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ERIC Number: EJ1092166
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1935-7869
EISSN: N/A
Creating Significant Learning Experiences: A Case Study in the College Religion Classroom
Jones, Jennifer L.; St. Hilaire, Robert
Journal of Effective Teaching, v12 n3 p34-43 2012
In a domain historically dominated by student passivity, instruction that entices students to integrate and assimilate new content into their pre-existing cognitive schema is a new but necessary shift from the traditional teaching paradigm. No longer is college teaching primarily focused on quantity of information, but rather the quality of learning as measured by specific student learning outcomes. To facilitate this change, Fink (2003) identifies what he calls a "significant learning experience" and categorizes it according to a six-part taxonomy. This case study explores one of Fink's categories, "integration," in the context of a class in an undergraduate religious studies course. In this class, students explored the work of St. Augustine, a prominent early Christian theologian, and his notion of idolatry (confusion of the world with God). Discussion of St. Augustine was used both as a springboard for understanding the concept of idolatry as well as for critiquing contemporary notions of romantic love. This piece will present specific instructional decisions that exemplify this theory of integration as well as offer advice to other higher education faculty looking to create significant learning experiences in their own classrooms.
Journal of Effective Teaching. Center for Teaching Excellence, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403. Tel: 910-962-3034; Fax: 910-962-3427; e-mail: jet@uncw.edu; Web site: http://www.uncw.edu/cte/et
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A