所謂的「通識教育」，即以培育具備「融會貫通且具有整合性知識」之學生為目的。更簡單地說，通識教育的教育目的在於促進現代知識青年不但是一個自然人、科技人，更是一個社會人、文化人;或者說，通識教育就是促進學生自我啟蒙、自我開發、自我提昇及自我擴張的「全人教育」。 本文認為，「通識教育」的教育目標亦可以簡化為以下三者: 首先，培養學生對於「自我」的充份瞭解與認識，進而依據個人特質，鍛鍊、培育各種基本的學習能力，並能養成其「終生學習」的良好習慣。 其次，培養學生對於國家的認同，對於民族文化的瞭解，對於社會的關懷，使其能夠效忠國家，擁抱鄉土，進而關心社會，造福人群。 最後，培養學生具備世界觀的眼光與胸襟，進而能夠融入、涵攝世界各個文化，並使「立足臺灣，胸懷大陸，放眼世界」不再成為空洞的口號。 至若如何培育當代大學生「愛鄉愛國」的民族情操，本文認為可以自史學教育中的「古蹟導覽」入手。蓋臺灣地區是一移民社會，早自荷蘭人、西班牙人據臺時代開始，歷經清領時代、日治時代，均曾為臺灣地區留下相當大量的古蹟文物，時至今日，多已超過兩、三百年之久。這些古蹟，遍布臺灣各地，我們如能在歷史教學課程中，帶領學生走出教室，投向大自然，去親身體會、接觸這些歷史古蹟，不但能使學習者領悟到先民胼手胝足、篳路藍縷的辛酸過程，更能激發學生「愛鄉土、愛社會、愛國家、愛民族」之文化情操，庶幾能使「立足臺灣，胸懷大陸，放眼世界」不再成為空洞的口號。

“General Education’ is aimed at cultivating students to “achieve mastery through a comprehensive study of the integrated knowledge.” To be more precise, the educational objective of general education is to train the modern knowledgeable youth to be not only naturalists, scientists but also socialists, culturists, or general education is to provide students with holistic education including self-enlightenment, self-development, self-upgrading and self-development. In the current study, the educational objective of “general education” can be summarized as three categories listed below. Firstly, it is to students to sufficiently understand and recognize “selfness,” Then, forge and build up various fundamental learning abilities, and form a good habit of life-long learning. Secondly, it is to cultivate students’ national identity and understanding of national culture, and show loving care for the society, and make them loyal to the country, embrace the native land, show solicitude for the society and benefit human beings. Lastly, it is to cultivate students to have prospects and global views in mind to integrate cultures of countries in the world, so that the slogan, “having a foothold on Taiwan, embracing the mainland, and eyeing the world” can be avoided being vacant. As to contemporary college students’ sentiment “to love the native land and country,” the current study thinks it feasible to embark on the guided tour historical sites.” Taiwan is a society of immigrants, ever since the occupation of the Dutch and the Spaniards, through the administration of the Ching Dynasty, and Japanese colonization, a great quantity of historical relics have been left behind over more than two to three hundred years. These historical sites scatter in many places around Taiwan. If in history courses, the students can be led out of the classroom, emerge the great nature, and learn by themselves from contacting these historical sites. The students can realize the suffering experiences in hardships of their ancestors to conquer the adversary nature and exploring the wild land. Furthermore, the students can be inspired with the sentiments to “love their native land, society, country and people.” Consequently, the slogan, “having a foothold on Taiwan, embracing the mainland, and eyeing the world” can never be a hollow slogan.