Are Community Colleges and Globalization the keys to the continued existence of the course: History of Western Civilization?
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Are Community Colleges and Globalization the keys to the continued existence of the course: History of Western Civilization?
By: Dr. Chretien Guidry
Why the course’s existence is in question?
In the last two to three decades, a debate has slowly taken place questioning the continuation and usage of the course, History of Western Civilization. Even today, several universities and community colleges are now debating whether this course should remain in the history curriculum. The debate centers on a number of issues but there are three fundamental challenges, which underline the discussions and arguments.
First, the diversity of students in the classrooms is a very important issue as students have different backgrounds and expectations for the course. In addition to these backgrounds, community colleges and universities are seeing an increase in the number of diverse students, which is forcing colleges to rethink previous strategies in both recruitment and management. Arthur Cohen and Florence Brawer make an excellent point on this when they state, “The community colleges’ diligence in recruiting students from segments of the population that had not previously attended college yielded sizable increases in the college attendance of ethnic minorities” (Cohen & Brawer, 1996, p. 48). For Cohen and Brawer, these increases are continuing to advance upward, and it is now a paramount issue that colleges must address if they are to meet student needs. Cohen and Brawer believes that it is not an impossible challenge to overcome, but will require a new look and focus on student enrollment and involvement in the classroom. Meeting the student needs, examinations of curriculum and courses is essential to accomplishing this task. Thus, the course History of Western Civilization is now a part of this examination and must take the issue of diversity into account. Attempting to make the course meaningful to students, a professor must find a way to relate the material in this course to the students, and this is challenging when one looks at a classroom of students made up people from different regions of the world. For example, students from the middle east are more likely to have a greater interest in the early part of the course as it deals directly with the regions of Mesopotamia, yet as the course takes on a more European outlook these students could lose interest if certain steps are not taken.
There is a certain level of bias that exist in both the students and the very nature of this course in that students bring a variety of educational backgrounds with them, and may have disagreements or problems with the perspective that the course is attempting to reach in its approach of Western tradition, and its effect on the modern world. James Martin confirms his bias and notion when he states, “Many students enter college with preconceived notions, myths that the statistics belie” (Martin, p. 1.). Martin argues that the notions come from a variety of sources to include family history, word of mouth, movies, media and other visual material, and right or wrong these notions will affect how a class reacts to subject matter, and how it is presented. Keeping Martin’s point in mind, it is important to remember that questions or inquiries raised by students are from these preconceived notions and not a direct challenge to the professor. Thus answers to questions, which are supportive and constructive, can address these preconceived notions without loosing the interest or enthusiasm of the students (Martin, p. 3.). Although challenging and difficult to do, this approach is essential especially in dealing with first year college students who may shape their entire college experience on the first few classes that they have taken, and it is quite possible that the course History of Western Civilization is one of those first courses. History of Western Civilization must address these expectations, and the material must reflect the various backgrounds of the students in order to appeal to them.
Second, new technologies continue to play a vital role in universities and colleges. This course must adapt itself to new forms of medias such as the Internet, computer interaction and other advancements, which are appearing in the 21st century, and failure to do so could lead to the courses elimination from the curriculum. Don Tapscott in his work on, Growing Up Digital reinforces this point vehemently, and argues that a technological revolution is happening in the United States, and that it is a revolution unlike any that has occurred before. For Tapscott, it is a new technological trend that permeates throughout all areas of society to include political, social and economic issues. Recognizing this technological trend, Tapscott explains that, “It was a technological revolution not in search of a problem, but in search of a new generation which, unencumbered by old paradigms, could embrace and exploit it to its full potential” (Tapscott, 1998). This generation of students, which Tapscott refers to, not only is capable of using computers, Internet and other forms of multi-media, but expects others to use it as well. Tapscott’s arguments carry this even further by illustrating that a person can either take a passive or active role to this technological revolution. For colleges this passive option is not a real choice because teaching is an active experience. If one is looking for a tool or means of effectively communicating their points to others, then for colleges technology is certainly a major part of accomplishing this task. The incorporation of new technologies into classrooms and ultimately into courses such as History of Western Civilization is no longer an option but a requirement.
