Program Outcomes

Communication Competence

Learners will become effective communicators in their discipline.

For this program outcome, I chose to analyze the argumentative paper I wrote in my Art History Survey I class (ART 114). I took this class in the fall semester of 2021. This class was definitely interesting. It was all about the history of cultures of art from around the world. This specific paper focused on Hellenistic Art. For this argumentative paper, we were required to talk about Hellenistic sculpture, discuss ideals that

slowly being changed with art, and implement a specific sculpture to analyze and build connections with. This unit leaned towards one of my personal favorites from the entire class. I really liked the fact that it analyzed how ideals were changed throughout the artwork. Being able to see the beliefs and stereotypes change in the artwork is really intriguing to me. It gives us a visual apparatus that allows us to see the shift. However, in order to really grasp the importance of the changes that were going on within Hellenistic culture, you needed to be able to understand the artwork through in-depth analysis. Learning how to do this through this assignment allowed me to gain a new appreciation for art that does not rely solely on the outwards exterior.

My first goal was “to examine and study a piece of Hellenistic artwork in order to properly communicate the importance and purpose behind the sculpture”. The sculpture that I decided to study was “The Defeated Boxer” by an unknown artist. This is a bronze sculpture from around 100-50 BCE. As the title describes, this sculpture depicts a defeated boxer. This was a complete 180 change from previous sculptures we learned about in the unit. Most athletes in Hellenistic sculpture were depicted as perfect. Every movement made seemed effortless and smooth, and their faces never conveyed struggle. This specific sculpture was one of the first that pushed this idea. At first, I understood this on a surface level. I did not fully grasp the significance of this shift and how it impacted artwork forever. I needed to change my perspective and leave behind the stereotypical thoughts of Greek sculpture. Whenever I thought of Greek sculpture, the words ‘pretty’ and ‘sophisticated’ came to mind. The archetypal image of a Greek sculpture was either a young male or woman who was essentially perfect. They seem to put off a sense of wisdom or knowledge. “The Defeated Boxer” was the opposite of this. Through this assignment, I was able to learn how to properly observe and study the artwork for more than just what was on the outside. Additionally, it enabled me to learn how to communicate these findings to my readers in a manner that was appropriate and effective.

My second goal was to “organize my findings in an effective manner that was appropriate for my audience, and utilize descriptive vocabulary to guide the audience through my thought process”. The terminology and language that was used during this time period were entirely different than what we use now. When studying the textbook, I had to learn how to break the barrier I had between the different terminologies. In order for my audience to connect with my paper, I had to utilize vocabulary that was appropriate. It also made my discussion come across more efficiently. Going through the process of learning this new ‘lingo’ was challenging for me! Being able to showcase the change between the different ideas was something new for me. It taught me a lot about the importance of being able to effectively communicate ideas in writing.

In general, this course was rather challenging for me. It uncovered a lot of new topics I had never heard of before. At the beginning of the course, it was difficult for me to connect with the material since it was on a different level than I was used to. The vocabulary and word choice was college level, rather than the usual high school level. I was able to communicate with one of my friends that was also in the class, and she really helped me connect with the material. It was smooth sailing from that point. Constructing this paper was definitely one of my favorite assignments from the entire class. I truly understood what we were learning about, and I honestly felt quite passionate about it. While I was doing my research, I was having more fun than I expected myself to. By going through the motions of this course, it allowed me to see that all I needed to do was open myself up more. Once I opened myself up to the material and was able to apply myself, it became more enjoyable. This became an important lesson for me. I completed this course with more than just knowledge about the history of art and its cultures.

Creative Problem Solving

Learners will apply appropriate techniques to solving problems within their discipline.

