What Class Should I Take?
All of the Academy's classes are challenging, for they are
designed to be the approximate equivalent of a semester-long university course
offered during the regular academic year. Of course the classes have to be
adapted to correspond to the three-week session (Truman semesters are fifteen
weeks long), but faculty members still have high expectations for the
performance of the students.
The Academy's classes fall within one of several categories:
Social Sciences are classes that investigate human behavior and activity in its social and cultural context. More specifically, social scientists consider what motivates human beings in both private and public settings. Students will learn how to collect evidence, test a hypothesis, analyze results, and present conclusions. JBA classes that belong to the Social Sciences group include: The Historian as Detective; Native Americans Frontiers: Images and Realities; Psychology & the Media: Reality Explored and Crime and Justice in America.
Natural Sciences are
classes that attempt to understand and explain the natural world. Students
will learn how to gather and analyze evidence in order to develop
experiments that will test a hypothesis. Scientists use proven and disproved
hypotheses to develop a tentative series of laws and theories in order to
create a model that describes the natural world. JBA classes that belong to
the Natural Sciences group include: Introduction to Chemistry; The Horse
and Missouri Mammals: Natural History, Ecology and Behavior.
Mathematics/Computer Sciences are classes that create structures to
describe the relationship and functions of concrete and abstract objects.
Students must employ a rigorous logic whether they are working with a branch
of mathematics (such as geometry, algebra, trigonometry, and calculus) or a
specific language in computer sciences (such as JAVA or Visual Basic). These
classes also are invaluable tools for many disciplines, especially the
natural and social sciences. JBA classes that belong to Mathematics/Computer
Sciences group include The Art and Science of Computer Programming.
We also offer two courses that teach sophisticated applications of computing
technology: Computers in Art and Design: Digital Imaging with Photoshop
and An “Animated” Course.
Humanities are classes that examine the culture of human beings. More
specifically, the Humanities strive to examine and appreciate human values
by examining creative works (such as literature, art, and music) and systems
(such as languages and ethics). Students will learn how to analyze and
evaluate the creative world of humans and to express their personal
reactions. JBA classes that belong to the Humanities group include:
Shakespeare Lives!; Elementary Latin: Discovering Our Roots;
Ethnomusicology:
Music in the Real World; World Mythology and Italian Language and
Culture.
Fine Arts are classes that nurture human creativity by allowing
students to engage in the production of music, art, acting, and fiction.
Students will learn the conventions of a specific academic discipline and
how to channel and express their own creative impulses. JBA students in
these classes will have an opportunity to display or perform their works
before the Academy. JBA classes that belong to the Fine Arts group include:
Drawing: A Springboard to the Visual Arts; The Writer's Craft and
Acting: Serious Play. This year we also offer two courses that approach
fine arts via computers – see “Mathematics/Computer Sciences,”
above.
Truman has a distinctive focus on Interdisciplinary. Interdisciplinary classes draw
from different areas of the liberal arts. For instance, this year we offer
Argumentation: The Toolbox of Inquiry and Language: Myths and
Truths, both of which are areas of study in their own right, but which
apply to a wide variety of human inquiries, problems and endeavors. In fact,
all of our JBA courses strive to meet the interdisciplinary challenge: to
bring various ways of thinking and learning together in one course, to
challenge students to find how disciplines solve problems and address
creativity in different ways.
2008 Course Descriptions
Session I:
June 7-June 28, 2008
Acting: Serious Play
This course explores basic principles in the art of acting, engaging students in a variety of valuable pursuits of practical application to every other study in life: cooperative discipline and trust, freeing the imagination, “inhabiting” great ideas, appreciating alternative views, gaining confidence in public communication, and, most importantly, greater physical, vocal, and personal self-awareness. Our work will include reading and discussion in theory and technique from Stanislovski and more recent masters but will emphasize active workshop learning through extended series of improvisations, physical and vocal imitations, character analysis, scene work, and showcase performances.
Enrollment limited to 18 students
Textbook
No textbook needed.
