PROJECTS
The Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts has three major aims: exploring, testing, and promoting liberal arts education. These goals inspire our numerous projects, some of which are highlighted below.
Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education
The Center of Inquiry, in a collaborative effort with Ernest Pascarella (University of Iowa), Marcia Baxter-Magolda (Miami University, OH), Patricia King (University of Michigan), and ACT, is conducting the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, a multi-institution, long-term study of college effects. This research seeks to answer the following questions: How can we demonstrate the outcomes of liberal arts education? What particular liberal arts education conditions produce these outcomes? and, How does liberal arts education affect student development? The multi-method study will collect data that reflect the richness of some of the philosophical claims of liberal arts education in order to ground them empirically.
Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts/Ernest Pascarella Collaborative Research
The Center of Inquiry has worked with Ernest Pascarella (University of Iowa) on several projects, including:
The Center of Inquiry continues to work with Pascarella on the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education.
Liberal Arts Education Outcomes
The goal of liberal arts education is to create an attitude of intellectual openness, especially to inquiry, discovery, new ideas, and varied perspectives. We believe liberal arts education impacts a wide range of important qualities. Through extensive study and ongoing exploration, we've identified seven outcomes on which we focus our current research: Integration of Learning, Lifelong Learning, Effective Reasoning and Problem Solving, Moral Character, Intercultural Effectiveness, Leadership, and Well-being.
Assessment Resources
We developed a collection of Assessment Resources, reviews of assessment tools, book reviews, links to relevant websites, and other information about assessment to help liberal arts institutions in their assessment efforts.
Academic Commons
The Center of Inquiry is sponsoring the AcademicCommons.org web portal. Academic Commons provides an online community space for sharing knowledge, developing collaborations, and evaluating and disseminating digital tools and innovative practices for teaching and learning with technology.
Project DEEP (Documenting Effective Education Practices)
We are working with the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research on several projects. The Center of Inquiry provided funding for Project DEEP to promote increased sampling of liberal arts institutions, which represent 10 of the 20 institutions in the study. Project DEEP examines the everyday workings of a variety of educationally effective colleges and universities to learn what they do to promote student success.
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