The apparent success of the University’s new Living and Learning seminars—courses designed for first-year students in which classmates live together in one residence hall—will ensure that the program continues next semester.
The philosophy behind the Living and Learning seminars, which were implemented as a pilot project this past fall, is that the close proximity of the students facilitates group assignments, a sense of community and collaborative learning outside the classroom. Louise Brown, the Dean for the Class of 2009, stressed that the seminars accomplished their goal.
“The students we heard from really appreciated both the classroom and the ResHall,” she said. “The professor feedback was also positive. Most students found that living in the same area was easier because they could meet in groups. They wish there had been even more collaborative assignments.”
The courses available last fall included Haiti: Myths and Realities, Personal Identity and Choice, and Music and Downtown New York, 1950-1970. The students were housed in the Butterfields Residence Halls. Nat Leich ’12 took the Music and Downtown New York course, and found group work to be more enjoyable because he already knew his fellow classmates.
“The projects were definitely designed to be collaborative,” he said. “They were reminiscent of middle school projects except much more comprehensive. We did two projects throughout the whole class and they involved more than one person. I guess living together meant that the project was a little more fun because you’re already friends with the people.”
Despite his expressed approval for the class, Leich noted that the course was not entirely different from others offered without the living component.
“It wasn’t super different from taking a class where you’re not living with the people,” he said.
He suggested that closer classmate proximity would be even more beneficial to collaborative learning, as many of the class members live only in the same general dormitory as each other, not always on the same particular hall.
“The best improvement would be putting us on one or two halls, more than just in the same building,” he said.
The success of the program has enabled incoming freshman to be able to take Living and Learning seminars in the fall. Assistant Professor of Philosophy Elise Springer’s course on Personal Identity and Choice will be taught for the second time, and new courses will include Religions Resist Modernity and Thinking Animals: An Introduction to Animal Studies. Dean Brown wants to make sure that incoming freshman know that the option of Living and Learning seminars is available to them.
“I think we’re going to do a better job of explaining the program in both course and room selection materials and see if we can encourage collaborative work a little bit more,” she said. “This was a pilot project and we’re really pleased with the feedback.”
Living and Learning seminars are discussion-based and are capped at 19 students. Residence buildings for Fall 2009 courses have not been determined yet, but the Butterfields may again be a viable option. Leich recommended the Living and Learning seminars to students who work well and learn better in groups.
“I think it did help with the coursework outside of the classroom,” he said. “And it made living more enjoyable, which is the point.”
Leave a Reply to Anon Cancel reply