A Conversation between 'Conversations': The Science Conversation and the Asian Conversation
Wednesday, April 02
11:45-1:15
Buntrock 142
Shelly Dickinson, Psychology; Brian Borovsky, Physics; Geoff Gorham, Philosophy; Kathy Tegtmeyer-Pak, Political Science and Asian Studies
The Asian Conversations has recently restructured its program and a new Science Conversation will be launched in the fall of 2009. Both 'Conversations' are innovative models of what is known in the national literature as learning communities. Please join us for conversation about these two (new and revised) Conversations.
Asian Conversations "2.0" will begin in Fall 2008. After a decade teaching students during their first three semesters on campus, the program will now target sophomores. The program follows a "2+3" format, where students take two semesters of second-year (or higher) Chinese or Japanese language courses alongside a three-class sequence organized around the theme of "journeys." Kathy Tegtmeyer Pak, Director of Asian Conversations, will describe the rationale for changing the program, outline the new program plan, and invite discussion about how the program fits into the St. Olaf experience. Three points hold particular interest: the efforts to tie together language and "content" courses, to be genuinely interdisciplinary, and to provide a first undergraduate research opportunity during Interim.
The new Science Conversation proposes a sophomore year sequence of three courses (fall, interim, spring) that integrates the history of science, the doing of science, the meaning of science and the role of science in society. Science Conversation goals are to help students to attain a critical understanding of science, to explore the relationship between reason and faith, and to examine the mutual influences of science, technology, and society. Building on the 'Conversations' model that has been so successful at St. Olaf, students in the Science Conversation will engage in interdisciplinary discussions of primary texts in a seminar setting. In addition, students will gain hands-on scientific experience by recreating and interpreting classic experiments during an Interim lab course. A pilot version of the fall course is being offered in Fall 2008 by Brian Borovsky and Geoff Gorham.
See http://www.evergreen.edu/washcenter/lcfaq.htm for further information about learning communities.
