: ______  

Revised: ______

Renewal _____

 

Course description as you want it to appear in the catalog:

 

 

 

 

 

Justification:

If this course proposal changes the requirements of any existing program, a program change form that reflects the change must be completed and submitted with this course proposal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NATURAL SCIENCES GENERAL EDUCATION MISSION STATEMENT

 

The mission of the natural sciences general education program is to provide students with an understanding and appreciation of the natural world from a scientific perspective.

 

Science is a way of knowing. Its purpose is to describe and explain the natural world, to investigate the mechanisms that govern nature, and to identify ways in which all natural phenomena are interrelated. Science produces knowledge that is based on evidence and that knowledge is repeatedly tested against observations of nature. The strength of science is that ideas and explanations that are inconsistent with evidence are refined or discarded and replaced by those that are more consistent.

 

Science provides personal fulfillment that comes from understanding the natural world. In addition, experience with the process of science develops skills that are increasingly important in the modern world. These include creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and communication of ideas. A person who is scientifically literate is able to evaluate and propose explanations appropriately. The scientifically literate individual can assess whether or not a claim is scientific, and distinguish scientific explanations from those that are not scientific.

 

 

PHYSICAL SCIENCE GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES

 

An approved physical science general education course will prepare a student to fulfill all of the natural science and physical science learning outcomes outlined below.

 

 

NATURAL SCIENCES LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

After completing the natural sciences general education requirements, students will demonstrate their understanding of general principles of science:

 

1.   Nature of science. Scientific knowledge is based on evidence that is repeatedly examined, and can change with new information. Scientific explanations differ fundamentally from those that are not scientific.

Justification:

 

 

2.   Integration of science. All natural phenomena are interrelated and share basic organizational principles. Scientific explanations obtained from different disciplines should be cohesive and integrated.

Justification:

 

 

 

3.   Science and society. The study of science provides explanations that have significant impact on society, including technological advancements, improvement of human life, and better understanding of human and other influences on the earth=s environment.

Justification:

 

 

 

4.   Problem solving and data analysis.  Science relies on empirical data, and such data must be analyzed, interpreted, and generalized in a rigorous manner.

Justification:

 

 

 

PHYSICAL SCIENCE SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

Students will demonstrate their understanding of the following feature of the physical world:

 

1.   Organization of systems: The universe is scientifically understandable in terms of interconnected systems. The systems evolve over time according to basic physical laws.

Justification:

 

 

 

2.   Matter: Matter comprises an important component of the universe, and has physical properties that can be described over a range of scales.

Justification:

 

 

 

3.   Energy: Interactions within the universe can be described in terms of energy exchange and conservation.

Justification:

 

 

 

4.   Forces: Equilibrium and change are determined by forces acting at all organizational levels.

Justification

 

 

 

COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING

 

1.   Has this proposal been discussed with and approved by the department?

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   List those general education courses in other departments with similar subject matter and explain how this course differs.

 

 

3.   If the proposed new general education course affects course requirements or enrollments in other departments, list the departments and programs involved and attach comments from each.

 

 

 

 

 

4.   Attach a topical outline of the course.  Include the number of contact hours per week and the format of these hours (e.g., lecture, lab, field trip, etc.).

 

 

 

New Courses Only:

 

5.   Discuss how you will assess student learning outcomes associated with this course

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current General Education Courses and Existing Courses Seeking General Education Status:

 

6.   Discuss how you have assessed the applicable or identified student learning outcomes associated with this course.

 

 

 

 

 

7.   How has this assessment information been used to improve student learning?