Addressing a Central Dichotomy in Assessment: Did They Merely Learn Their Lessons or Were They Changed by What They Learned? A Report of a Seven Semester Experiment

Abstract

This research reports on an original assessment administered to nearly 400 students in 12 sections of a course entitled American 20th Century Political History taught over seven consecutive semesters, including the Fall of 2014. This general education offering of my design is organized around ten large themes and does not follow a strict chronological sequence. Significant numbers of the respondents reported that they are “more likely to vote in future elections,” “will try to learn more to understand current events,” and “changed how they think about some important public issues.” Those positive responses combine the strongly agree and agree options on a five-point Likert scale. This research examines whether it is possible to measure reliably both how well students achieve specific course objectives, especially those aimed at mastery of central concepts, and whether the experience of a single course can affect larger political attitudinal and behavioral change in students.