For the first time at Duke, undergraduates can now sign up for two new online summer courses on creative writing and civic engagement, and issues and innovations in American classrooms.
"These are the first examples of online learning that have appeared in the summer curriculum," says Paula Gilbert, associate dean and director of Duke continuing studies and summer session. Gilbert emphasized that the online courses are an opportunity for Duke undergraduates to take Duke courses over the summer, whether they are abroad or living at home.
Cathy Shuman, visiting assistant professor of English, says she sees her class on creative writing and civic engagement as something that will complement and enrich students' service-learning experiences.
"After you come back from a day of working with children or building houses, to be writing about it can be helpful to you and enrich the whole experience," she says. Her course is open to any Duke undergraduate participating in a civic engagement experience during the summer such as Duke Engage, the Robertson Scholars program, or an independent service project.
With a focus on the many genres included under the umbrella of creative nonfiction, Shuman says she is open to the students soaking up what's going on around them, putting it down on paper and figuring out what they want to write.
"They could write a Frank Rich type of column, or a Bruce Chatwin travel story, or a George Orwell-like description," she says. "They'll be writing things with implications for ethical inquiry, cultural inquiry and personal inquiry. I think it's just going to make their experience all the richer and make their writing better."
The course, ENGLISH 109S, will primarily be taught on the Blackboard course-management program.
In the innovations in American classrooms course, students will examine the "straight from the headlines" issues confronting schools today, says Kristen Stephens, assistant professor of the practice in Duke's Program in Education.
Topics to be addressed include the Nationalization of Education, Re-Authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Charter Schools, High-Stakes Testing, The Standards Movement, The Achievement Gap, State Longitudinal Data Systems, and others.
Students interested in how federal policy drives state education systems will find the course content particularly compelling," Stephens says.
Duke is offering the courses to help students who leave campus for the summer but need alternative ways to earn Duke academic credit during those months, Stephens says, adding: "Particularly since they are limited to the number of semester hours they can transfer in for courses taken at other institutions.
"An online course affords students the opportunity to take a Duke class from anywhere on the globe. In addition, Duke students are busy. They need alternative course delivery systems in order to accommodate their schedule and free-up time for other worthy endeavors, such as service-learning experiences, internships and work," she says.
The course, EDUC 168, is only open to Duke undergraduates. Though it is offered online, students are required to take part in a live, virtual meeting at least one day a week. Students will also be required to attend a face-to-face orientation in late April to learn about the software and equipment requirements of the course, including Web cameras that will be distributed to them.
"If enrollment targets are met this summer, and feedback from students is positive, this may be an area that Duke wishes to expand in the future," Stephens says.
Registration for both classes has already begun through the ACES online registration system. Contact the instructors at cathy.shuman@duke.edu and kstephen@duke.edu for permission to register for these courses.