Re-imagining General Education The North Park Dialogue David Koeller
An Education Based on Micah 6:8 Will be practical. It speaks of doing justice, not simply contemplating it. Must be interdisciplinary. Real world problems do not nicely divide themselves into disciplinary boxes. Cannot be completed in 4 years and 120 credit hours. Hence, life long learning. Should not be preparation for life in the academy, but preparation for life in the world. Must include concerns about character.
Caveat I have a personal stake in the program. This is paper is based on trends in the program, not as it actually was at any moment. The program since has been significantly altered.
Three Elements of General Education Knowledge Skills Character
Knowledge
The Dialogue Sequence Dialogue 1: What Does it Mean to Be Human? Dialogue 2: What Does it Mean to Be Ethical? Research Paper Dialogue 3: Experiential Learning and Public Presentation
Subject Expert Amateur
Subject Learner (Teacher)
Skills
A New Quadrivium: Writing Rhetoric Logic Hermeneutics
the mixed message curriculum Gerald Graff. Clueless in Academe Commonalities Among the Disciplines Source of data Forms of Analysis Means of Communicating Results
Writing To Learn Writing is part of the learning process Emphasis on revision Global revisions Paragraph revisions Sentence level revisions
Revision Steps Peer Review of First Draft Revise First Draft Writing Advisor Reads Second Draft Conference with WA on Second Draft Revise Second Draft Third Draft is read and graded by instructor
Writing Assessment Summary Essay 1: Dialogue 1 Essay 3: Dialogue 1 Essay 3 Dialogue 2 1: Strong Thesis : Coherent Argument : Supporting Evidence : Paragraph Unity : Paragraph Coherence : Transitions : Grammar: Comprehension : Grammar: Accuracy : Prose Clarity : Sentence Structure Average
Character Reflection Narrative Essay NPD 1 What should be done? NPD 2 Experiential Learning NPD 3
NPD 3: Justice and Education Longitudinal Study of the Williams Multi- plex. Students observe students, interview faculty members and administrators Prepare a report that is presented to parents, faculty and administrators.
Students who claim:NPD 1 (n=123) NPD 2 (n=110) To have missed no more than 3 class discussions.88%78% To have missed no more than 2 lectures.92%69% To have done more than 60% of the assigned readings. 92%68% That over the semester their understanding of the writing process improved moderately or substantially. 71%49% The course contributed either moderately or substantially to their ability to use the library and evaluate library sources. 33%38% They were moderately to extremely satisfied with the course (Not on NPD 1 survey) 41%
Why Did It Fail? Failure to re-imagine the professoriate Failure to re-imagine the institution Failure to re-imagine our students
Re-imagining the Professoriate Expertise Passion for ones Discipline A Liberal Arts program requires liberally educated professors
Re-imagining the Institution University as Ivory Tower Pure over applied Knowledge for Knowledge Sake
Re-imagining our Students The professoriate should not be the standard for pedagogy: Thats the way we did it when I was in school Our students arent us