Technology And Gender Issues: Development And Assessment Of A Freshman General Education Course In The College Of Engineering

This class, Technology VS Women, explores the interaction of gender with technology and answers questions such as: Is technology a “male” science? Is modern technology compatible to both male and female users? What does history tell us about the role of women at work relating to technology? The ideas presented in this course challenges some commonly held myths and misconceptions about technology in our society. This course focuses on the technological changes since 1900 and how they have affected both men and women. The effect of cultural biases and perspectives on the working and educational environments also are addressed. This course is part of the Metropolitan University Scholars’ Experience (MUSE) at San Jose State University (SJSU). MUSE courses are designed to help new freshmen make an effective transition into college. Discovery, research, critical thinking, written work, attention to the rich cultural diversity of the campus, and active discussion are key parts of this MUSE course. Technology VS Women has been taught for four years at SJSU. During this time, we have collected yearly assessment data on this course to assure its meets the General Education (GE) Student Learning Objectives. MUSE Program at SJSU There are many different models for first-year experience programs in engineering. Pennsylvania State University requires that all freshmen complete a one-unit seminar as part of their GE requirements. In four semesters, they offered 51 unique engineering seminars. 1 The researchers found that the students in these seminars reported “moderate or greater progress in several key areas: teamwork (37%), using computers (41%), and making life decisions (37%)”. Overall, 63% of the 1024 students who took these seminars were satisfied. A different approach was taken by the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University. Portland State has a four year General Education program that includes “freshman and sophomore inquiry sequences, junior level cluster courses that help students focus on a particular theme of inquiry, as well as the Senior Capstone project.” 2 The freshmen inquiry course on Design & Society is one of nine themes offered. In Fall 2002, SJSU began their MUSE program for incoming freshmen. MUSE was designed to bridge the gap from high school to college. MUSE includes academic seminars on a variety of subjects that help the freshmen students gain skills that are necessary to academic success. In addition, all MUSE classes are certified in one of SJSU’s General Education areas. Therefore, students taking the MUSE seminars receive three units of General Education credit. The seminars qualify in one of the following areas: B1 (physical science), B2 (life science), C1 (arts), C2 (letters), D1 (human behavior), or E (human understanding and development). In contrast to many freshmen-level classes, the MUSE seminars are limited to seventeen students. Also, freshmen are allowed to only take one MUSE course. The goals and learning outcomes for the MUSE seminars are shown in Figure 1. P ge 12377.2 Figure 1. Goals and learning objectives for the MUSE program at SJSU 3 The MUSE seminars were not intended to replace introductory courses in several majors on campus such as Science 2, Engineering 10 or Business 10. Instead, the MUSE seminars “are intended to help a new student’s transition to becoming a college level student/scholar. MUSE seminars emphasize how to view topics and issues from different perspectives, how to gain an understanding of a subject matter, improvement of critical thinking skills and information competencies, critical writing and reading skills, interaction among students, and strategies to help students assess their own learning and learning styles.” 4 There are many steps in the process of creating a course for the MUSE program. In the preceding Fall (i.e., in Fall 2005 for a course to be taught in Fall 2006), the faculty must submit a one-page course proposal form that includes: a proposed title, the GE area requested for the course, a short course description, a brief bio, and signatures of the Department Chair and Dean. A January orientation workshop is required for new MUSE faculty and optional for returning MUSE faculty. At the orientation workshop, the faculty are put into a peer review group by GE area with a faculty coordinator. In addition to creating a course syllabus for the class, the faculty member must complete a MUSE checklist that indicates how their course meets both the MUSE and the General Education goals for their GE area. The peer group works together reviewing the group members’ MUSE courses. After the peer group has approved the MUSE course, the course is subjected to a second evaluation. The course proposals (consisting of the syllabi and GE checklists) are exchanged between the peer review groups for an initial GE check, with a member of SJSU’s General Education Advisory Panel (GEAP) augmenting each peer review group to ensure expertise in GE evaluation. Each course must undergo the peer review process each year it is offered. If the peer review panels make any recommendations for changes, the revised syllabi and checklists must be submitted to the MUSE Director. The final approval of all MUSE classes is by the Director of MUSE, and the AVP of Undergraduate Studies or the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies. The MUSE courses at SJSU are not distributed equally among the various colleges. During the past three years, only five engineering faculty have taught in the MUSE program. This percentage is much lower than any other college on campus. Engineering students who wish to take MUSE seminars usually take them from faculty in the Colleges of Social Sciences, Applied Sciences & the Arts, or the College of Humanities & the Arts. Figure 2 shows the distribution of MUSE Goals: ‚ To establish a strong foundation for becoming a university level student and scholar. ‚ To become acclimated to both the intellectual and social activities of university life. MUSE Learning Outcomes: ‚ To understand the learning process and their responsibility and role in it. ‚ To know what it means to be a member of a metropolitan university community.