Times are displayed in (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) Change
Make It Meaningful: Thinking Creatively to Design Interdisciplinary Gen Ed
Format: Innovation/Ideation Sessions-—In-Person and Virtual
Trending Topics: Curricular Reform, Integrative Learning, Student Engagement
Track: Creative Courage: Innovation and Emerging Trends in Reimagining General Education
Expertise Level Beginner
Expected Learning Outcomes Although we welcome an audience of various campus roles, this session is designed for constituents interested in revising their general education model, such as faculty, deans of general education, and academic and institutional leaders who are interested in considering new approaches to general education.
Description: As universities explore ways to retain students, a common refrain is to make general education meaningful. In “Reimagining Gen Ed,” historian Steven Mintz argues that for students to take general education seriously, it should avoid looking like high school. Chronicle of Higher Education writer Beth McMurtrie suggests universities move away from a model that encourages the attitude, “These are courses that you want to get through, get over, get done.”<br/><br/>Creating a meaningful general education experience is key to engaging students in their education and retaining them through graduation. This session will present general education models at a small private liberal arts college and an urban public research institution. The two have different student bodies, missions, and stakeholders. Presenters will highlight two models for rethinking the typical distribution model and moving outside disciplinary structures. These differing approaches to designing interdisciplinary general education sequences create a strong foundation for student engagement.
Chair and Associate Professor of Focused Inquiry - Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
Trending Topics: Curricular Reform, Integrative Learning, Student Engagement
Track: Creative Courage: Innovation and Emerging Trends in Reimagining General Education
Expertise Level Beginner
Expected Learning Outcomes Although we welcome an audience of various campus roles, this session is designed for constituents interested in revising their general education model, such as faculty, deans of general education, and academic and institutional leaders who are interested in considering new approaches to general education.
Description: As universities explore ways to retain students, a common refrain is to make general education meaningful. In “Reimagining Gen Ed,” historian Steven Mintz argues that for students to take general education seriously, it should avoid looking like high school. Chronicle of Higher Education writer Beth McMurtrie suggests universities move away from a model that encourages the attitude, “These are courses that you want to get through, get over, get done.”<br/><br/>Creating a meaningful general education experience is key to engaging students in their education and retaining them through graduation. This session will present general education models at a small private liberal arts college and an urban public research institution. The two have different student bodies, missions, and stakeholders. Presenters will highlight two models for rethinking the typical distribution model and moving outside disciplinary structures. These differing approaches to designing interdisciplinary general education sequences create a strong foundation for student engagement.
Presenter(s)
Primary Presenter:
Katy HanggiChair and Associate Professor of Focused Inquiry - Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
Additional Presenter(s):
Jared List
Associate Professor of Spanish - Doane University
Kate Marley
Professor of Biology - Doane University
Brad Johnson
Professor of English - Doane University
Associate Professor of Spanish - Doane University
Kate Marley
Professor of Biology - Doane University
Brad Johnson
Professor of English - Doane University
Make It Meaningful: Thinking Creatively to Design Interdisciplinary Gen Ed
Category
Innovation/Ideation Sessions-—In-Person and Virtual