Instructor
Ronald M. Rybkowski, Professor of Theatre, Truman State University.
B.A., Whittier College; M.F.A., California State University, Fullerton.
An “Animated” Course
An
“Animated” Course is an introduction and exploration of motion graphics
and animation used in art and design. Traditional cell frame animation,
rotoscoping animation and computer-generated animation will be topics for
this class. Drawing and painting skills will be developed and utilized
throughout this course. Many projects will start with basic drawings but
will be integrated and processed through Macintosh computers using Adobe
Photoshop, ImageReady and Macromedia Flash and Fireworks and Apple iMovie.
Students should be confident in and/or interested in improving their
drawing, painting and computer related skills.
Enrollment limited to 20 students.
Course fee for supplies and materials is $50.00.
Textbook
The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles, and Formulas
for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion, and Internet Animators
(Paperback).
Instructor
Rusty Nelson, Associate Professor of Art, Truman State University.
B.F.A., Fort Hays State University; M.F.A., Kansas State University.
Communicating
Politics: Rhetoric and Campaigns
in the Communication Age
Whether
we are actively interested in the mechanics of politics or not, images of
the political process are now unavoidable. Political advertising, televised
debates, YouTube videos, and candidate websites confront us daily. Part of
appreciating the modern political process involves understanding the
rhetoric—or the means of persuasion—employed by candidates for office, as
well as those who already serve.
This course will explore both historical and contemporary political rhetoric
and argumentation, exploring techniques of early political campaigning in
ancient Greece and Rome through the emergence of political consultants in
colonial America to the techniques of the present day. Students will learn
an interdisciplinary approach to the subject, exploring theories and methods
from political science, rhetoric, psychology, and mass communication. They
will also grapple with questions related to the ethics of political
rhetoric, including the controversy surrounding the use of propaganda to
advance political and governmental agendas. Students will emerge from the
course better able to critically evaluate the coming elections and the
discourse of their leaders.
To better understand the concepts in this course, students will engage in
oral and written exercises that challenge them to understand the theories,
and practice the techniques, of the course. Among the many activities
students will use to study the subject, students will engage in simulations
of actual political communication activities including, designing campaign
literature and web content, preparing candidate speeches, negotiating the
structure for political debates, and filming campaign commercials. Because
the course takes place during an election year, students can also anticipate
visits by guest speakers and field trips that capitalize on the abundance of
available rhetoric to study and critique.
Textbook
A course pack developed by the instructor.
Instructor
Kristopher Stroup, Assistant Professor of Communication; B.S., Truman State
University; M.A., Ph.D., Ohio University.
Introduction to Chemistry
The course will introduce you to several major concepts in chemistry through the study of such contemporary environmental issues as air pollution, ozone depletion, global warming, and acid rain. You will consider many major chemical concepts throughout the session, including atom and atomic structure, molecules and chemical bonding, chemical nomenclature, writing and balancing chemical equations, the mole and molarity, pH, hydrogen bonding, solubility, and the structure and function of organic macromolecules.
You will have the opportunity to participate in
several laboratory experiences in which you will learn to work safely in the
laboratory and make careful observations of chemical reactions and
phenomena.
A recent new component involves inquiry based learning, as you will
conduct an environmental study of some local streams and lakes by collecting
and analyzing samples using different spectroscopic techniques. Other
experiments include titration of citric acid in fruit juice, chemical
reactions of inorganic compounds, paper and column chromatography of food
coloring, making a spectrophotometer, analysis of artificial blood, the
study of dyes through the making of tie dye T-shirts and creating a fresco
and several others. The laboratory will introduce you to recording and
graphing data and to using proper techniques in the laboratory.
Textbook
The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry,
handouts and laboratory manual. (an additional textbook may be added)
Instructor
Dana Delaware, Professor of Chemistry, Truman State University. B.A.,
Marist College; Ph.D., Purdue University, Postdoctoral Fellow University
of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.
