Learning Objectives
IAU is designed for students who seek to understand and influence how the world works. Our academically rigorous curriculum allows students to blend intensive theoretical study with valuable real-world learning experiences. Regardless of their major, students gain a solid foundation and engage in in-depth study within their chosen fields.
Institutional Learning Objectives
Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs) represent the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes that students are expected to develop through their overall experiences at the college, including courses, programs, and student services. ILOs are crafted to guide individual departments and disciplines in creating learning outcomes for programs, courses, and services, and to inform the decision-making processes at IAU.
ILOs reflect the collective learning environment at IAU. Each program must contribute to at least one ILO. The following guidelines should be considered when establishing or connecting Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) to ILOs:
- Each program does not need to fulfill every ILO.
- Each course within a program does not need to fulfill every PLO.
- A course should meet all of its stated learning objectives.
Upon Successful Completion Students Will be Able to Demonstrate:
ILO1
Written Communication
Written communication involves the development and expression of ideas through writing. It encompasses learning to work in various genres and styles, utilizing different writing technologies, and integrating texts, data, and images. Written communication skills are honed through iterative experiences across the curriculum (AAC&U).
ILO2
Oral Communication
Oral communication is the development and expression of ideas through speaking. Oral communication involves learning to work in many contexts and styles. It can involve using different speaking technologies, and integrating spoken words, visual aids, and data. Oral communication abilities develop through iterative experiences across various settings (AAC&U).
ILO3
Critical Thinking
A habit of mind characterized by thorough exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or forming an opinion or conclusion (AAC&U).
ILO4
Integrative and Applied Learning
Integrative learning involves developing an understanding and disposition that students cultivate throughout the curriculum and co-curriculum. It ranges from making simple connections among ideas and experiences to synthesizing and applying learning in new, complex situations both within and beyond the campus (AAC&U).
ILO5
Ethics
Christian ethics involves reasoning about right and wrong in human conduct. It requires students to assess their own Christian ethical values and understand the social context of problems. Students must recognize ethical issues in various settings, consider how different ethical perspectives might apply to dilemmas, and evaluate the consequences of alternative actions. As students practice ethical decision-making skills and learn to describe and analyze positions on ethical issues, their Christian ethical self-identity evolves (adapted from AAC&U).
ILO6
Information Literacy
The ability to recognize the need for information, and to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information to address the problem at hand. – Adopted from the National Forum on Information Literacy (AAC&U).