For this artifact, I made the decision to use a project I completed in my Pre-Calculus (MAT-171) course in the fall of 2021. This project was an extra credit project, so I was on the fence about it. The workload was already getting heavy since it was nearing finals, and I did not know if I would have the time to complete it. Against all odds, I chose to complete the assignment. It had no chance to hurt my grade, and the project itself seemed to be beneficial for real life scenarios. The project was based around buying your dream car. Obviously, you needed to have a dream car in mind. We had to figure

out how we wanted to finance it, for how many years, and at what percent we wanted to finance the car. From this point, we needed to figure out what our monthly payment would be like. After seeing these figures, it may be possible that you need to reevaluate your initial thoughts.

My first goal was “to reach out for help when I struggled to understand the assignment”. At first, I had no clue what this project was about. Buying a car was completely foreign to me and I never gave it too much thought in the past. I mean, I’m only 18 so I have never bought a car. However, I will in the future. That is one reason I was going to make sure I understood this assignment and how I got my results. Before this, I was more prone to keep my head down and really dig through my brain to figure out what I was doing. Usually, it worked out for me. But in this case, it felt like “big people” stuff that I had no idea how to even get started with trying to complete it. It forced me to reach out for help. I sat down with my mom and asked her to describe the process to me, since she has bought and financed many cars. Once she explained it to me and I understood, it felt like a lightbulb went off. Honestly, I really started to enjoy the work from that point on. It was something that I was going to use later in life, so that made it even more enjoyable. It made me feel like the smartest person in the world.

My second goal was “to use my creative problem solving skills to solve (get a synonym for solve) the problem and get a solution with the most reasonable outcome”. At the start of this assignment, I had the idea that I wanted to buy a car soon after I graduated college. I had to buy a car that was reasonably priced for someone who was getting out of college, and I needed to make sure my monthly payment was reasonable. This was the first step in the project. I felt as though choosing to do a more affordable car would have benefitted me more than doing a high priced car that I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford until way later on in my life. The next step was to get my mathematician brain ready for action. I definitely did have to do some calculations a few times, and in the middle of the process I did hit a little bump in the road. I was not really comprehending where the figures were coming from, but again, I asked for more help and after that I understood.

The project was more than just extra credit. It was honestly something that I think everybody should do before they look into buying cars! By doing this and seeing the figures I was getting from changing the years I was financing for and the rates I was financing at, it made the process a lot smoother in my head. Plus, I was able to work around the figures and find what would work best for me. Even though this did benefit my grade, it benefited me personally on more than an educational level.

This is the instructions to the project.

This is my work with my solutions.

Social Scientific Literacy

The learner will demonstrate an understanding of social science methodologies in order to explain the consequences of human actions

For this program outcome, I chose another research paper I completed in my ART 114 (Art History Survey I) course I took in the fall of 2021. This paper was a major struggle for me. The basis of the paper was on Gothic European architecture in culture through the years. Now, I understood the topic and was able to outline the

development, but it was hard for me to figure out where to start and how to delve deep into the topic. To be quite frank, I had a mini-mental breakdown over this paper. I chose this topic to write the paper on because I knew about it. Whenever we were learning about it in class, I was very interested and made connections easily. I assumed it would be easy to write about. When it came down to the nitty-gritty and my choice of topic was set in stone, I began to struggle. I could not figure out where to begin with this paper. Yes, I knew the information very well, but I had to put it down on four to six pages. To add to the stress, my sister happened to contract COVID the week it was due, so I was all over the place.

My first goal was “to gather all the information I learned about Gothic European architecture and discuss the developments through the Early, High, and Late Gothic periods”. This is what my specific topic required that I do. From reading the textbook and completing discussions in the weeks prior to this assignment, I had a good amount of prior information to build upon. Nevertheless, as we learned earlier, it is crucial that you delve deeper into whatever your topic is regardless of what you think you know. This assignment helped add to the lessons I learned before about doing proper research on what I was writing about. Since I was so stressed out about this paper, being able to back up claims with information and data I had gathered made me feel a little bit more peace.

