Student responses to the online survey in the Fall 1999 IDST 2310 course
The materials below contain the full and unedited text of the student responses to the online survey in the Fall 1999 IDST 2310 course, with the exception of the Reflective Judgment Interview.
student 1 | student 2 | student 3 | student 4 | student 5 | student 6 | student 7 | student 8 | student 9 | student 10 | student 11 | student 12 | student 13 | student 14 | student 15 | student 16 | student 17 | student 18 | student 19 | student 20 | student 21 | student 22 | student 23 | student 24 | student 25 | student 26 | student 27 | student 28 | student 29 | student 30 | student 31 | student 32 | student 33 | student 34
Major: Accounting class: sophomore
(question 1) Interdisciplinary means the inner difference between different cultures and society. I think the class should be interactive with hands-on projects. Also the study of the numerous diverse cultures should be compared and contrasted to show the different aspects of each culture.
(question 2) Interdisciplinary class teach unique material not otherwise offered. Also these classes offer a wide range of variety. While, traditional classes teach standard, repetetive material.
(question 3) Both instuctors teach their specific subject well, and likewise combined the two disciplines in an effective manner.
(question 4) Yes, because many perspectives are introduced throughout the semester. For example, the different art projects are combined with the history and culture of different cultures.
(question 5) My self portrait uses an array of colors, mostly bright to denote my vibrant energy. The are many different types of lines to show the inteaction of the gentle, but monotone style of my life, and diagional to show the dramatic part also. The overall structure is based on my life while climbing the ladder to success. At the top of the ladder, my goals, dreams,and stability are listed. The portrait is simple but the meaning is very complex. The many spiral represent the continous growth and change that will transpire.
(question 6) The main ideas used are from Rhilke's discussion. The things portrayed are very obvious yet commonly unseen. Things taken for granted while used often. Reading these passages help to look deep into the characteristics of each individual aspect of my own life. I would consider my self portrait representational art, because it contains elements of thenatural world, but also unique colors, lines and textures.
(question 7) All of the resources are similiar in the aspect of the simple meaning of life, with many concepts to undergo. An example of this would the simple mind of Pooh. He was the prime example of the self that should be, without the comlexity of the ouside world.
(question 8) The conflict with these rexources of the self is the way of obtaining the simple way of life. Some believe in meditation, while others believe in belief. An example of this would be Hindu, beliefs that all are equally connected, while each obtain their duty through different methods. Eventually all are considered one.
(question 9) In my portrait, I didn't convey a specific meaning. I basically used the unique characteristics of my life to interact with the meaning of the colors, lines and shapes.
(question 10) Many conflicts were dicussed in the class. Mostly these were of the different interpretations of the many pieces of art presented in this class.
(question 12) No, this class was educational but very interesting, I was suprised. I have never liked history very much, but the way the history of the many cultures were presented didn't seem like history at all.
(question 13) No, because the interseting ascepts, such as hands on experience, of this class are not usually portrayed in the other classes. Therefore the unique ability to learn the material in a nonboring way is not present in other classes.
Major: early Childhood Ed Class: Junior
I think that interdisciplinary means learning through a new diciplined way. Learning would be done through more of a "hands on" type of learning. I think that an interdisciplinary class should learning through hands on experiences. I know for myself that I comprehend information better when I have a part in teaching it to myself. This type of class allows a little more time, but I think that the extra time spent is worth it.
(question 2) A interdisciplinary class differs from a traditional class, in that, there is defintely more outside classroom work.
(question 3) Yes, I believe that they are more focused of the whole overall concept of art than just art itself.
(question 4) Yes, some days we lecture, and other days we have a hands on type of activity.
(question 5) My self portrait is a box. The box as a whole is square, so I see myself as pratical. I put triangles on the top because I believe that I am a very strong person. The colors are used from the Yoruba color spectrum. I used the DuDu colors because I believe that I am down to earth. Inside my box are all kinds of things that describe me. I have spirals because I believe that I am always changing I feel that I will be changing until the day that I die. I believe that change is an important aspect of life, so it is definitely important to me. I have a circle of people in my box because I am very family oriented. My family is one of the most important things in my life, and it represents a wholenesss in my life. I have a picture of a child because I am a patient person, and I love to deal with children. I have some sandpaper in my box because I am a little sarcasticat times. Lastly I cut holes in my box to represent that I think I come across as what I really am. I do not put on a show just to try to fit into the crowd.
(question 6)I used the Psychological theories because I believe that the traits inside of you is what you really are, regardless of what you show poeple.
