Generally Speaking: The Impact of General Education on Student Learning in the 21st Century

This culminating text provides the field of higher education with an extensive overview of how changes made to general education in the 21st century have impacted student learning across institutional types. We first survey the history of general education in the United States as well as how it has evolved since its inception. We then offer a discussion on how the recommendations of stakeholder groups such as the University of California system’s Commission on General Education in the 21st Century have shaped general education in recent decades. Subsequent chapters detail best practices and findings in the assessment of student learning as it relates to the general education curriculum across institutional types. The discussion then turns to the larger impact of general education on culture and society as students navigate life beyond the undergraduate experience. We will also offer recommendations to faculty, administrators, and other institutional stakeholders regarding the development of a general education curriculum that maximizes student learning. The final chapters will provide insight into how various institutions are innovating through the general education curriculum, as well as a discussion on the keys to maintaining the relevancy of this curriculum throughout the 21st century and beyond.