In adapting itself, this course must do more than simply incorporate such technologies, but incorporate them effectively. For example, simply displaying images from the Internet in front of the students isn’t effective unless it pertains to the subject matter in such a way that it engages the students in both discussion and learning. Also, maintaining the technological edge in this course is vital to staying in touch with the students in that they are now brought up in this new technological age.
Vicki Sharp in her book on Computer Education for Teachers reinforces the idea that understanding technology is a vital key in maintaining a knowledgeable relationship with students. Sharp elaborates further by asking, “What does the future hold? There will be increased computer use, and the computers will be smaller, faster, more efficient, and less expensive” (Sharp, 1996, p. 377). Sharp believes that the trend of students using computers and incorporating more technology into their lives is a growing trend and not a decreasing one. In staying ahead of this new trend, educators must anticipate the needs of students, and courses like History of Western Civilization need to incorporate these technologies into their curriculum so that the students have both a comfortable and effective medium with which they can use. Several students are already familiar with the forms of media, computer interaction and other advances, and much of what students have learned may have come from such outlets. Ultimately, if the course, History of Western Civilization is to become meaningful to students, it needs to utilize the technological outlets of learning that students are already familiar with.
Third, students have a particular learning style that enables them to process and analyze information. For example, some students are audio learners, and they absorb information more effectively when they hear it. On the other hand, some students prefer visual learning, and respond well only to information in which they can see such as a blackboard or a power point presentation on a wide screen. Arguments exist that the course cannot incorporate these learning styles, and cover such a broad range of topics. However, the problem lies in identifying these learning styles first. Once identified, it is quite possible to tailor the course to a specific learning style. For example, most courses generally use a combination of audio and visual learning styles in the form of a lecture. Although basic, a general lecture can meet the audio requirements and writing key words on a black board aids those with more visual learning requirements. A professor, who can identify which learning style seems dominant, can design their History of Western Civilization course to meet these needs. Thus if a class is more visual, the incorporation of videos, DVDs, power point presentations and other visual media will certainly make the class more meaningful to the students.
How a community college focus may initiate a renewed commitment to this course
Fortunately, the challenges of diversity, new technology and learning styles are not solely the concern of those teaching the course History of Western Civilization. In their attempts to improve education, both community colleges and universities are grappling with these difficult challenges, and becoming somewhat successful in dealing with them. For example, the University of Maryland offers a wide variety of core elective courses for students in order to better address their diverse backgrounds (University of Maryland, 2003). At the College of Southern Maryland, new computer labs are placed in the learning resource center, and students can access the Internet much more readily than before (College of Southern Maryland, 2003). However, in addressing the challenges faced by the course, History of Western Civilization, it is possible for the course to draw its strength from the solutions and enhancements made by community colleges that have wrestled with these problems. This is not to say that universities cannot contribute as they certainly are meeting these challenges, but community colleges may prove more effective initially in enhancing this specific course because of one key factor and that is class size.
Community colleges by their nature interact with a small group of students in the classroom. Arthur Cohen and Florence Brawer give an example of this in their book on The American Community College. They claim, “In Illinois, for example, in Fall 1987, lecture classes averaged 19.2 students and laboratory classes averaged 12.8 students (Cohen and Brawer, 1996). These small numbers allow for a more focused effort on the teacher and student ratio. For this history course, it means that individual learning styles are possible to identify and compensate for if a professor has both the desire and skills. If a student is able to absorb the material more readily, then the course, History of Western Civilization can prove not only valuable to the student, but also even enjoyable.