Pyccкий язьIк
и русская куЛьтура
Russian Language and Culture
Students
will learn the Cyrillic alphabet used by Russians in order to read and write
the language. However, as this is an introductory language course, a
communicative approach will be taken and students will be encouraged to
speak before they can read or write, with an emphasis on vocabulary and set
phrases. While case forms will be introduced as needed, and written
homework will be required, oral expression in Russian will be the focus of
the course. Poems and songs will be memorized, the sounds of the language
will be stressed, both in pronunciation and intonation. Creative approaches
to language study will be implemented as much as possible. The language
textbook, MiniRus, should prepare students for a more comprehensive
language course.
Students will read The Russian Way, which presents key traits of Russian behavior and customs. We will discuss aspects of both the material and spiritual culture of the Russian people, including Russian family structure, Russian food, superstitions and proverbs. The geography of Rus’, Imperial Russia, the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation will be the object of map-making; we will try our hand at cooking, building and decorating a scaled-down traditional dwelling or izba, and experiment with individual artistic interpretation of various letters of the Cyrillic alphabet.
Students should come away from this course with basic knowledge of the structure of the language and a trained ear for the sounds and intonation of Russian. They should have a greater understanding of various aspects of Russian culture and an increased curiosity about other languages and cultures.
Textbooks
MiniRus, A Starter Course in Russian, textbook, workbook, 4 audio tapes;
The Russian Way.
Instructor
Faith Beane, Assistant Professor of Russian, Truman State University.
B.A., Stanford University; Diploma in Bulgarian Philology, Institut national
des langues et civilizations orientales, Paris; M.A., Sorbonne, Paris; ABD,
University of Chicago.
Shakespeare Lives!
Shakespeare Lives! will concentrate on five great plays spanning about twenty years of Shakespeare’s career. We will learn how the plays were worked out by analyzing characters, symbols and plot patterns; and we will learn how the works played out by becoming characters. We’ll speak lines, paint or sew or hammer symbols, and modernize plots. We will study some of the old stories which Shakespeare himself inherited, and see how radically he changed them to suit his own London world and his own sense of values. And we will watch some of the new versions which recent movie directors have created, to see how they do the same things. Activities will include researching, performing, and imitating portions of our chosen texts. As we rehearse scenes and study films, we will pay special attention to how body language—tone of voice, gesture, posture—can change a play’s meaning, one line at a time. If the class decides to do so, we will perform a portion of a play for the entire Academy. One special feature of this course is an overnight field trip to see a live production.
Special fee for the two-day field trip is $95.00.
Textbook
The Norton Shakespeare.
Instructor
Betsy Delmonico, Professor of English, Truman State University. B.A.,
Spalding College; Ph.D., University of
Notre Dame.
The Art and Science of Computer Programming
Do you enjoy tinkering with and using computers, but want to know how they really work? Do you enjoy using the programs that other people have written, but want to know how to write programs yourself? This course is an introduction to the art and science of programming, using the Java programming language. For the first two weeks you will learn fundamental language constructs and program design techniques. During the last week you and your fellow class members will complete a significant project that makes extensive use of graphics and the techniques learned earlier in the course. The course also includes an introduction to the GNU/Linux environment which is used as the development platform. As an added bonus, this course serves as an excellent introduction to the Computer Science AP course, which also uses Java as the vehicle language.
Enrollment limited to 25 students.
Textbook
How to Think Like a Computer Scientist (Java Edition).
Instructor
Donald Bindner, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Truman State
University. B.S., Northeast Missouri State University; Ph.D., University of
Georgia.
The Horse
For thousands of years, horses have served humans as a source of meat and milk, as beasts of burden, as vehicles of mobility, and as tools of war. Some have argued that the first true arms race involved the adoption and spread of chariotry and chariot technology between neighboring human cultures. In this course we will consider reasons or explanations for the domestication of the horse and the resultant long-lived association of horse and human. Most of our focus in addressing this subject will lie in the science of the horse, by which we will investigate the unique anatomic, physiologic, and behavioral characteristics of the species we call Equus. It is these characteristics that allowed the horse to be adapted to the uses to which humans have put it.
