Critical and Reflective Inquiry. Learning in Adulthood

Theme: Learning in Adulthood

Think of a "traditional" college student. Do you relate to that image? Is it vastly different from your own reality? Are you surprised to be attending college this coming quarter? Was this something you always saw for yourself, or is this a new frontier? Students make their way to college with a rich and diverse array of life experiences. Colleges and universities come to exist and persist for a variety of different reasons. In this course, we explore the foundations, history, and current state of higher education with a critical focus on what it means for colleges and universities to serve rapidly shifting student populations. We will examine the distinct characteristics of learning through adulthood, reading, and applying adult learning theories while creating and reflecting upon our own educational autobiographies. We will critique structural components of college and university systems by reading and discussing a number of scholarly works and educational narratives. Students will be required to develop a final research paper framed around a higher education case study. In our time together over the quarter, we will both learn and make sense of our own learning, building a foundation for the remainder of your education at Fairhaven College. This course will be taught face-to-face at Fairhaven College Required

Texts: Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Education (Mike Rose); Other readings assigned on CANVAS

Credit/Evaluation: Students required to complete weekly readings, learning journal entries, a midterm chat with me, educational autobiography (3-4 pages), group development theory presentation, and a final case study research paper citing appropriate academic sources (10-12 pages)

This course is part of your voluntary investment toward your education. I believe it benefits you most to attend as frequently as you are able. Missing more than three classes may jeopardize your eligibility to receive credit.