In the challenge of computer technology, small class sizes allow for more flexibility and access to computer labs. Although e-mail allows for any number of students to voice concerns or to provide their own input in a course, a professor finds working with 25 e-mail addresses much more manageable than dealing with over a 100. This then provides an opportunity for the course, History of Western Civilization to widen its capability. Because this course is taught as a survey, topics are rarely addressed in-depth or explored with any real critical analysis. E-mail and Internet interaction can address this problem as students may explore these topics with more analysis and critical thinking outside of the classroom, and still correspond with the professor and students. Thus a typical two class days lecture on Egypt could essentially become a month long discussion over the Internet. Students would find not only is their knowledge of historical events and topics growing, but also with the right encouragement so would their interest.
Finally, in the area of diversity, class size is critical. In a smaller class setting the diverse backgrounds of students are more easily identified. For example, a professor can begin the first day asking students to talk a little about themselves where in a class of over 100 students, this is simply unrealistic. In the case of this course a professor who knows how diverse their classroom is can alter or enhance the course, History of Western Civilization to address more critical issues and desires of the students.
In essence, community colleges are capable of providing a test bed of activity in which ways of improving and enhancing the course of History Western Civilization are achievable.
Why is the issue of global perspective becoming paramount to history and specifically this course?
As the United States continues to move forward through the 21st century, its understanding and awareness has taken on a more global outlook. News and media are capable of brining to people events and actions unfolding in continents such as Africa, Europe and Asia within minutes of first appearing. Businesses no longer restrict themselves to their own areas of residence, but communicate needs and requirements across different countries. It is examples, such as these, that make up this idea known as global perspective, and it is a perspective that is defining and reshaping the world.
Michael Geyer and Charles Bright’s article on “World History in a Global Age” examines the issue of globalization and uses this new global outlook to explain first why world history courses were in the decline, and why courses such as History of Western Civilization may find a renewed interest in this global age. For Geyer and Bright, “World history was abandoned as a scholarly project long before its evident Eurocentric biases became the subject of academic critique” (Geyer and Bright, 1987). Attempting to write a universal and comprehensive history of the world, historians were essentially attempting an impossible task in the 20th century. Geyer and Bright argue while it is possible to write such a history, historians were working under a very specific lens of bias that narrowed their perspective on world history, and unfortunately contaminated any attempt to accomplish this task. By the same token, any course that attempted to teach world history was also operating under the same illusions and circumstances. Geyer and Bright believe that this makes sense when one looks at the decline of comprehensive world history courses. Both the works and courses, which dealt with world history, lacked an important element, which exist today, and it is in the form of globalization.
Through the usage and incorporation of a global perspective, the task of writing and teaching world history effective is now possible. Geyer and Bright reinforce this point and claim,
“The aim of this world history becomes a dual one: to shatter the silence surrounding global practices, by tracking them, describing them, and presenting them historically and, at the same time—recognizing with Georg Simmel that, in an integrated world, we encounter only more strangers—to facilitate public cultures as the free and equal marketplace of communication among the many voices of different histories and memories” (p. 1059).
Although a difficult challenge, course’s such as History of Western Civilization can accomplish what Geyer and Bright saw as impossible in the 20th century. As Geyer and Bright point out, the use of globalization is the key to teaching an effective course dealing with world history because it recognizes the world that people live in, and makes the explanation of this world real to the students who are trying to understand it. This fact underscores the importance of globalization in that without it the course, History of Western Civilization may continue on the decline.
