Think Beyond the Major: Pilot Test of a Communication Campaign to Increase Student Appreciation for General Education Curriculum

abstract:Although skills learned in general education courses are seen as vital by faculty and employers, students often fail to understand their benefits. The Think Beyond the Major communication campaign was developed to increase undergraduate perceptions about the value of general education courses. Campaign effectiveness was evaluated in a pilot test using a pre-test/post-test noncontrol-group design; all students on campus were invited to participate in the study. Although perceptions were unchanged pre- to post-campaign, analyses found campaign exposure was positively associated with higher student perceptions of general, educational, and career benefits of taking general education courses. Implications for theory and practice are explored.