Fixing College Education: A New Curriculum for the Twenty-first Century

Appendix: Evergreen State College Sample Course Descriptions

137 APPENDIX Evergreen State College Sample Course Descriptions The following descriptions are taken from Evergreen State College documents. SCIENCE OF MIND The Science of Mind Program will examine the scope and limits of recent attempts to develop a new science of cognition. It will explore these broad questions: What is involved in studying the mind scientifically? What questions can be answered scienti fically? What questions can’t? Is the mind nothing but the brain? The program will contain the following interwoven threads: Cognitive psychology: . . . a variety of questions in the area of attention, memory, automatic processing, reasoning, and language as well as consciousness. Neuroscience: . . . basic neurobiology (anatomy and physiology ) with an emphasis on techniques used to obtain scientific understanding of neurophysiological processes. Statistics/data analysis . . . will combine research design methods in psychology with an examination of the concepts and techniques of descriptive and inferential statistics, including multivariate statistics. Seminar and related lectures will integrate the various elements of the program. . . . Projects: Each quarter there will be a group project. . . . In the Spring quarter, the bulk of the program work will consist in APPENDIX 138 an extensive, original project. It will typically involve collaboration in developing a research problem, generating a research design , getting human subjects review approval, carrying out data collection, conducting data analysis, and presenting results. The aim is to actually conduct experimental cognitive scientific research. . . . THE PHYSICIST’S WORLD The twentieth century has brought about a revolution in our understanding of the physical universe. We have been forced to revise the way we think about even such basic concepts as space and time and causality, and about the properties of matter. An important part of this revolution has been the surprising discovery of fundamental ways in which our knowledge of the material world is ultimately limited. These limitations are not the result of surmountable shortcomings in human understanding, but are more deeply rooted in the nature of the universe itself. In this program, we will examine the mental world created by the physicist so that we can make sense out of our experience of the material world, and try to understand the nature of physical reality. We will ask and explore answers to the twin questions of epistemology: What can we know? How can we know it? Starting with the Presocratic philosophers, we will continue through each major development of 20th-century physics, including the theories of relativity, quantum theory, deterministic chaos, and modern cosmology. We will examine the nature and the origins of the limits that each theory imposes on our ultimate knowledge of the world. We will read primary texts, such as works by the Presocratics, Plato, Lucretius, Galileo, Newton, and Einstein, as well as selected contemporary writings on physics. In addition to the other texts, a book-length manuscript has been written for this program that will serve as an extended outline and guide to the works and ideas we will read and discuss. Fall quarter will concentrate on the period up to the beginning of the 20th century ; winter quarter will cover developments during the 20th century. EVERGREEN COURSE DESCRIPTIONS 139 No mathematical prerequisites are assumed. Mathematical thinking will be developed within the context of the other ideas as needed for our purposes. The only prerequisites are curiosity about the natural world and a willingness to read and think and write about challenging texts and ideas. (Credit awarded in philosophy of science, history of science, introduction to physical science, introduction to mathematics and quantitative reasoning , and expository writing.) BELIEF AND TRUTH What do you believe and why? Can you prove it? How, or why not? Does it matter whether you can support what you believe? Is everything relative? Is science just another belief system? What are the roles of conjecture, evidence and theory in understanding ? How can you articulate beliefs? How can you test hypotheses? What is the difference, if any? If these questions intrigue you, too, join us. Classes will include discussions, lectures , and other activities. Workshops may include quantitative reasoning, science, and statistical reasoning. Some online work may be required. (Credit awarded in sociology, history, statistics, philosophy of science, and/or conceptual physics.) PUBLIC WORKS: DEMOCRACY AND DESIGN The term “public works” refers to large-scale physical projects such as roads, waterworks, harbors or refuse-handling sites. Every community needs them. Indeed, most communities could not survive without these essential projects that allow us to live together...