Wooster Model of Active Learning in International Relations Catches
on with Students as well as College and Universities Nationwide
For Immediate Release
September 8, 2003
 |
| Wooster faculty members (from left)
Matthew Krain, Kent Kille, and Jeffrey Lantis have developed
innovative methods for teaching international relations. |
WOOSTER, Ohio - If students are to gain a more thorough understanding
of such complex international issues as preventive diplomacy, international
law, human rights, and economic and social justice, they need not
only to study the material, but also to experience the process, according
to a trio of young political science professors at The College of
Wooster.
Jeffrey Lantis, Kent Kille, and Matthew Krain - all in their early-to-mid
thirties - have developed an active learning model that has caught
on at Wooster and is attracting the attention of other colleges
and universities across the county.
"One of our primary goals is to get students interested in and
excited about international relations," says Krain. "Our approach
is designed to help students understand the concepts by experiencing
them."
Active learning takes a variety of forms, including Kille's application
of the reality show Survivor to international relations theories
and concepts. There is also the cross-disciplinary service-learning
approach, such as Krain's examination of social justice for marginalized
groups through a joint project with the department of sociology
and anthropology. In addition, the case-study method, in which students
explore particular events and analyze outcomes, as well as simulations
like Model U.N., in which students assume the roles of various political
players and actually become part of the process, are both popular
and effective. Another component of the active learning model at
Wooster is a requirement that all international relations majors
spend at least one semester studying abroad to further their learning.
"Experiential learning, as opposed to the traditional lecture,
helps the student become more deeply involved in the material,"
says Kille. "There will always be room for the lecture in the classroom,
but active learning further engages the student"
Active learning empowers students and encourages them to explore
new avenues of learning, which serves as a perfect complement to
Wooster's nationally acclaimed Independent Study (I.S.) program,
a thesis-like project that gives students an opportunity to work
one-on-one with a faculty member in pursuit of a topic that is of
interest to them. Wooster's Independent Study program has been ranked
by U.S. News and World Report as the second-best senior capstone
experience among colleges and universities nationwide, ahead of
such schools as Stanford and second only to Princeton.
The active-learning approach at Wooster, where students interested
in international relations has tripled over the past five years,
has gained nationwide attention for at least three reasons: scholarship,
leadership, and comradeship. Lantis, Kille, and Krain have had books
and/or articles published in prominent journals over the past few
years and all three are highly respected among their colleagues.
In addition, all three have been active in ALIAS (Active Learning
in International Affairs Section) of the International Studies Association.
In fact, Lantis is the current president, and Kille is president-elect.
Finally, all three are committed to sharing their successful approach
with their colleagues.
"There is a growing interest among students in international events,
and our interactive approach represents a clear paradigmatic shift,"
says Lantis. "We have a program at Wooster that is working, and
we are happy to share it with a wider audience." |
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