In teaching the subject of history or any subject, it is important to know the world in which the students are living. Since students are living in a global world, it stands to reason that their understanding of history should encompass a more global perspective. A global perspective, that looks at several groups and cultures in certain time frames, and does not completely ignore one for lack of interest or importance. Lawrence Levine’s work on Clio, Canons and Culture makes this point, especially in the content of teaching a course, when he claims, “The idea that powerless groups of people do not deserve our attention because they are in some kind of prison, some sort of apolitical limbo, from which they can exert no influence is simply not tenable; it has been disproven over and over in study after study” (Levine, p. 863.). In addressing a group of students living in a global world, Levine recognizes that the subject matter of a course must incorporate different perspectives and broader looks at the world as a whole. This stand is not unusual. For example, if the entire course, History of Western Civilization centers only on a few groups such as the Greeks and the Romans throughout the whole semester, this is completely unacceptable. Levine is taking this example to the next level by encouraging professors to look at a variety of more groups and cultures, and incorporating them into the course. This by no means reinforces the idea of completely omitting critical cultures and groups such as the Greeks and Roman who are a fundamental part of this course. However, broadening the outlooks of this course can aid in achieving a global perspective, and allow the course, History of Western Civilization to address an increasing global audience of students.
It is important to note that the idea of global perspective is not changing the essence of teaching history in a fundamental way, but is simply one more way of approaching history. For example, important people, events and dates usually remain constant, but a global perspective can enhance their meaning in the broader scope of historical understanding by showing their importance in the world at the time in which they lived. When one considers how increasing numbers of students are becoming much more diverse and technologically driven, the importance of teaching history with a global perspective hopefully becomes apparent. History courses, which make comparisons and contractions to different countries across specific time frames, are likely to reach their audience and at the same time convene in a meaningful way the material with which they are trying to get across.
Another key reason in favor of using globalization in the course, History of Western Civilization is to continuously stay current in historical trends. As Robert Diamond in his work on Designing & Assessing Courses & Curricula explains, “But content modification should be a continual process. As discoveries are made, as theories are modified, and as new areas evolve, the adjustment of the educational content should begin immediately” (Diamond, 1998, p. 75). Even in history, new archeological and anthropological finds are made constantly which rewrite and reshape our understanding of events in the past. Truly, what people learned a decade ago about a society in the past can and often will change. Diamond’s analysis is correct, and is applicable to the use of global perspective for the course, History Western Civilization. The course, History of Western Civilization has not undergone any refinement or enhancements since it originally came into existence in the 1960s, and this is possibly one of its weaknesses. However, it is a weakness that the idea of globalization can address. In staying current and up to date, the incorporation of a global perspective in this course is the next logical step in its progression.
Finally, the issue of global perspective is intricate to the course, History of Western Civilization for two vital reasons. First, arguing on the continued existence of this course, a global perspective would make the course more effective and in many ways essential to the history curriculum. No longer would the course, History of Western Civilization, remain stagnant and unchanging. Instead by incorporating a global perspective in the form of identifying the diversity of its students, and the incorporation of current technology, the field of history would have a course that could act as a forerunner and test bed of where they would want their other courses and academic direction to go. In essence, professors could see what works and what doesn’t work in this course, and apply this useful information to their own educational interest. Thus the usage of global perspective in the course, History of Western Civilization not only revitalizes its existence, but can make it an intricate part of any history program.
As for the second key reason, it is more likely that the world will continue to follow the path of globalization. If the course, History of Western Civilization is to stay current and modernized, then the incorporation of a global perspective is vital to its makeup. Because students are brought up in this global age, this course, through globalization, can have the opportunity to reach them and emphasize the importance of a Western perspective to history. Students, who are interested in the subject matter, will presumably discuss what they learn with others, and this can encourage other students to take additional history courses at the college. Followed through to its conclusion, a course that incorporates this global perspective idea can act a positive force for students, professors and the college at large.
What steps are necessary to integrate global perspective into History of Western Civilization?
