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Programmatic Assessment of Critical Thinking
Appendix 1: Directions for Self-Reflection Exercise
on APA’s Learning Goals for the Psychology Major
Self-Reflection Exercise on American Psychology Association’s (APA) Learning Goals
for the Psychology Major
Directions
In this assessment, the Undergraduate Psychology Program asks you to reflect on your
experiences in the psychology major at JMU for two purposes:
1 To provide honest feedback to the psychology program to assist us to improve the
program for future students, and
2 To give you the opportunity to integrate your learning experiences into a meaning-
ful whole before your graduation.
Specifically, we want you to make judgments on each of the 10 learning goals for under-
graduate psychology recently identified by the American Psychological Association (APA).
For each learning goal, you will see a short definition followed by a list of ways that
students can fulfill meeting this goal. Then, we are asking you to:
1 Judge whether or not you think that you have achieved this goal.
2 Judge whether or not you think that JMU’s undergraduate psychology program
provided opportunities for you to achieve this goal.
3 Provide open-ended feedback explaining your first two ratings.
In your open-ended feedback, express what you think has been most meaningful to you,
whether positive or negative. You can also provide recommendations to help the program
be more successful in meeting this goal for future students.
Appendix 2: Example of Goal 3 and Quantitative
and Qualitative Questions Assessed
Goal 3 Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology
Students will respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when
possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.
For example, a student meeting this goal should be able to:
● Use critical thinking effectively.
● Engage in creative thinking.
● Use reasoning to recognize, develop, defend, and criticize arguments and other
persuasive appeals.
●
Approach problems effectively.