Secondarily, we will consider the history of the human-horse association by focusing on several pivotal time periods and the transfer of technology between people-groups which facilitated the spread of horsemanship. And, while not a primary focus of the course, a strong secondary emphasis on riding will provide students with multiple opportunities to ride horses in a supervised setting. The riding component will be used to reinforce principles of equine behavior, anatomical and physiological discussions, and to illustrate the side-by-side development of technology (saddles, bits, bridles, etc.) which was required for the adoption and spread of horse use by and between various cultures.
The course will be taught using lecture-laboratory methods with ample opportunities for hands-on activities. Study of a whole-horse skeleton will be used to reinforce the consideration of anatomy, and observation of live horses at the nearby 400-acre University Farm will be used to reinforce discussions of horse behavior and herd dynamics. Video clips and movies will be used to investigate the cultural aspects of horses in 20th-century American culture.
Enrollment limited to 20 students.
Special fee for the riding insurance and other materials is $50.00.
Textbook
The Nature of Horses.
Instructor
Emily Costello, Lecturer in Equine Science, Horsemanship Instructor, and
Equestrian Team coach, Truman State University. B.S., Biology, Truman State
University.
The Human Laboratory
Have
you ever wondered how jumpers can jump so high or so far, whether you should
consume a sports drink before, during or after physical activity, or how
runners withstand the impact of two times their body weight with every step
and stay injury free? The human body is the most amazing machine on the
planet. It is a complex arrangement of interdependent systems that is
powerful, adaptive…and is made to move. Through examining the systems of
the human body and how they interact with our environment, we will explore
the wonder of movement. Using your own body, we will learn how your brain
and your muscles work together to produce movement (motor control), how your
body uses the foods you eat to produce energy (exercise physiology), and how
muscles move the skeletal system to produce particular movements
(biomechanics). You’ll even visit a cadaver lab where you will see what
really lies underneath your own skin! Finally, you will get to create and
conduct your own research study on an aspect of human movement you find most
interesting.
Textbook
A course pack developed by the instructor. A textbook may be added.
Instructor
Evonne Bird, Instructor in Health and Exercise Sciences, Truman State
University. B.S., Eastern Montana College; M.S., Texas Tech University.
World Mythology
How are stories and legends created, narrated, embellished,
passed on, and retold? You’ve all loved listening to stories as children, and,
I dare say, you enjoy telling them as well. We know that our parents and
grandparents enjoyed storytelling, but did you know that many of their stories
were based on mythologies developed over thousands of years? So, we might well
ask, when were the first stories told? What can we learn about a people from
reading their folktales and legends? How do their stories change their
culture? Why, in the first place, do people even tell fantastic and
unbelievable stories?
We will think about these questions as we read mythologies from various parts
of the world. Along the way we will consider the similarities and differences
among the mythologies and folklore found in different parts of the world, from
Kashmir to Kirksville. Our investigation will allow us to understand the ways
in which we are connected with other humans who lived long ago in distant
lands. More specifically, we will read mythologies that have originated in
various geographical locations and historical contexts, focusing on but not
limited to the Greek, Roman, Mesopotamian, Chinese, Hindu, and Native American
cultures. You will have the opportunity to bring mythology alive by enacting
plays and scenes from mythological dramas. You will also view some videos to
see how filmmakers have taken famous myths and rewritten them to suit their
own purposes. By the end of the session you will have a fundamental
understanding of mythology and an awareness of the similarities and
differences that we share with other cultures.
Textbooks
World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics; Haroun
and the Sea of Stories; Mahabharata.
Instructor
Hena Ahmad, Associate Professor of English, Truman State
University. B.A., University of Kashmir; M.A., University of Kashmir;
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Session II
July 5-July 26, 2008
Computers in Art and Design: Digital Imaging with Photoshop
Explore how the computer has been integrated into the image-making processes. Learn how professional artists, designers and illustrators utilize the power of Adobe Photoshop to create digital artwork, colorize, retouch and enhance images and to create graphics. Illustrate through traditional drawing a narrative panel, scan and colorize in Photoshop. Retouch and restore a damaged photograph. Using basic design principles create a digital montage of images. The basic features of Photoshop and techniques of digital imaging will be explored through tutorials in the Photoshop WOW textbook and original artwork will be produced when techniques are mastered. Students will utilize digital cameras, scanners, digital graphics tablets, and output to large format inkjet printers. Macintosh G5 computers (the industry standard platform) power this exploration into the realm of digital imagery.