One of the most difficult issues in designing any course is trying to provide a meaningful and insightful curriculum that matches the requirements of the course. Robert Diamond’s work on Designing & Assessing Courses & Curricula centers on this critical problem when he points out, “One major problem we will highlight is the tendency to design courses that have little or no relationship to the curriculum that is in place or to the critical skills students need to acquire” (Diamond, 1998, p. 2). Unfortunately, Diamond is correct in his statement, as courses often unintentionally deviate from their original goal, and students leave the course with either a confused or different perspective then the one intended by the course. For example, if a history course is designed to look at political, social and economic events of a particular period, and only focuses on one of these three, then the original intent of the course has ultimately failed. More often than not as Diamond points out, this is not done intentionally but can come about if certain steps are not taken in designing an effective course. If one is preparing to integrate a global perspective in the course, History of Western Civilization, then it is imperative that the course sticks to this task, and doesn’t find itself at the end of the semester in a completely different arena.
There are at least four basic steps needed in order to effectively integrate a global perspective into the course, History of Western Civilization. These steps include recognition, planning, preparation and flexibility (Diamond, 1998). In recognition, one must first acknowledge that the world is becoming if it has not already become a global one. Obviously, if this perspective is not accepted, then integrating it into this course is not going to work regardless of the methods used.
The second step is possibly the most difficult, but careful planning is essential to making the course work effectively. Generally, most of one’s planning is done in between semesters, and this is when a great deal of information is obtained. Information, such as class sizes, how diverse the students at the campus are, and what tools are available for the course, is vital an order to effectively integrate the course with a global perspective in mind. Once this information is obtained, then an effective syllabus, which addresses both the needs and capabilities of the students, is truly possible. In addition to the college, other resources such as handouts, slides, and computer programs and handouts are possible to obtain and can further enhance the courses global perspective.
In addition to the syllabus, there is the essential text, which the students need for the course. This is a key component for the course, since the texts are with the students for the entirety of the semester or year. In choosing the right kind of textbook Daniel Segal’s work on “Western Civilization and the Staging of History in American Higher Education” sheds light on this topic. Segal suggests,
“We need textbooks that do not divide and diminish humanity by parsing it into the “civilized” and “pre-civilized”; textbooks that encourage students to examine, rather than presume, this violent binary of modernity; and textbooks that deploy comparison to highlight the contingency of the familiar and to historicize, rather than naturalize, generalized social types and the social orders we encase within them” (Segal, 2000, p. 27).
Segal believes that it is a terrible mistake to make value judgments on civilizations based solely on opinion or perceived accomplishments. Presenting a fair and balanced look at history, textbooks should take into account as many civilizations as possible, and look at their strengths and weaknesses based on their own struggles and difficulties. All too often people can subject cultures and groups into their own parameters, and this often blinds one from taking a clear, objective look at a subject of study. In essence, Segal is making the perfect defense for integrating globalization not only into the course, History of Western Civilization but into the text as well.
Once one has carefully planned, the long and arduous task of preparation is needed. All of the resources and capabilities in the world will serve no one unless they are used effectively. A professor needs to verify that the course is laid out logically and with a format that students can follow. The syllabus is key to integrating a global perspective to the course as the students will look at it in order to understand the essence of what the course is about. The two most important areas for this to work is the objectives and the schedule of events. In addressing the subject of a global perspective, the objectives need to have clear meaning and convey both the meaning and purpose of incorporating a global perspective to this course. In addition, the schedule of events, which contains the cultures, times and people studied, should reflect this global perspective and hopefully will concentrate on areas, which are more meaningful to the students.
Finally, the issue of flexibility is paramount if this course is to truly work and work well with a global perspective. Every class is unique, and there are elements that are completely unpredictable. In order to make the course, History of Western Civilization work, one needs to have the flexibility required to alter their plan or adjust their schedule accordingly. For example, if the students have a particular interest in a period of history, it is certainly acceptable to spend more time on such a period than previously planned. By incorporating these four steps of recognition, planning, preparation and flexibility the incorporation of a global perspective into this course is a very real and obtainable goal.
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Dr. Chretien Guidry is History Coordinator at the College of Southern Maryland. He has a bachelors degree of History from the University of Maryland, a Masters of Education from Marymount University and and Doctor of Arts in Higher Education with an emphasis in history. This article is for full public access.
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