Social Sciences (S)
- demonstrate an understanding of the methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena;
- describe major concepts and theories of at least one discipline in the social sciences;
- evaluate information with an awareness of authority, validity, and bias (information literacy
competency).
Glossary
Social Phenomena: “refers to the interactions between and among individuals, and to the characteristics, structures, and functions of social groups and institutions, such as families, communities, schools, and workplaces, as well as the physical, economic, cultural, and policy environments in which social and behavioral phenomena occur.” NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (https://obssr.od.nih.gov/about/bssr-definition).
Social scientists use both qualitative and quantitative methods including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical and interpretive analysis.
| Learning Outcomes | Exceeds (10-9) | Meets (8.9-8) | Approaches (7.9-7) | Does Not Meet (6.9-0) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methods social sciences use to explore social phenomena (SLO 1) | Student conveys a thorough and detailed knowledge of at least 3 methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena. Student can identify an appropriate method for a specific research question and justify why the method was selected over others. | Student conveys a general knowledge of at least 3 methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena. Student can identify an appropriate method for a specific research question but cannot adequately explain the advantages of the selected method over others. | Student can identify and describe some common methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena. | Student is unable to identify or describe common methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena. |
|
Major concepts and theories of at least one discipline of the social sciences (SLO 2) |
Student insightfully applies major concepts and theories from a social science discipline to a social issue or research question. Can generalize course concepts to new situations. | Student accurately applies major concepts and theories from a social science discipline to a social issue or research question. Is not able to apply concepts and theories to new situations. | Student defines or describes some major concepts and theories but cannot apply those concepts or ideas correctly. | Student is unable to define or describe most fundamental concepts or ideas from the course. |
| Evaluate information (Info literacy) | Chosen sources explore the topic in its complexity and reflect scholarly standards for authority and/or evidence-based approaches in the field. Bias of all sources is taken into account. | Chosen sources explore the topic sufficiently and reflect scholarly standards for authority and/or evidence-based approaches in the field. Bias of most sources is taken into account. | Chosen sources explore the topic partially and may include information that does not adhere to scholarly standards for authority and/or evidence-based approaches in the field. Bias of some sources is taken into account. | Chosen sources are inadequate to explore the topic sufficiently and/or they do not meet scholarly standards for authority and/or evidence-based approaches in the field. Bias of specific sources is not considered. |
How to calculate scores to categorize students into performance categories (exceeds, meets, approaches, does not meet) basing the score on a 100-point scale
Example:
| Learning Outcome | Score |
|---|---|
| SLO 1 Methods | 9/10 pts = 90 / Student exceeds |
| SLO 2 Concepts | 8.5/10 = 85 / Student meets |