Seeking Knowledge

Humanities programme wants first year students 'asking questions'

By Erin McPhee
BA III

Humanities 101 is a one-semester course designed to help first-year students make the transition from high school to university. However, in addition to the core requirements, instructor Moira McLaughlin has included a set of other activities that she calls “research missions.” These “missions” are intended to teach her students more about the University campus, she says.

The course is set up as an introduction to university studies and to help students become an active part of the St. Thomas community. “Being at university is about asking questions and raising questions,” Professor McLaughlin explains.

Professor McLaughlin, who is a specialist in Anthropology, says that the Humanities course teaches students to take ideas and construct an argument around them. She has designed her research missions to get her students out into the University campus, learn about what it has to offer and hopefully have a greater opportunity to meet people. She wants them to learn the importance of asking questions to find out information.

For example, one of Professor McLaughlin’s research missions involved having her students investigate the significance of the buildings and structures on the St.Thomas campus. Students had to find out the significance behind names such as Edmund Casey and Sir James Dunn by inquiring at various campus offices. Professor McLaughlin said her students had the greatest fun learning about the “Globe of Knowledge” located in front of the Professional Studies Building. The students eventually had to produce a map of their findings with a short description of each landmark.

Other research missions Professor McLaughlin has assigned her students this term are: investigating the University Charter utilizing library archives, finding out about the disciplines offered as part of the St.Thomas liberal arts education, taking advantage of the available resources at the Eaton Multimedia Centre and familiarizing themselves with the computer labs.

Professor McLaughlin adds that, in addition to the research missions, all of the Humanities courses must fulfill core activities, such as attending plenary lectures; oral presentations; critiquing cultural events; writing projects (reflections or research papers); a library tour; and a midterm and final exam.