Enrollment is limited to 25 students.
Course fee for supplies and materials is $60.00.
Textbook
Photoshop WOW CS.
Instructor
Rusty Nelson, Associate Professor of Art, Truman State University. B.F.A.,
Fort Hays State University; M.F.A., Kansas State University.
Crime and Justice in America
What compels people to commit crimes? How does a detective go about investigating a crime scene and how does a district attorney prosecute a case? Is it possible for prisons to rehabilitate career criminals, or should we use our penal system simply to punish criminals and remove them from the streets? What do we mean when we talk about “justice?”
In this course you will examine the stages of the criminal justice system in America. You will be exposed to a variety of activities that will enhance the learning process. Special emphasis will be placed on ethics and how it applies to the three divisions (police, courts and corrections). You will also have the opportunity to explore the dynamics of criminal investigation, the prosecution of cases, and correctional efforts for offenders. You will research and debate aspects of important public policy, participate in mock trials, and even take field trips to area criminal justice agencies.
Textbook
A Concise Introduction to Criminal Justice,
1st ed.
Instructor
Marjorie Burick-Hughes, Instructor in Justice Systems, Truman State
University. B.S., Youngstown State University; M.J.A., Wichita State
University.
Drawing: A Springboard to the Visual Arts
Drawing: A Springboard to the Visual Arts provides an introduction to the aesthetic and creative modes of inquiry through active participation in studio experiences with a variety of drawing tools, media, and materials. The content of the course will be the study of two- and three-dimensional art forms inside and outside the studio classroom. A series of lessons will be presented that involve the student in the use of art materials and techniques associated with the development of a contemporary drawing portfolio. Studio experiences will be accompanied by presentations and discussions of contemporary and traditional art as it relates to the assignments. Previous basic art studio experience is encouraged but not required.
Enrollment limited to 20 students.
Course fees for art supplies and materials is $120.00.
Textbook
No textbook needed.
Instructor
Susan Shoaff-Ballanger, Ph.D., Professor of Fine Arts, Truman State
University. B.S., M.A., Florida State University; Ph.D. University of North
Texas.
Elementary Latin: The Words and Ways of the Ancient Romans
Students with no previous experience with Latin will complete nearly an entire semester of college-level Latin. By the end of the three-week session, students will not only possess a fundamental knowledge of the Latin language, they will also have increased and strengthened their knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary. Students will find that the study of Latin is a great introduction to the challenge of acquiring a second (or even a third) language.
Much of our time in class will be devoted to reading passages of elementary Latin. Our textbook follows the activities of Quintus and his sister Horatia, young people who lived in a village outside of Rome two thousand years ago. As we follow their activities at home and in school, on the farm and in the village, students will gradually acquire a working knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.
Our appreciation of the Latin language will be enhanced by our study of the important cultural achievements of the ancient Italians. We will examine their art, science, literature, legends, religion, and mythology. We will attempt to bring much of this to life today, through poetry readings, a production of a play (in Latin!), a trip to an outdoor market, rendering modern versions of ancient pottery art, and a Roman feast. As we discover connections between ourselves and these people who lived two millennia ago, we will gain insight on ourselves, on our past, present and future.
Textbooks
Oxford Latin Course; The Roman
World: From Republic to Empire.
Instructor
Alex Tetlak, Instructor in Classics, Truman State University. B.A., Kenyon
College; M.A., The Ohio State University.
