Nov. 6, 2001
Inquiring Minds: Columbian College Wants to Know
Hewlett Grant Funds CCAS Project for Inquiry-Based
Education, Encourages Use of Washington Resources
By Thomas
Kohout
An ambitious, two-year project recently launched by the Columbian College
of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) has the potential to redefine the undergraduate
experience at GW. Funded in part by a $150,000 grant from the William
and Flora Hewlett Foundation, as well as matching funds from the University,
the project will establish a series of academically challenging courses
for freshmen that open doors to Washington-area resources.
Were looking at our students and trying to figure out ways
that we could reengage them, says Cheryl Beil, director of academic
planning and assessment. Its part of a national trend at
research universities, rethinking the general curriculum and how to
get students to stop thinking of the general requirements as something
you just get over with.
The Hewlett project proposes to develop 10 to 15 courses based on the
CCAS Deans Seminar series begun by former Dean Lester Lefton in
1999. The courses would be relatively small and taught by the schools
senior faculty, using a new theory of teaching inquiry-based
education.
Pedagogically quite a different approach to the style most faculty
use, says CCAS Associate Dean Michael Moses. He explains that
inquiry education, or problem-based learning as it is sometimes referred
to, offers students greater control of, and responsibility for, their
education. It begins with questions or problems that require a semesters
worth of information or skill to answer. Students attempt to solve the
problem based on what they have already learned. Faculty then discuss
with the students what types of formulas, information, or resources
are necessary to tackle the query, and direct the class where they can
find these data or skills.
It begins with the problem and has the students find the information
that they would need to solve the problem, explains Moses. Its
a much richer experience. Its similar to the approach that researchers
and graduate students use. You are not learning the way undergraduate
classes are taught, which is always putting the cart before the horse.
We present the theory and then we say here are applications of
the theory. At the research level you are using all of this information
that you have already collected.
The idea for a new approach to undergraduate education is not new to
CCAS. The school has been interested in establishing a more challenging
regime for its increasingly advanced student body for some time. The
Deans Seminars focused on putting freshmen students in contact
with senior faculty in a small, stimulating class environment. The courses
cover creative topics such as Monsters and Medieval Identity,
The Psychology of Leadership; Politics and Religion;
Material Culture in America, and How to Read an Artifact.
Though the series proved to be very popular among the schools
leading students, by relying on the scarce resource of senior faculty
and more intimate class sizes, the series also proved to be costly.
In their search for the means to expand the series, Elizabeth Curtler,
executive director of corporate and foundation relations in the development
office, suggested they apply for the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
grant. The grant, which Curtler wrote, borrowed from the concerns voiced
in the Boyer Commission Report published in 1998. Boyer was harshly
critical of undergraduate education at research universities arguing
that recruitment materials from research universities are quick to cite
the schools prominent faculty, but few undergraduates ever get
the chance to study under those world-famous professors or taste
genuine research.
This is something that weve seen at GW, says Beil.
I do a lot of research with undergraduates, and many of our top
students arent engaged. Students are coming to GW for Washington,
not the education. The quality of our high school students keeps increasing,
they have better grades and higher SATs than they had 10 years
ago, but theyre not more intellectually engaged in the classroom.
In the process of writing the proposal, Beil and Curtler developed the
concept of inserting a Washington-centric element. All of the courses
would have some aspect of Washington, DC, and the area resources at
their root.
If you look at GWs mission statement, its almost all
about undergraduate teaching with very strong statements about using
Washington, DC, resources, says Moses, adding he believes this
may be the highlight of the whole project. What we felt at the
start was that we would make this a requirement for people submitting
courses, to exploit the citys resources.
For instance if you are taking a geology course, Beil explains,
you might be using local natural resources to learn how rock formations
occurred, or use resources from the US Geological Society. Its
bringing Washington into the classroom, and exploiting the multitude
of assets available in the city.
During the current academic year, the Hewlett Steering Committee, composed
of senior CCAS faculty and administrators such as Beil, will sponsor
information sessions on inquiry-based instruction in order to form GW-specific
definition of inquiry-based education. Following the year of training
and discussions, faculty members who have been previously selected to
be Hewlett Fellows, will receive a $4,400 stipend to develop their courses
over the summer to be ready for fall 2002. According to Moses, it is
possible that only nine or 10 classes will be offered in the fall, saving
five or six for the spring semester to maintain interest and give more
students a chance to participate in the program. Following the 200203
academic year, the fellows and the steering committee will closely evaluate
the effectiveness of the project and issue their findings to the school
and the Hewlett Foundation.
According to Beil, assessment of the courses will play a central role
in the program as well as the training.
You have to know how much these students are learning, says
Beil, and we have to make sure students are learning what we want
them to learn.
Although learning material directed toward problem solving can be more
interesting, Moses warns there is a risk. Students may just focus
on the problem and forget that the problem is just a gimmick to understand
this material.
The Steering Committee is currently developing a Web site and a listserv
to post materials and initiate discussion about the concepts involved
in the project.
Were hoping that well create a cadre of faculty who
are rethinking how to teach undergraduates, and then passing that on
to younger faculty, says Beil, and well have a rebirth
in looking at ways to improve undergraduate teaching.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu