Civically Engaged Learning Goals

Illinois State established the Civically Engaged Learning Goals and the Civically Engaged Assessment Rubric to better understand what civic engagement looks like and to assess the extent to which students are civically engaged upon graduation. This framework of learning goals and assessment rubric identifies specific knowledge, skills, dispositions, and actions to describe how students develop their commitment to their community throughout their college experience and beyond.

The Civically Engaged Learning Goals come from multiple disciplines and scholars and can be used to assess all types of civic engagement within class instruction and program delivery. Use of the learning goals ensures faculty/staff are purposefully and overtly connecting what they are teaching (in a course or co-curricular activity) to the end goal of preparing students for a lifelong responsibility of civic engagement.

In order for students to become civically engaged, they first need to have a foundation of civic knowledge and skills and accompanying a disposition which involves ones values, motivation, and attitude. Effective civic engagement can occur when these foundational competencies are developed.