Depth, Breadth, & Integration of Learning
UCORE-designated courses advance Depth, Breadth, & Integration of Learning as appropriate to the designator, with a minimum of six credit hours in UCORE-designated courses that include instruction and/or engagement with Integrative Learning and a minimum of 19 credit hours in UCORE-designated courses that include instruction and/or engagement with Breadth of Learning (see the UCORE Curriculum Map (PDF) and UCORE Curriculum webpages for more information). At the first-year level, the first-year experience course [ROOT] is required to advance Integrative Learning. At the senior-level, the senior capstone experience course [CAPS] is required to advance Integrative Learning. Students also complete ways of knowing requirements, which advance Breadth of Learning, during the UCORE curriculum.
WSU Undergraduate Learning Goal: Graduates will develop depth, breadth, and integration of learning for the benefit of themselves, their communities, their employers, and for society at large. Graduates may demonstrate depth, breadth, and integration of learning:
- Through broad study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, history, languages, and the arts.
- By demonstrating a depth of knowledge within the chosen academic field of study based on integration of its history, core methods, techniques, vocabulary, and unsolved problems.
- By applying the concepts of the general and specialized studies to personal, academic, service learning, professional, and/or community activities.
- By understanding how the methods and concepts of the chosen discipline (major) relate to those of other disciplines and by engaging in cross-disciplinary activities.
- By synthesizing multiple bodies of knowledge to address real-world problems and issues.
- By reflecting upon changes in learning and outlook over time and by making personal, professional, and civic plans based on that self-reflection.
Current Evidence of Student Learning Related to Depth, Breadth, and Integration of Learning
Click on the headings for current evidence of student learning from assessments aligned with Depth, Breadth, and Integration of Learning in the context of the UCORE curriculum:
- Student Learning at the Senior Level: AY 2020-21 [CAPS] Course Assessment Results As reported in the AY 2020-21 [CAPS] Course Assessment Reporting Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE, assessment results indicated that 82% of students met or exceeded expectations at the graduating undergraduate level for Information Literacy. Additionally, 83% of students met or exceeded expectations for Integrative Learning. In courses where faculty members found enough elements to evaluate student learning on additional learning goals, instructors indicated that 82% of the students met or exceeded expectations for Scientific Literacy, and 81% for Quantitative Reasoning.
- Information Literacy, Integrative Learning, and Critical Thinking Achievement at the First-Year Level: AY 2020-21 Roots of Contemporary Issues [ROOT] Final Papers Assessment Results As reported in the AY 2020-21 [ROOT] Final Papers Assessment Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE (PDF), assessment results indicated that, on average, 78% of first-year students met or exceeded expectations at the first-year undergraduate level at the end of their UCORE first-year experience [ROOT] course on rubric outcomes related to Information Literacy. Additionally, 88% […]
- Student Learning at the First-year and Senior Level: 2021 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Results As reported in the 2021 National Survey of Student Engagement Summary of Key Evidence for UCORE (PDF), results from the 2021 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) indicate that most WSU seniors (87%) have considerable confidence in their ability to complete tasks requiring clear writing. In addition to Written Communication, results from the 2021 NSSE also provide indirect evidence of student […]