General Education at Fredonia 

Revised General Education Program Guidelines
VI. Social Sciences

For approval of a course in the Social Science section, the instructor will provide a comprehensive description of the course, addressing its aims and general requirements, including:

1. evidence that the course presents general ideas and principles basic to the field of study including:

1. an introduction to the major concepts, theories, models and issues;
2. an introduction to the major research methods, including

1. an examination of what constitutes evidence;
2. an examination of cause-effect relationships;
3. the importance of formulating, measuring, and manipulating variables;
4. the importance of formulating, operationalizing, and testing hypotheses;

3. an overview of the history of the development of the field;
4. awareness of contemporary thinking in the field;
5. awareness of connections to related disciplines;
6. consideration of the way in which culture has influenced the development of the field;

2. evidence that the course requires discussions, written assignments, and/or oral presentations that facilitate improvement of student skills, including critical thinking and critical literacy, in the following areas:

1. interpretation of findings;
2. differentiation between empirical fact and opinion;
3. the relationship between hypothesis and theory;
4. evaluation of logic and parsimony of arguments;
5. alternate interpretations of findings;
6. questioning of assumptions and exploration of new areas of inquiry;

3. a brief description of the methods to be used to assess student understanding of the course's subject matter and student attainment of the abilities and understandings listed above, as well as a method for providing for course improvement.

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