Integration
Post by Shane Downing
What do you think? Questions of the day!
-Would you take a class that was scheduled to be co-taught by two professors from different departments?-If you are a major or minor in an interdisciplinary program (black studies, Latin American and Caribbean studies, etc) what has your experience been like?
Recap:
We had four guest speakers today: representatives from the international studies, biochemistry, women’s studies, and neuroscience departments. The entirety of the meeting was centered on the varying successes of these programs. Tomorrow the group will try to highlight some of the structural conflicts that restrict faculty and student willingness to participate in interdisciplinary programs.
Comments (3)
I would love to take a team-taught class! Many of my classes in high school were team taught and it made them more effective. Professors think differently and relate to students differently which only gives the student more opportunities to "get it". I've taken a variety of classes in different departments as I explored to find a major, though I am not a formal interdisciplinary program minor. I think those students who don't have the opportunity to branch out and "know" what they want to do as a first semester student, TRULY miss out on what the rest of the school has to offer.
Posted by JeVon | May 27, 2009 2:58 PM
Posted on May 27, 2009 14:58
I took a team-taught class my junior year and I thought it was a refreshing experience. Professors Wesoky and Quinn taught the class, which mixed politics and literature while discussing Marxism. The material was a bit dry, but I thought it to be one of the most productive classes I took at Allegheny. One of the reasons for that was the varying disciplines converging in the classroom.
Posted by Craig Berger | May 30, 2009 11:24 AM
Posted on May 30, 2009 11:24
I would love to take more team taught classes so I could get different lights on a subject. However, I think these types of classes would have to be taught in the right way. I feel that it could not be a presentation, book, test class. I think this type of class would be better for a more hands on class, that allows for experience and discussion. This way not only the two professors could discuss but so could the students with many different backgrounds. It would be encouraging and interesting to see professor from two different departments discuss a particular topic and allow the class to join as well. I think this could lead to a lot of unique learning experiences that will definitely stick in the students mind.
Posted by Ryan Cole | May 30, 2009 11:21 PM
Posted on May 30, 2009 23:21