RIT's General Education Assignment Library
The General Education Assignment Library contains samples of assignments created by RIT faculty to assess General Education Student Learning Outcomes. Assignments are collected and shared by the Office of Educational Effectiveness Assessment to support the teaching of General Education courses.
Thank you to the RIT faculty who gave permission to share their assignments and contribute to the General Education community of practice. As assignment design is an iterative process, many of the assignments posted will be revised and improved by faculty or replaced with newer assignments. Assignment authors are encouraged to submit revised materials.
Featured Assignments
Click here to view our featured assignments and read vignettes about how RIT faculty members developed relevant and engaging assignments that support student achievement of course objectives, including the General Education Student Learning Outcomes. The faculty share the reasons why they like these particular assignments and some of the lessons learned as they’ve modified and improved the assignments over time.
Browse the Library
This library allows RIT faculty to:
- Browse assignments by outcome, discipline, or method
- Review pedagogical and assessment guidelines by outcome
- View assignments that can be used to assess multiple outcomes
Students develop a financial model that calculates the Net Present Cost (NPC) of buying and operating an incandescent (the regular kind), compact fluorescent (CFL, the "swirly" kind), and an LED bulb and develop a summary of their model, including results and some discussion.
Assignment File: Download Assignment
Outcome: Apply methods of scientific inquiry and problem solving to contemporary issues and scientific questions
RIT Educational Goal: Critical Thinking
Discipline: Social Sciences
Course: PUBL 302 Decision Analysis
Author(s): Dr. Eric Hittinger
Method: Case Study
The purpose of the assignment sequence is for the student to reflect upon their own literacy learning as well as that of their classmates and present their understanding of those experiences in writing.
Assignment File: Download Assignment
Outcome: Revise and improve written products
RIT Educational Goal: Integrative Literacies- Communication Literacy
Discipline: Humanities
Course: UWRT 325 Writing Genre, Theory, and Practice
Author(s): Dr. David Martins
Method: Essay
Prior to writing the discussion paper students watched the first 25 minutes of the documentary film 'Human.'
Assignment File: Download Assignment
Outcome: Analyze similarities and differences in human social experiences and evaluate the consequences
RIT Educational Goal: Global intercennectedness
Discipline: Social Sciences
Course: SOCI 102 Introduction to Sociology
Author(s): Dr. Vanda Bazdan
Method: Essay
Assignment File: Download Assignment
Outcome: Analyze and construct arguments considering their premises, assumptions, contexts, and conclusions, and anticipating counterarguments
RIT Educational Goal: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning
Discipline: Interdisciplinary
Course: ITSD 150 Metacognitive Approaches to Scientific Inquiry
Author(s): Dr. Elizabeth Hane, Dr. Scott Franklin
Method: Case Study
Assignment File: Download Assignment
Outcome: Analyze similarities and differences in human social experiences and evaluate the consequences
RIT Educational Goal: Creative and Innovative Thinking
Discipline: Social Sciences
Course: ECON 101 Principles of Microeconomics
Author(s): Dr. Jeff Wagner
Method: Play
Assignment File: Download Assignment
Outcome: Use relevant evidence gathered through accepted scholarly methods and properly acknowledge sources of information
RIT Educational Goal: Critical Thinking
Discipline: Natural Sciences
Course: BIOL 102 General Biology
Author(s): Dr. Sandra Connelly
Method: Project
Assignment File: Download Assignment
Outcome: Analyze and construct arguments considering their premises, assumptions, contexts, and conclusions, and anticipating counterarguments
RIT Educational Goal: Critical Thinking, Integrative Literacies- Communication Literacy
Discipline: Humanities
Course: ENGL 360, The Written Argument
Author(s): Dr. John Dayton
Method: Essay
Students prepare and present a speech designed to persuade the audience for or against a proposition of policy, proposition of value, or proposition of fact on a topic of local, regional, national, or international concern.
Assignment File: Download Assignment
Outcome: Express oneself effectively in presentations, either in American English or American Sign Language, Use relevant evidence gathered through accepted scholarly methods and properly acknowledge sources of information
RIT Educational Goal: Critical Thinking, Integrative Literacies- Communication Literacy
Discipline: Humanities
Course: COMM 201
Author(s): Professor Elizabeth Reeves O’Connor
Method: Speech
W. D. Ross offers a pluralistic moral theory that acknowledges the situational nature of our moral duties. Here, students construct a mini-essay in which they apply Ross’ theory to two sets of human social experiences with which they are familiar.
Assignment File: Download Assignment
Outcome: Analyze similarities and differences in human social experiences and evaluate the consequences
RIT Educational Goal:
Discipline: Humanities
Course: PHIL 202, Foundations of Moral Philosophy
Author(s): Dr. Colin Mathers
Method: Essay
Students are required to read 6 original psychological articles. This gives students the opportunity to gain an understanding of psychological research straight from the source (rather than through the filter of a textbook). Some of these writings are classic work from early researchers, and others are more contemporary work. All are aimed at giving students an understanding of how psychological research is conducted and reported.
Assignment File: Download Assignment
Outcome: Apply methods of scientific inquiry and problem solving to contemporary issues and scientific questions
RIT Educational Goal: Critical Thinking
Discipline: Social Sciences
Course: PSYC 101, Introduction to Psychology
Author(s): Dr. Jessamy Comer
Method: Research Response Paper
Pages
Contribute to the Library
We are always looking for exceptional General Education assignments! Contact the Office of EEA to:
- Submit an assignment used to assess a General Education Student Learning Outcome
- Request feedback or assistance on an assignment used to assess a General Education Student Learning Outcome
- Send a revised assignment to update the Assignment Library
New assignments are added to the library so regularly so check back soon. If you are looking for more assignment samples, the National Institute of Learning Outcomes Assessment maintains a robust Assignment Library.