Advanced Course
“Exploration of the Academic World II”
Course Overview
This course aims to explore humanity’s diverse intellectual reflection and practical values through the means of discussion and debate. With this exploration, students are encouraged to understand current society and respond to future changes accordingly. The objectives of this course is to break down the boundaries of individual academic disciplines and to develop critical, interdisciplinary, and creative thinking skills. Students will be given ample opportunities to nurture problem awareness from novel and diverse perspectives, all the while enhancing their communication and collaboration skills in their efforts to solve real world issues. This course will be offered as a Flipped Classed learner-centered course with the focus on QBL (Question Based Learning) and PBL (Problem Based Learning).
Course Description
This course is a student-led, discussion-centered class with the goal of developing critical, creative, and interdisciplinary thinking skills through the exploration of intellectual history within humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Exploration of the Academic World II is an advanced General Studies Elective course with the aim of developing practical problem solving skills. Until the 2023 academic year, this mandatory course was part of the General Studies Required curriculum. Currently, it is intended to be taken after completing Exploration of the Academic World I.
Course Objectives and Teaching-Learning Process
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[Exploration of the Academic World II]
- To cultivate interdisciplinary thinking skills through reflection on the impact of science and technology on humanity, society, and nature
- To develop problem solving skills based on new perspectives from analyzing the current issues in the field of science and technology
- To nurture citizenship that views humanity’s responsibilities as their own, and initiates change for a brighter future
- To strengthen empathy and communication skills through shared goal achievements with various peers
Curriculum Features
- Learner-Centered Flipped Class Model: debate and presentation after watching course videos about a specific topic. Students are divided among small groups to continue discussions.
- Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods: in Exploration of the Academic World I, QBL is used to encourage debate and discussion, while in Exploration of the Academic World II, PBL is employed to develop a student’s critical creative, and interdisciplinary problem solving skills.
- Various Major Sections: as a result of free course selection, students from various backgrounds come together to engage in communication and collaboration among diverse departments
- Standardization of the General Studies Curriculum: a standardized education system of course content, schedule, and grading methods is implemented. Regular faculty workshops are also held to enhance educational quality.