Goals for HIST 381
This page states goals for the course. These are my goals. I also welcome discussion of your own goals in taking this course, and we'll see if we can accommodate them. Five Basic Goals
1. To
engage facts and interpretations associated with important themes in the
history of 2. To cultivate the historical perspective, that is, to practice thinking like a historian. 3. To understand the role of History, historians, and the Humanities in forging national identities. 4. To reinforce and advance the traditional skills of discourse—reading, reflection, discussion, writing—via both conventional and electronic means of communication. 5. To
stimulate an ongoing interest in General Education
This course is approved to count toward NDSU general education requirements in two categories, as defined in the Bulletin. "Humanities systematically explore cultural and intellectual forces shaping events, individual expression and social values." This is what we do in relation to the themes mentioned in Goal #1 above. "Global Perspectives focuses on analysis of worldwide issues illustrating the interdependence of the world and its people." Among the several course themes pointing up these considerations, the most important is national identity, as reflected in Goal #3 above. The course also contributes to two other, more general concerns in general education at NDSU: lifelong learning (see Goal #5 above) and computer facility. History Major
This course is designed to serve learning in the History major in several specific respects, according with the "Intended Student Outcomes" for the major. These standards require students majoring in History to demonstrate "critical thinking skills" and "historical thinking skills" and to show them through writing essays. The writing assignments of the course incorporate these expectations. If you're not a History major, but you might be interested, check out the home page of the History Department. |