ERIC Number: EJ1095207
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0024-1822
EISSN: N/A
Redesigning the First-Year Orientation Course: How a Discipline-Specific Approach Can Deepen Student Engagement
Fuller, Ivan
Liberal Education, v100 n3 Sum 2014
In November 2011, the author--Ivan Fuller, a professor of theatre and associate dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at Rider University--attended a joint symposium of the American Conference of Academic Deans and Phi Beta Kappa that was designed to wrestle with the question of why the humanities matter. At one session, participants discussed three educational outcomes that are central to the humanities: critical thinking, empathetic thinking, and creative thinking. After returning from the conference, the author was able to garner the support of his department and dean to design and pilot a first-year orientation course for theatre majors that focused on critical thinking and developing creative and empathetic thinking, as well as freshmen survival skills. This article discusses the application and results of the pilot course, and suggests that faculty in other disciplines can utilize a similar discipline-specific approach in a first-year orientation course.
Descriptors: Curriculum Development, Curriculum Design, School Orientation, Critical Thinking, Empathy, Creative Thinking, College Freshmen, Daily Living Skills, Theater Arts, Learner Engagement, Developmental Studies Programs, Program Descriptions
Association of American Colleges and Universities. 1818 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Tel: 800-297-3775; Tel: 202-387-3760; Fax: 202-265-9532; e-mail: pub_desk@aacu.org; Web site: http://www.aacu.org/publications/index.cfm
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Jersey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A