A BigQuestion (BQ) is open-ended, taps into the heart of the discipline, provides an opportunity for integration and connection to personal/social/professional issues, and addresses the question of “what can I do with this learning?”
Video: ImplementingBig Questionsin Gen Ed courses
link to PowerPoint download
Big Questions by Core and Breadth Areas (examples)
General Education Core
Composition
- What is the value of research, writing, and argumentation for individuals and communities?
American Institutions
- What role do other disciplines play in understanding U.S. history and today's world?
- What role do other disciplines play in understanding U.S. history and today's world?
Quantitative Literacy
- How does algebra provide a model of our way of making sense of the world?How does knowledge of mathematics help you make decisions?
Information Literacy
- How can I distinguish science from pseudoscience and fact from fiction, and why is the distinction important?
General Education Breadth
Humanities and Creative Arts
- Art: What impact does art have on the cultures around the world?
- Interior Design: In a public environment (schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, businesses, etc.), does design matter?
- Philosophy:What is the “good life”?
- Communication: Who am I with Others?
- English: How can the works of Shakespeare be relevant to a 21st century American audience?
- Music: How has the music of other cultures influenced American culture and society?
- Theatre: What makes musical theatre popular?
Social Science
- Anthropology: What can the study of language teach us about humankind?
- Child and Family Studies: How can human development theories be used to improve my understanding of myself and increase my compassion toward others?
- CriminalJustice:What can I learn aboutcriminal justice that I didn't already know from my favorite crime show or movie?
- Economics: How are scarce resources allocated in an economy?
- Geography: What makes a city/country a "happy place?"
- Health Promotion: How do I live a healthy life?
- History: Where does power come from in global history?
- Honors: How is technology reshaping humanity?
- Psychological Science: How can I sort out psychology myth or conventional wisdom from reality (e.g., scientifically-supported findings) regarding human relationships?
- Sociology: How do we know what is a social problem?
- Social Work: What is the role of personal awareness when working with differentindividuals, groups, communities and cultures?
- Women and Gender Studies: How do feminist ideas help us to understand the experiences and perspectives of others?
Physical and Life Sciences
- Botany: How do plants contribute to the quality of human life?
- Geography: How can I contribute to an environmentally sustainable local/global community?
- Geosciences: How do Earth processes define the hazards present in different places?
- Honors: Is intelligence an evolutionary advantage?
- Microbiology: How do microbes contribute to the quality of life?
- Nutrition: How do personal diet and activity choices impact self and society?
- Physics: How does the universe really work?How do observation and analysis work together in science?
- Zoology: What is the importance of the diversity of animal life to human society?
