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Liberal Arts Education: The Core Curriculum - Coggle Diagram
Liberal Arts Education: The Core Curriculum
History of Liberal Arts & Western Education
Etymology=Core or Heart
Before modern times
Breadth of learning=Liberal Arts
Mothers taught their children the basics
Select few had more elaborate education for public service
Professional educators or tutors taught the children of the wealthy
Roman Connection Liberal Arts Ed & Citizenship
Best suited for "free-men"
Skills in thinking, communication & leadership
Critical Thinking & Rational Analysis
Encouraged life of active reflection
Christian Middle Ages
7 Arts or Skills
Trivium (3 paths)
Logic
How to think
Rhetoric
Combined the two skills in argument
Grammar
How language works
Quadrivium
Astronomy
Music
Geometry
Arithmetic
After mastery the first 2
Theology
Philosophy
The Enlightenment
Detached theology from liberal arts
Removed Christian from the Christian liberal arts education
Industrial Revolution
Rising pragmatism & advent of new tech
Demand for specialized training removed liberal from Christian liberal arts education
Christian Higher Education
God Exalting Communal Commitment
Learning itself is devotional
Shifting from self-exaltation to God Exalting
Liberal=Freeing from selfish desires and delusions
"Spoils of Egypt"
Taking the pagan/worldly and concecrating it back to what God meant it to do
Application of Christian worldview to various academic pursuits
How we understand the world and the people in it
Orthopraxy
Right Practice toward others
Love you neighbor
Orthodoxy
Right Thinking about God
Love the Lord your God...
Values learning over research
Student to Faculty Ratio=Small
Christian understanding of truth
Rooted in Lordship of Christ
Current Conditions
Self Guided Intellectual Buffet
Postsecondary work=Completion of a degree
Pre-rich (pre-med, pre-law, etc)
Pre-service (religion, social work, etc)
Pre-figure out what to do with my life program
Challenges
Large research oriented universities
Gen Ed taught by non-permanent faculty
Permanent faculty feel little personal investment
Viewed as being little importance
Class Sizes
Large sections with 100's of students
Little interaction with faculty
Few writing assignments
Students feel like they are merely "punching the clock"
Overall lack of philosophical cohesion
Few connections made from one course to the other
Gen Ed is just a "checklist" to get to "real" courses
Gen Ed becomes fragmented due to wide choice in classes
Practical Application
Students
Opportunity
Learn from experts what would not otherwise be learned
Study is devotional
Opportunity to learn about God and his creation
Pray
God to prepare them for life's calling
Explore
Career and service opportunities
Faculty
View
Core courses as unique privilege
Review
Content and teaching methodology
Collaborate
Where courses may overlap
Parents
Encourage
Students to take full advantage
Pray
For faculty as they influence and guide students
Ask & Listen
About core courses & intellectual interests
Don't be overly anxious
About new career interests sparked by core classes
Administrators
Responsibility
Cohesion of institution in mission and purpose
Fierce Guardians
Core curriculum for formation of students
Mission & Purpose
Develop students by focusing on essentials of core corriculum