Getting students to learn through experience is the new approach the general education committee is trying to incorporate into the general education program.
“Learning doesn’t stop at the classroom walls,” Rob Flaherty, associate dean of the college of arts and sciences, said.
Flaherty is working as the administrative liaison to the general education task force. He said the committee’s goal is to have a full-scale revision of the general education program, emphasizing letting students think and investigate, while having the professors only as a guide. They are also looking to change the program to a checklist of skills rather than simply a checklist of classes.
For right now, though, the only change being made to the general education program is the Liberal Arts series. The pilot course LA 111 will be used as a substitute for LA 101, but freshmen still have the opportunity to take LA 101 if they so choose.
Flaherty said the goal is for this class to essentially take the place of LA 101.<br/>LA 111 will still focus on critical thinking and writing, but through different themed classes. In addition, oral presentations will be thrown into the mix. LA 111 will still focus on critical thinking and writing, but through different themed classes. In addition, oral presentations will be thrown into the mix.
LA 111 will still focus on critical thinking and writing, but through different themed classes. In addition, oral presentations will be thrown into the mix.
Flaherty said another new feature to the LA series is that the class will be offered in sequence. So instead of taking it just one year, students will continue to be exposed to the skills continually.
Professor of English Lucy Price is one of several instructors who are leading this new course. The theme of her class is Plains Pioneers. Her students will be learning about what life was really like on the frontier and how pioneers survived settling it. They will still conduct research, but will use pioneers’ journals and the novel “My Antonia” as another way to gather information.
Price said she doesn’t want to provide her students with answers, but rather allow them to be experiential, to experience it for themselves.
“My goal is to be a guiding force, but not to be the one teaching information,” Price said.
Rand Ziegler, vice president and dean of the college of arts and sciences, said this change is an improvement to the general education program. He said not only will these themed classes help relate to students’ majors, but may generate new interests for students to consider majors they might not have otherwise. He is really excited about the change, especially after seeing some new students excited about the themed LA 111 classes.
Price also said this will be a very exciting approach to teaching critical thinking and is looking forward to the outcome.
“We’ll do our best and see what happens,” Price said.