This project was a great opportunity to allow new students in LIL 120 to get to know their majors, curriculums, and analyze course requirements. This project then expands on that original idea by comparing said components of students’ majors to articles and sources that define Liberal Arts learning (i.e. The Enriched Major). Students are required to really dig deep into their majors when comparing them to different sects of The Enriched Major and different articles that relate to the topic. Each section of the material relates to a different portion of the major, and students are also required to interview a staff member of their chosen major to explore. This requires students to know and truly understand their major in order to formulate questions for their interviewees. I think that as a transfer student who hadn’t explored the Art & Design curriculum much this project was extremely informative and important because it really helped me understand the major that I am a part of. Throughout my paper, I dive into the Art & Design Media major at UNE and question how it is balanced or unbalanced regarding two very different learning styles. Vocational and “Liberal Arts” learning styles are often argued over because they tend to be opposites when it comes to student learning; for example hands-on/ research-based learning. Obviously, every student learns material differently and this age-old argument applies to many different subjects. I explored how the Art & Design major is balanced due to the very important Art History courses that our curriculum provides. This is because not only do students commit to hands-on studio hours but they also learn research, communication, and writing skills (more “Liberal Arts” focused) due to some of these classes. Overall this project described broadly is a great way for students to understand their majors and curriculums by focusing on issues or arguments throughout their study that matter to them, and analyzing/ comparing said subjects.
