And Now a Word From…
Today we introduce our first guest author on the Academic Affairs Blog. I recently had a discussion with our Distinguished Teacher Therese Seibert about the start of the semester. I enjoyed our conversation and asked her to blog about it. And now a word from Therese Seibert.
A SEASON OF CHANGE
Fall is in the air. I love it, and not just because of the beautiful array of colors that blanket the countryside. Fall means change, new beginnings and fresh starts, including the start of a new semester. Change and the opportunity to try again is one of the many aspects I love about academia. If some teaching approach did not work last semester, I can try a new one. If that paper did not get accepted by a journal, there is always the chance to improve it and try again. Most often in my case, there is the welcome change of getting it out the door in the first place.
The start of this semester ushered in two momentous changes at Keene State: the campus-wide, four-credit model and a new general education curriculum, now referred to as the Integrative Studies Program (ISP). Oh yes, there is also the rotary, but that’s for another blog. For now, I would like to talk about my own experience with the four-credit model and ISP.
A year ago I reluctantly agreed to teach a Quantitative Literacy (IQL) course for the ISP. Wait a minute. Didn’t I just celebrate change? Why the reluctance? I was concerned that additional resources would be taken out of my department that already struggles to offer majors a breadth of courses. But there was another reason, one that I am not proud of. In fact, I hesitate to confess it publicly. So let me put it this way… I am usually not the first person in my department to jump at the chance to teach first-year students. I admit it. Teaching small classes with mature, highly motivated, and well-prepared students is appealing.
Well taking into account some inevitable variation, my first-year, IQL course “Africa by the Numbers” has proven to be a relatively small class with mature, highly motivated, and well prepared students. Here is some empirical evidence to support my observation:
• Most of the students come to class early, not simply on time but early, having read the material carefully. How do I know this? They participate in class discussions, and they question me on material which is a good thing, a very good thing. Yes, this is supposed to be the norm, but I am seeing an appreciable improvement in these areas.
• Many of the students have spoken about studying Africa in a high school course. Indeed, a number of them have suggested videos and books to me, which is also a very good thing. These students demonstrate a greater awareness of global issues than previous cohorts.
• Within one class, most learned how to generate demographic data in Excel. Within one class, they generated a population pyramid using the statistical software package SPSS. This meant learning how to enter data and how to use SPSS in the first place. Some students even tell me how to make my own charts look nicer. I guess this is a good thing; I am still getting used to this one. But most tell me that they took courses in Excel and other computer applications in high school. They are by far the most technologically savvy cohort of first-year students that I have ever taught.
Sociologists always want to know why social phenomena occur; this one is no different for me. Maybe it is the smaller class sizes for IQL courses or the extra time that allows me to cover projects from start to finish in one period. Maybe we are now experiencing the effects of high schools internationalizing their curriculum and infusing more technology. Maybe our curriculum changes are increasingly attracting well-prepared students. Maybe students are getting the message about academic rigor through admissions, orientation, and so forth. Maybe it was the first-year convocation, and in particular, Provost Netzhammer’s speech on our commitment to high academic standards. Maybe it is none, some, or a confluence of all of these factors. What I do know is that I am enjoying this class and the beautiful fall season.