Exploring Ecology: An Experience in the Field
Have
you ever wondered what kinds of fieldwork ecologists do or what challenges
they might face? This course will provide students the opportunity to
actually be ecologists. Ecology is the study of interactions between
organisms and their environment, and we are currently seeing and hearing
more about the environment than ever before. This course will explore
interactions between organisms within populations and within communities and
examine how those interactions are impacted by the environment. Much of the
exploration will take place outdoors in a variety of settings after students
become familiar with techniques necessary for field studies. Students will
have the opportunity to investigate environments such as ponds, streams,
forests, and fields. Additionally, we will visit an Ecovillage, a restored
prairie, a local fossil bed, and the St. Louis Zoo. Students will also
participate in an investigative ecological study that will result in the
preparation of a paper as well as a poster presentation.
The format of the course will be varied and will include laboratory investigations, field investigations, case studies, interactive discussions, and assigned readings. This course will allow students to participate in inquiry-based field studies which will increase their awareness of the world around them and improve their understanding of the scientific process.
Course fees for lab supplies and materials is $50.00.
Textbook
Ecology and Behavior; Silent Spring.
Instructor
Brenda Moore, Instructor in Biology, Truman State University.
B.S.E., M.S., Truman State University.
Ethnomusicology: Music in the Real World
Why do people need music? Why does it have appeal and power in all cultures? Is it possible for music to influence people’s actions? In 2007, as in ancient times, social, geographical, and political conditions--as well as spiritual concerns--shape each society’s music. The field of ethnomusicology includes the comparative study of the world’s music, examining its meaning and use in different cultures.
We begin this course with a “soundscape tour” of the Truman campus, listening for the many types of music that define our own, twenty-first-century American experience. These include: entertainment (pop-culture music); artistic or intellectual expression (classical music); group cohesion/motivation (national songs, marches, or protest/political music); and background/manipulation (film and television scores; Muzak Corporation music). Activities include a trip to a local radio station, as well as several demonstrations by professional musicians.
Then, we use various media to “visit” different parts of the world, doing research to answer the question, “Why do all cultures carefully preserve their ‘significant’ music?” As part of the answer, we will compare the music of oral tradition to that preserved by notation. And, to better understand the impact of written music, students will be introduced to the rudiments of Western music theory, as well as forms from the East. Finally, we will consider the contributions of musical performers to society. In addition to the classroom performances by guest musicians, class members who wish to share their musical training will be invited to do so. A special field trip to view a professional musical performance will underscore--even in this electronic age--the relevance and appeal of “live” music.
Textbook
Music in Our World.
Instructor
Shirley McKamie, Lecturer in Music History, Truman State University.
B.M., University of North Texas; M.A., Truman State University.
Missouri Mammals: Natural History, Ecology, and Behavior
This course is designed to introduce the student to the wonderful world of mammals! We’ll learn in depth information about the biology of mammals and participate in lab and field based activities as we investigate the natural history of Missouri mammals. Do you want to learn how to study mammals in an oak hickory forest? Would you like to learn how to identify the great diversity of mammals that occur in the Midwest? Would you like to learn how to listen to the echolocation calls of bats at night? Would you like to learn what a mammalian ecologist does for a living? If the answer is yes to any of the above questions, then this course is for you! During this course you will:
- Learn about the characteristics that serve to define mammals.
- Study the incredible diversity of mammals across the globe, with an emphasis on the mammals of Missouri.
- Study mammals in their natural setting (i.e., in the field).
- Study mammals in a laboratory setting using study skins and skeletons.
- Learn about natural history museums/collections and their importance.
- Study in depth the natural history and ecology of select Missouri mammal species.
- Participate in field based activities including live trapping small and medium sized mammals, setting up mist nets to capture bats, and take part in an ongoing research study to better understand mammal diversity on local Missouri Department of Conservation Areas.
Course fee for lab supplies and field trips is $50.00.
Textbook
Wild Mammals of Missouri.
Instructor
Scott Burt, Associate Professor of Biology, Truman State
University. B.S., M.S., Angelo State University and Ph.D., University of
New Mexico.
