Assessing General Education Skills
I continuously assess general education skills on my students because they don't understand a lot of questions that are asked orally or written. Their biggest excuse is that they have a IEP or were always special education students that were never put in population, and could I continue what they were use to doing like read the questions to them. Wow.
I notice that career college-population students are more demanding and get-to-the-point, which I find refreshing, because it is a form of CAT -- quick assessment. If students want to take an easier path, I find it actually healthy to explain the reasoning for doing things the instructor's way. "Oh, you want to have the questions read out loud? Sounds great. What will that teach you?" The answer is, How we can get our hands held if we can't read complex sentence. "Will that happen in your career?" The answer is, Well, no.
Since the field I teach has, in the past, had a sketchy reputation we are very dedicated to teaching the "soft skill" of Ethical Reasoning. We review a number of ethical dilemas using a model of Ethical Decision Making:
1. Define the ethical question or dilemma
2. Determine if it is also a legal issue
3. Identify the values, rights, duties, standards that apply
4. List people who might be affected
5. List alternative courses of action
6. Identify most important considerations
7. Identify personal motivations and interests in the outcome
8. Consider advice from others
9. Select the best course of action
a. Maintains the highest values
b. Results in greatest good or least harm
10. Evaluate the consequences and learn from experience
C. Learning from the experiences of others
Hi Linda, That's a great example of using critical thinking!
Susan Polick
