The SAGES program at Case Western Reserve University has been a major part of the university’s effort to make students aware, from the moment they set foot on campus, of the benefits of a seminar approach to learning.
But do students perceive the benefits of seminars? Do they understand why there might be great value in listening and exchanging ideas with their peers, when they may have been indoctrinated with the idea that the point of going to class is to get information from an expert, i.e., the professor? Do even teachers fully appreciate why the seminar approach is being advocated and what the advantage of discussions is so that they can better persuade students of its benefits?
At the next University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE) session, these questions will be discussed, using the surprising results of a Grinnell College study on student perceptions of discussions. Grinnell being a small school with a strong emphasis on a liberal arts education, one might have expected its students to understand the importance of discussions, but the results revealed serious misconceptions.
The discussion is Thursday, Feb. 26, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Herrick Room in the Allen Memorial Medical Library Building.
Pizza, sodas and water will be provided at this session. RSVP to ucite@case.edu.