My second goal when writing this paper and gathering information was “to pick three architectures that show the development of the different cultures”. Back then, architecture was astonishing. Every single piece of architecture held its own story. That is what is so valuable and priceless about Gothic European architecture (and architecture in general). I had to pick architecture that showed the shift in culture through the years. To do this, I picked one architecture from each of the Gothic periods (Early, High, and Late). Each of the periods had its differences in architecture due to the change of cultures and what people preferred in their architecture. By picking three specific architectures, I was able to hone in on each specific difference and why it changed. This also taught me an understanding of how humans change and the results of their changes in physical form. The architecture was evidence to show the changes that Gothic European buildings experienced through the years.

In conclusion, this paper taught me a lot by myself. I was stressed to the max about this paper. Honestly, I was not expecting a high grade. To my surprise, I got the highest grade on this paper than I did out of all the other papers I had written for this class. I knew I put my all into this paper, but I honestly did not feel like it was enough at the time. Juggling COVID in my house along with the initial struggle of not knowing where to start, I felt less confident than I usually do after I finish writing a paper.

Understanding the Arts of the Human Experience

Learners will demonstrate an understanding of arts and humanities in historical and cultural contexts.

For this program outcome, I decided to pick a research paper I wrote for my MUS 110 (Music Appreciation) course in the spring of 2020. For this paper, the goal was to analyze music through the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Going into this unit, I was excited to learn about music. Personally, listening to music is one of my favorite things to do. I listen to music while I do homework, while I am cleaning, and pretty much at all

times. There are so many different music genres and they all change whenever you look at different cultures, areas of the world, and different time periods. Music has had a crucial impact on society, and it was invigorating to learn about music from the 18th century up until the 20th.

My first goal when writing this paper was “to conduct adequate research to educate myself about music on a deeper level than what I previously knew”. Obviously, what I knew about music before this class was very surface level. Just because I listened to music every single day does not mean that I know anything about the actual history of it. Taking this class did allow me to grow a stronger appreciation of the history of music. At first, this research paper felt sort of scary. I was having to dive headfirst into the history of music in three different centuries. I definitely was excited to learn about the content, but being able to find said content and research is what I deemed scary. I knew that I wanted to do it justice if that makes sense. I wanted to put my all into the paper and the content that my audience would read. To begin this assignment, I had to make sure that I knew all the basics of what I was researching. I read my textbook, took notes, made connections, and asked for help whenever I had trouble understanding something. This was one of the most important steps. After this, I was able to use databases to conduct my research and use the best information possible. I went about it in an effective, appropriate manner. After going through this process, I began to learn a new value: even if you think you know about the topic, you don’t. What you may already know may be surface level. It is imperative that we learn more than surface level. This allows us to become critical thinkers. Additionally, when one is learning about the history of humans and the decisions they have made, thinking critically is the only way we can truly grasp what is being learned. You have to approach it from all angles and see all sides. This research paper enabled me to see the value of this.

My second goal was “to figure out how I wanted to lay down all the information in a way that was smooth and easy to read”. After gathering all my research, I was met with a whole lot of information. Again, I was researching three different centuries and how music was involved. I also had an idea that I should begin by introducing early music by giving an overview. It felt as though by doing this, I was slowly stepping into the water instead of cannonballing into the deep end. From there, I would make sure to separate the centuries so everything did not blend together. Being able to organize all the information I had was vital to creating an effective research paper. If I were to put everything together without much thought, it would have felt messy and muddled. This was a very important lesson I learned. This was one of the first instances I encountered that dealt with a great deal of information. It was highly important that I took organizing this paper seriously because if not, I would have not been able to convey my research in the proper way.

In conclusion, this paper made a pretty significant impact on my learning journey. It was a lot to handle, especially since COVID had just begun to rear its head. Despite all the challenges I was faced with, I made sure that I completed the paper as best as I could. Learning about the history of music was enjoyable for me. As I mentioned previously, I am definitely a music person. Being able to trace everything back to the beginning was a unique experience. The knowledge we all hold about music today only scratches the tip of the iceberg.