REASONING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES Student Learning Outcome Below Competent Competent Above Competent Inaccurately or inconsistently labels, 1. Identify fundamental Identifies, defines, and/or explains Demonstrates the ability to make defines, or identifies different concepts of the social different institutions, roles, and/or valid connections among concepts, institutions, roles, and/or cultural sciences. cultural patterns of human behavior. theories, and paradigms. patterns. Fails to recognize inappropriate, Applies multiple, different relevant Demonstrates clear understanding of anecdotal, or invalid arguments perspectives to complex cases or 2. Analyze human behavior, social science analyses, assessing and/or applications of theories and examples, demonstrating an social institutions, methods. the appropriateness of understanding of multiple, and/or patterns of interpretations of social science interconnected contextual factors. Minimal understanding of how culture using theories findings. theories and methods can inform Critiques and suggests and methods of the social knowledge of behavior, improvements of and/or solutions Applies relevant theories to a sciences. to issues and applications of institutions, and/or patterns of variety of cases or examples. theories. culture. Lacks evidence for understanding Assesses relationships among social interconnections and differences systems and other systems (e.g. 3. Identify among institutions, groups, and environment, legal, institutional, interconnections among Identifies interconnections and individuals. and differences between differences among social institutions, technological, physical, etc.) on social institutions, groups, and individuals. multiple levels or scales (e.g. Describes or identifies concepts as groups, and individuals. geospatial, temporal, collective vs. singular or removed from the individual). context. Understands and articulates the Recognizes the influence of context worldview of others as it relates to 4. Analyze the ways in Acknowledges or identifies the and experience on the origin and human behavior and social which values and beliefs presence and influence of values and development of beliefs and values, relationships in a manner that relate to human behavior beliefs with which one is personally and analyze how such beliefs and indicates respect for alternate views and social relationships. familiar. values contribute to individual and empathy for diverse human behavior. experiences.
REASONING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES Student Learning Outcome Below Competent Competent Above Competent 1. Identify fundamental concepts of the social sciences. Inaccurately or inconsistently labels, defines, or identifies different institutions, roles, and/or cultural patterns. Identifies, defines, and/or explains different institutions, roles, and/or cultural patterns of human behavior. Demonstrates the ability to make valid connections among concepts, theories, and paradigms. 2. Analyze human behavior, social institutions, and/or patterns of culture using theories and methods of the social sciences. Fails to recognize inappropriate, anecdotal, or invalid arguments and/or applications of theories and methods. Minimal understanding of how theories and methods can inform knowledge of behavior, institutions, and/or patterns of culture. Demonstrates clear understanding of social science analyses, assessing the appropriateness of interpretations of social science findings. Applies relevant theories to a variety of cases or examples. Applies multiple, different relevant perspectives to complex cases or examples, demonstrating an understanding of multiple, interconnected contextual factors. Critiques and suggests improvements of and/or solutions to issues and applications of theories. 3. Identify interconnections among and differences between social institutions, groups, and individuals. Lacks evidence for understanding interconnections and differences among institutions, groups, and individuals. Describes or identifies concepts as singular or removed from the context. Identifies interconnections and differences among social institutions, groups, and individuals. Assesses relationships among social systems and other systems (e.g. environment, legal, institutional, technological, physical, etc.) on multiple levels or scales (e.g. geospatial, temporal, collective vs. individual). 4. Analyze the ways in which values and beliefs relate to human behavior and social relationships. Acknowledges or identifies the presence and influence of values and beliefs with which one is personally familiar. Recognizes the influence of context and experience on the origin and development of beliefs and values, and analyze how such beliefs and values contribute to individual behavior. Understands and articulates the worldview of others as it relates to human behavior and social relationships in a manner that indicates respect for alternate views and empathy for diverse human experiences.