GE Theme course to study abroad gets a boost from home

Drake Institute affiliate Danielle V. Schoon, PhD, recently participated in the inaugural offering of the Office of Academic Enrichment’s Course Transformation Learning Community Grant ($2500) in Spring 2023, where she received support for developing a syllabus for TURK3797 Virtual Education Abroad in Istanbul. The course was recently approved for the GE Theme in Citizenship for a Just and Diverse World, and this fall, Schoon will submit it for approval as a High Impact Education Away 4-credit course.

The Course Transformation Learning Community supports getting a course through the redesign and committee approval. Facilitated by experts in course design and High-Impact Practices, it also provides opportunities to receive feedback from fellow instructors working through the same process. 

Through the grant, recipients complete the transformation and approval process for course approval for a particular GE Theme as an Honors Themes course and/or as an Integrative Practice Themes course. The process allows for reflection on Integrative Practices that can enhance student learning. Participants must understand folio-thinking pedagogy and incorporate ePortfolio elements in their transformed course. Upon completion, participants share their learning and course transformation with peers at the end of the spring 2023 semester.

Schoon hopes that the course will be offered by the Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures (NESA) in Spring 2024.