Human cultures are fluid and interwoven sets of values, shared beliefs, language, customs, and artistic expressions shaped by experience and history. Courses in this topic promote understanding of cultures of groups of people—large or small—through examination of their specific literary and artistic expressions, their ways of thinking and behaving, their achievements and struggles, and their evolving relationships to their past. Cultures change over time as a consequence of internal challenges and external contacts. Cultures and groups are not isolated from each other but exist in relation to each other. Historically, these relationships have ranged from coexistence to collaboration and mutual exchange to domination. The nature of the relationships with cultures and groups near and far then shape cultures as much as their own customs, ways of knowing, and artistic expressions.
Courses within this Topic of Inquiry category must meet both of the TOI2 Learning Objectives:
TOI2 Learning Objective 1: Students will be able to analyze the cultures in a given society in their historical, linguistic, and/or sociopolitical context through an understanding of a broad array of historical actors, narratives, artistic forms, power structures, technologies, and/or beliefs.
TOI2 Learning Objective 2: Students will be able to engage with a variety of perspectives in the global community, distinguish their own cultural patterns, and, through a process of dialogue and/or critical self-reflection, respond flexibly to multiple worldviews.
Sample Alignment Table
Provided below are some tips for creating your alignment table, as well as an exemplary example of a table.
Tips for ensuring measurable course alignment
- Be sure the Course Learning Objectives (CLOs) use measurable verbs. CLOs should gauge what students will be able to DO by the end of the course. We recommend reviewing the CLO guidance on CETL's website.
- Be sure the assignments used are assessable. For instance, "Weekly Readings" are not assessable. A quiz or short summary paper that measures or evaluates student interaction with those readings is, however.
- Not all assignments need to measure each CLO. Be sure each assessment actually measures the selected CLO(s). For example, a multiple choice quiz allows students to "identify" information or ideas, but it probably doesn't allow students to "analyze" or "describe" anything, so it would not be an appropriate measure for such CLOs.
- The CLOs listed in the alignment table should be the same as the overall CLOs for the course. Do not create a second set of CLOs for Common Curriculum alignment. The purpose of the alignment table is to show how the CLOs specific to the course align with the TOI learning objectives, and what measures will be used to assess student learning across those objectives.
Course Learning Objectives for a TOI2, TOI5 Course
CLO1: Demonstrate a foundational understanding of core anthropological concepts and perspectives
CLO2: Explain human evolutionary and cultural history, anthropological and archaeological methods, and the role of diversity in contemporary human cultures
CLO3: Develop their ability to critically engage with important anthropological topics and case studies
CLO4: Apply an understanding of anthropological perspectives to contemporary issues and current events
CLO5: Demonstrate an ability to analyze, evaluate, and explain how fundamental cultural, social, political, and familial institutions differ cross-culturally
CLO6: Develop teamwork and communication skills by collaborating in small groups to complete in-class exercises
| Topic of Inquiry | Common Curriculum Objective | Course Learning Objective(s) (CLO) | Corresponding Assessment(s) |
| TOI2: Cultural Dimensions of Human Experiences | TOI2 LO1: Students will be able to analyze cultures in a given society in their historical, linguistic, and/or sociopolitical context through an understanding of a broad array of historical actors, narratives, artistic forms, power structures, technologies, and/or beliefs |
CLOs 1, 2, 3, 5
CLO1: Demonstrate a foundational understanding of core anthropological concepts and perspectives CLO2: Explain human evolutionary and cultural history, anthropological and archaeological methods, and the role of diversity in contemporary human cultures CLO3: Develop their ability to critically engage with important anthropological topics and case studies CLO5: Demonstrate an ability to analyze, evaluate, and explain how fundamental cultural, social, political, and familial institutions differ cross-culturally |
Discussions
Reading Reflections Quizzes Research Papers |
| TOI2: Cultural Dimensions of Human Experiences | TOI2 LO2: Students will be able to engage with a variety of perspectives in the global community, distinguish their own cultural patterns, and, through a process of dialogue and/or critical self-reflection, respond flexibly to multiple worldviews | CLOs 3, 4, 5
CLO3: Develop their ability to critically engage with important anthropological topics and case studies CLO4: Apply an understanding of anthropological perspectives to contemporary issues and current events CLO5: Demonstrate an ability to analyze, evaluate, and explain how fundamental cultural, social, political, and familial institutions differ cross-culturally |
Discussions
Reading Reflections Research Papers |
| TOI5: Individual Values and Social Institutions | Using theories and methods of social scientific or humanistic inquiry, students will be able to critically examine how institutions and values are justified and/or how they relate to political, social, economic, or familial institutions |
CLOs 2, 3, 5
CLO2: Explain human evolutionary and cultural history, anthropological and archaeological methods, and the role of diversity in contemporary human cultures CLO3: Develop their ability to critically engage with important anthropological topics and case studies CLO5: Demonstrate an ability to analyze, evaluate, and explain how fundamental cultural, social, political, and familial institutions differ cross-culturally |
Discussions
Research Papers |