I am the instructor of "Jersey Shore-GRC: Depictions of Gender, Race and Class on the Shore" and I think it's safe to assume that the author of this article is stuck in the current-traditional mode of pedagogy which continues to fail to engage our students. Courses on pop culture help to capture and engage students on socio-cultural issues on their own ground. If they are going to watch shows such as South Park and Jersey Shore isn't it better to have them think about them critically and actively rather than passively?
If the author had done his due diligence prior to publishing this gibberish, he would have found plenty of substance behind many of the courses he's attacking. While I do agree that bowling and badminton seem a little too frivolous (I never took anything this breezy), students should be able to fill their lower division electives how they choose.
If I'm not mistaken, most all of the courses listed in this article are 2000 or lower. That said, I learned more in 'Star Wars and the Hero's Journey' than I did in a few of my upper division courses. In the class, the professor cleverly used Joseph Campbell's 'Hero Of A Thousand Faces' as a starting point to analyze the creation and trajectory of the heroes in the Star Wars films.
I have since graduated, and it's been over two years since I took this class. However, there are times when I'm reminded of Campbell's works when reading or watching a hero's story unravel. In my opinion, this shows that I learned and retained something worthwhile from the class. I could be wrong, but isn't that the point?
I guess my main critique is that some very legitimate courses have been grouped in with 'Underwater Basket Weaving'. In "Star Wars and the Hero's Journey', I learned some interesting cross cultural similarities in how people create their heroes. In the end, I think that's worth more than honing my ability to pick up the 7-10 split...
You would be impressed by the quality of some of these classes. Have you ever sat through any of these soft courses? I am guessing that you have not. I have taken a few, and I can tell you that the quality of discussion that went on was far more beneficial to me than either of the economics classes that I took. You should no be so quick to judge. There were students from several disciplines, including fields like business and engineering. College campuses are places of diversity and rightfully so. Everyone attending has different interests which they should be allowed to pursue. Its not like we aren't paying out the wazoo for them anyway. Why shouldn't we be allowed to take them? Most people use courses like this as electives. You can only take so many or they stop counting towards your degree. So why make a big fuss? I don't understand. I also get the hint that you do not feel that members of the GLBTQ community should not be able to expand their horizons. This is sad and I am happy that out country is moving in the right direction, even if you are not.
Is it chilly on The Dark Side? Those guys are usually a little whinny though.
Also, regarding the claim that taxpayers are "forced to subsidize" these classes, a quick internet search (what some people may call fact-checking) reveals that state funding is only 20% of OU's funding.
In support of j17564's comment: I have worked in k-12 education and taught freshman English at OU. The sad reality regarding "Pre-College English" is that there are students who are continually passed through each grade without ever really mastering the fundamental skills to survive at the next level. I have seen high schoolers struggling to read at a 5th grade level, and I have seen college freshmen who literally didn't know how to use a period (though the latter was a small number, it was still too high for the college level). The criticism shouldn't be leveled at the university for providing a stepping stone for those unprepared for the demands of college. Instead, we should look at the issues with Oklahoma's education more holistically and ask why this stepping stone is even necessary.
Also, on a separate issue--the most glaring issue with this article (and there are many...) is the absolute lack of research. It looks like Dutcher spent 5 minutes skimming the OU Intersession catalogue and picked out the silliest names to prove a point. What he doesn't acknowledge is how the intersession system works at OU. If the classes don't fill, they don't get taught. Teachers often use simple and catchy titles--often with pop-culture references--to attract students' attention. But this does not mean there is no substance behind the content of these classes, which often include a great deal of reading from literature and theory. Had Dutcher contacted these instructors for course syllabi he might have a greater understanding of what he's criticizing.
As a teacher at the University of Oklahoma, I am a bit dismayed to read this article. The article advocates (I assume) higher learning with as-yet-undescribed substance, but diminishes the importance of core classes like English. I do concede that "Pre-College English" should have been addressed as the name suggests, before college, but I can't help but point out that many of the students entering college for careers outside academia do require pre-college course rehashings and it is the job of educators to do what they can when they are given the opportunity. Further, if "English" is a "soft core" subject, what qualifies as hardcore (to use the writer's own language) and worthwhile? Universities are (sometimes begrudgingly) trying to adequately cover what high schools in Oklahoma have not. Is it right to cut spending because some children have either slipped through, skated by or simply avoided proper grammar and composition courses?
Furthermore, while I admit that some of the courses sound a bit frivolous, the classes do garner student interest by meeting the students on a level with which they are comfortable, a feeling I hope all teachers aim for in the classroom.
Finally, and perhaps the most striking part about this article aside from its casting aside of students in need of "soft core" classes, is the author's casual and offhand lumping of Women's and Gender Studies, as well as Hip Hop culture, into the same categories as "Jersey Shore" and "Principles of Floral Arranging."
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Re: Lofty Learning
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Re: Lofty Learning
Re: Lofty Learning
If I'm not mistaken, most all of the courses listed in this article are 2000 or lower. That said, I learned more in 'Star Wars and the Hero's Journey' than I did in a few of my upper division courses. In the class, the professor cleverly used Joseph Campbell's 'Hero Of A Thousand Faces' as a starting point to analyze the creation and trajectory of the heroes in the Star Wars films.
I have since graduated, and it's been over two years since I took this class. However, there are times when I'm reminded of Campbell's works when reading or watching a hero's story unravel. In my opinion, this shows that I learned and retained something worthwhile from the class. I could be wrong, but isn't that the point?
I guess my main critique is that some very legitimate courses have been grouped in with 'Underwater Basket Weaving'. In "Star Wars and the Hero's Journey', I learned some interesting cross cultural similarities in how people create their heroes. In the end, I think that's worth more than honing my ability to pick up the 7-10 split...
Re: Lofty Learning
Is it chilly on The Dark Side? Those guys are usually a little whinny though.
Peace.
Re: Lofty Learning
https://www.oufoundation.org/ouf/faq.aspx#19
Re: Lofty Learning
I have worked in k-12 education and taught freshman English at OU. The sad reality regarding "Pre-College English" is that there are students who are continually passed through each grade without ever really mastering the fundamental skills to survive at the next level. I have seen high schoolers struggling to read at a 5th grade level, and I have seen college freshmen who literally didn't know how to use a period (though the latter was a small number, it was still too high for the college level). The criticism shouldn't be leveled at the university for providing a stepping stone for those unprepared for the demands of college. Instead, we should look at the issues with Oklahoma's education more holistically and ask why this stepping stone is even necessary.
Also, on a separate issue--the most glaring issue with this article (and there are many...) is the absolute lack of research. It looks like Dutcher spent 5 minutes skimming the OU Intersession catalogue and picked out the silliest names to prove a point. What he doesn't acknowledge is how the intersession system works at OU. If the classes don't fill, they don't get taught. Teachers often use simple and catchy titles--often with pop-culture references--to attract students' attention. But this does not mean there is no substance behind the content of these classes, which often include a great deal of reading from literature and theory. Had Dutcher contacted these instructors for course syllabi he might have a greater understanding of what he's criticizing.
Re: Lofty Learning
brandon dutcher is a moron
Re: Lofty Learning
Furthermore, while I admit that some of the courses sound a bit frivolous, the classes do garner student interest by meeting the students on a level with which they are comfortable, a feeling I hope all teachers aim for in the classroom.
Finally, and perhaps the most striking part about this article aside from its casting aside of students in need of "soft core" classes, is the author's casual and offhand lumping of Women's and Gender Studies, as well as Hip Hop culture, into the same categories as "Jersey Shore" and "Principles of Floral Arranging."