Questions & Answers
Do I need to call my signature assignments “signature assignments?
No. “Signature assignment” is a term of art in general education, and we will use it to describe the collection of assignments in the core. But you should name the assignments in your course in whatever way you deem appropriate.
Do I need to use the Core Competency rubrics to grade students?
No. The core competency rubrics are fundamentally designed for core curriculum program assessment, not grading of students. However, we suggest reviewing them and designing your relevant grading criteria in a way that is consistent with the program assessment criteria.
Do I need to include the OT-36 or Core Competency learning outcomes in my syllabus?
No. Your course learning outcomes and activities should be consistent with the OT-36 and your chosen Core competency learning outcomes, but you do not need to include the exact outcomes. The only core curriculum-related verbiage required in the syllabus is the Core Curriculum Statement.
Do the Core Competencies require specific assignments or grading criteria?
No. Incorporation of the Core Competencies is purely learning outcomes based. The proposal passed by Senate included some ideas about how to design your course for the core competencies, but these were only intended to be suggestive. If you review the approval documents, you will see you are required to identify 2 of the learning outcomes associated with the core competency and then briefly indicate how it will be developed and assessed in your course.
Will I be allowed to modify my Signature Assignment(s) over the semesters?
Of course. The key is to ensure that your signature assignments still function to develop and assess the requisite core competencies. Additionally, the more detailed your Signature Assignment is when submitted in Curriculog, the better opportunity you will have for helpful feedback from your colleagues.
How will OT-36 approval work for Inquiry Core courses?
Once your course is approved through Curriculog, the Core Curriculum Director will reach out to assist with compiling the necessary OT-36 documents. The most time-consuming and important part of OT-36 approval is mapping the learning outcomes. Since this will be done as part of your submission to Curriculog, the OT-36 process will be much simpler and quicker.
How does the “Data & Digital Literacy” requirement work?
That requirement should be read as providing two options for students. The new, exciting option is to take a course specifically focused on engaging with digital tools in an applied way. These courses will need to meet OT-36 social and behavioral science learning outcomes and meaningfully engage with digital technologies in the course. Such courses might focus on data analysis or graphic and web design or any other digital tools important to your discipline or profession. The course need not be fundamentally focused around learning the tools, but the tools should be an essential component of the learning in the course.
The other way students may fulfill this requirement is by completing a second course approved under the “Quantitative & Formal Reasoning” requirement. Such courses do not need to also be approved under the “Data & Digital Literacy” requirement.
Can Core Curriculum courses “double count” for two different Core Curricular requirements?
No. Although many courses may reasonably qualify under multiple requirements, the Ohio Department of Higher Education mandates students complete a minimum of 36 credit hours of general education course work. Because the new Inquiry Core also only requires the minimum number of credits, there is no room for double counting in this way.