Psychology & the Media: Reality Explored
First and foremost, this course presents overviews of the many and varied areas psychologists investigate. Through the science of psychology we examine human development, motivation and emotion, stress and health, psychological disorders and their treatment, social issues, and many other processes and events involving the most interesting of Earth's creatures, human beings.
While we’re scientifically exploring human behavior and thought, we also spend time investigating the way those activities get portrayed in the media. We are a media oriented society. We can't get away from it; it's everywhere. Daily we receive continuous representations of human behavior–on TV, in the movies, through newspapers, and now over the Internet. Does exposure to these portrayals have consequences for our daily lives, our thinking, and our emotional responses... or are we impervious to media effects? Throughout the course, we encounter movies, advertising, and other media that provide students the opportunity to examine, from a research-based orientation, the plethora of information–and misinformation–that media offers us. The goal of such endeavors is to make students more effective media evaluators and better consumers as they navigate the information highway in the future.
During the class students regularly participate in activities, demonstrations, and discussions that promote understanding of human behavior and thought and of the interactive environment in which humans operate. Through journaling, students make concrete connections between their personal experience and the psychological principles and processes we study. Finally, across multiple field trips students assume the role of psychologist as we venture out into the natural habitat of the amazing species we study. In these various ways students come to better understand how and why humans think, feel, and act as they do and how those processes impact and are affected by our social and physical environment, with particular emphasis on how psychology and the media interact.
Textbook
General Psychology: With Spotlights on Diversity.
Judith M. Misale, Professor of Psychology, Truman State University. B.A., California State University, Northridge; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara.
The Writer's Craft
Emily Dickinson says the experience of a good poem is like having the top of your head come off. The haiku master Basho says it’s like being alive twice. We all have a favorite book or poem, a piece of writing that has moved us to new ways of thinking, feeling, or living in the world. One of the best ways to appreciate such moving writing is to let it move us toward creating our own poems, stories, and essays. In this course we will consider the possibilities and challenges of imaginative writing. We will explore the creative process, from generating ideas to shaping and revising, and we’ll seek to share our work with others—reading, performing, and publishing our collective and individual efforts. You will find out how your own writing process operates by learning how other writers work. Francine Prose says that literature “sets up a series of rules that the writer is instructed to observe, [and] reading will show how these rules have been ignored in the past and the happy outcomes.” We’ll spend our time recklessly learning and ignoring all the rules, remembering the poet John Ashbery’s advice to writers: “Let us leave the obedience school!” In addition to reading, writing, and workshopping, we’ll get out of the classroom to write with our feet, about the world, not as we’ve seen it on TV, but as we really find it, including both on-campus and off-campus explorations. Students who complete this course will grow as poets and storytellers, but also in their broader ability to communicate vividly, as they learn to think about audience and adapt expression to the reactions it provokes.
Textbook
No textbook needed.
Instructor
James D’Agostino, Professor in English, Truman State University. B.A.,
Loyola University of Chicago; M.F.A., Indiana University; Ph.D., Western
Michigan University.
Why You’re Wrong: Statistics and Persuasion
We
like to think that people make decisions by examining the evidence they
have, weighing past results, considering their options, and then acting in
the way that seems best. Often people do act in a wise and rational way, but
sometimes, they don’t. This could be because they don’t know how to examine
the evidence, past results are not weighed properly, or options are not
considered. Sometimes no thinking is done at all.
Statistics is a technique for making good decisions. Although based in math, statistics is not mathematics. It is a way of using math to predict future events from the past. It is a key element in the modern use of the scientific method. Using the scientific method, we will make our own claims, collect data of our own, and see what conclusions we reach.
In addition, this course looks at the way attitudes, opinions and policies change in the face of collected data, and how this may influence public policy. We will examine two examples: Eugenics, where bad science drove bad public policy in the early 1900s; and Climate Change, where the evidence is still being examined today.
Textbooks
Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life, 2nd ed; The Mismeasure of
Man; Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global
Warming.
Instructor
Scott Alberts, Associate Professor of Statistics, Truman State
University. B.A., BMusic, Oberlin College; M.S., Ph.D., Northwestern
University.