Admissions - Undergraduate Admissions @ Rowan University

Classroom Debates for More Involved Leaning

When I was in high school, classes were often boring. The teacher stood in front of the class and talked, the students took notes, and there was hardly any interaction. It made it far too easy to zone out and stop paying attention.

Some people think kids not paying attention in class is Attention Deficit Disorder. But maybe it’s just that the teacher is BORING.

I much prefer a class where the teacher leads the students in a debate, where multiple viewpoints are shared and discussed. The teacher guides the debate to stay on topic, and asks the students questions, but a lot of the discussion comes from the students themselves. It’s interactive, engaging, and sometimes even fun.

One of the most fun things about it is when the students bring up something even the teacher didn’t know. Oftentimes it will be some example from recent news that relates to the topic at hand. For example, in my Interpersonal Communication class this past week, we were discussing the media coverage of the events in Boston. Several students brought up various news reports that others may not have heard of, and we discussed the communication theories about how the media was communicating with the public. It was interesting to get various different viewpoints, even when some of the students didn’t agree completely.

Some of these debates can also lead to deep, involved discussions. The other day I got into a long discussion with another student, and we ended up spending a good ten minutes trading different viewpoints. It took the subject much deeper than what we would have gotten out of the textbook alone. Reading things straight from the book only gives one surface-level viewpoint. A long discussion exposes multiple ideas, and leads to a much richer learning experience.

Another advantage of this type of discussion-based class is that it makes you care more about the subject. If you have to argue a point of view and defend your reasoning, you end up more invested in the subject. This even makes it easier to write papers on the topic; if you already understand your point of view because you’ve defended it in a discussion, you’ll have a lot more material to write about when a paper comes due.

If I were ever in a purely online class, I think class discussions would be the biggest thing I’d miss. Even an online chat room wouldn’t provide as rich of a medium for really good discussions. Online learning has its place, but I don’t think it can serve as a complete replacement for the classroom.

Rowan Culture

When choosing from the many possible colleges you can attend, an important factor is the culture and community of the school. Rowan University has a unique and inclusive culture that encourages support, interaction, and a personal touch that many other schools tend to lack.

Many students who transfer to Rowan from other schools are pleasantly surprised at how the classes here are much more personal and individually-tailored . Other schools lump students together in large, packed classrooms where each student gets lost among so many others. The small class sizes at Rowan, however, allow each student’s unique voice to be heard. When you are one student out of 20 (instead of 200 at another school), the professors at Rowan are better able to attend to your personal needs and questions. Every professor at Rowan also devotes weekly office hours to answering students’ questions and helping them to succeed. Professors also communicate with their students via email, and even Twitter!

The small class sizes at Rowan also makes it easier to connect with other students, both to make friends and to get help from your peers for studying and school projects. After several semesters at Rowan, I even found that in every class I took, there were several people I already knew from previous semesters. My classmates are always willing to share their ideas and offer me advice, especially if they previously took the same class I’m in now. When I sit down with my classmates to discuss projects outside of class, I learn even more from my fellow students than I would have from a class alone.

Rowan also has an active online community. Many students connect via Twitter (@RowanUniversity) in order to keep in touch outside class, discuss projects, or even tweet about what they’re studying. Several classes at Rowan even encourage students to tweet about class readings, helping keep students connected and allowing them to share their learning experiences outside of class. The online connections are such a great way to keep in touch outside class that last semester, I used Twitter to keep up with class when I was out sick with the flu!

The online learning experience is even directly incorporated into many of the classes here at Rowan. Course Blogs are used by many teachers to communicate with students outside of class, and to allow students to work on their assignments on their own time, even from home. Students can use such blogs for a much more interactive and visual learning experience. It’s a lot more fun than sitting in the back of a room with 200 other students being lectured by some professor who doesn’t even remember your name.

What do you think of the culture here at Rowan? If you’re a current Rowan student, I’d love to hear your comments about your experiences here. If you’re a new student thinking of applying to Rowan, what questions do you have about the Rowan culture? Comments and questions are welcome!