(question 7) They agree in the same way that you can kind of find yourself in those areas. There should be at least one trait that you can identify with.
(question 8) I do not believe that they do conflict beacause a person is a person, and I believe that he or she might not identify with the resorces which is fine. Therefore, a person can not be in total contrast just not able to identify.
(question 9)My ideas chose a particular position to convey because I want everyone to know exactly who Jamie Washburn is.
(question 10) No, there were nio conflicting topics.
(question 11) My reaction is one of respect because the provided clear answer was that eveybody is different and there is no one person exactly the same.
(question 12) No.
(question 13) No because I believe that my performance depends on how the teacher responds to the class.
Major: Journalism Class: Freshman
(question 1) An interdiciplinary class should be one that the student has the chance to learn by doing as well as seeing and watching. It is a class that the teacher takes the time to show as well as lecture. In my opion an interdiscplinary class is one were there are more than one teaching methods.
(question 2) In my IDST class, we worked on many projects that required work outside of the classroom. They required thought into ourselves and why we chose the project that we did. In tradditional classes, everyone is given basically the same thing and told to do either a paper on it. In the IDST, we were told to be inquisitive and use our own thoughts.
(question 3) Yes, I think that the two balance each other quite nicely. Dr. Farrar was very well learned in her field. She portrayed very well her thoughts and society's thoughts on the topic at hand. She explained the ideas very well. Dr. Farrar illustrated the ideas that Dr. Vess introduced to us with flair. If I felt that I did poorly on a project, Dr. Farrar always thought that it was great. I personally do not see the art in some things, but she does. For that , she is to be respected.
(question 4) This class used many resources. Most days, we took notes from the computer displayed on the overhead. Sometimes, we did projects that used resources such as sand and rocks. The teachers did an excellent job of first portraying the information and then showing us how to put that idea in to work.
(question 5) On one side, it has ideas that others feel about me. It has heart made of soft fabric, because the one word that my best friend used to describe me is tenderhearted. Another thing on that side is the use of color. I used manu bright colors because my friends that know me well seem to think that I am outgoing. I enjoy singing and doing other things that require I be in the spotlight. On the other side of the pillow, I used soft colors. I love to write, and so the words that are scattered across my pillow are words that describe the private me. I love to sew, so the whole pillow conveys that sense of me. I am creative and inventive, I enjoy helping others. The softness of the material conveys the idea that I am meek and mild when I am confronted. I love to have fun and to be wild, and one side of the pillow portrays that. The other side of the pillow portrays the personal me, quiet and shy.
(question 6) My pillow is in the shape of a square because in the preferential shapes workshop, my most appealing shape was the square.I have an intense need to be stable and make sure I am comfortable in my environment. I chose the triangle also to portray on my soft side because I enjoy helping others and trying to find out if they are okay. In the preferential shapes workshop, It said that the triangle being second meant that you have the gift of vision and I feel as though I can really see into someone when they are upset or sad. I didn't put a face on my paper or anything physical. I think this is because I am not happy with my body or my shape. I am not very pleased with anything that is on my body. That is why I chose not to do anything to portay the outward apperance, but rather what I hope people see when they look at me.
(question 7) It is my beleif that the self is who you decide that you are . it is the person that you choose to be. It is also the person that you are without trying. It is as if someone can care so much for other people that often his own needs are neglected. It could also be the case where someone wants so badly to be like some one else that they try so hard, but never acheive it. Self has nothing to do with the body or with the surrondings, but rather the soul and the heart.
(question 9)- In my self- portrait, I chose to convey the preferential shape theory the most.In my project, put mostly things that appealed to me. IN choosing fabric, I chose something that I felt portrayed me. I then went back to my papers and found out what it meant.
(question 11)No. Self is something that is different for everyone. It isn't sopmething that can be defined or taught about. Everyone has to discover for his own self what he really is about and what he really stands for.
(question 13) I don't think this will change the way I perform. Right now I feel as if there are so many things for me to do, I am just scattered trying to accomplish it all. I don't have time to sit back and speculate on how to do things differently. Right now, I get the most important things accomplished and then I move on from there. That system is working for me right now, so I see no need to change.
Major: Nursing Class: Sophomore
(question 1) The word interdisciplinary means taking many courses and teaching them together. Like teaching art and religion together. I think that that should how they are taught.
(question 2) It involes hands on as well as lectures and you learn about many different things in one class.
question 3) Yes and they do it very well and they have respect for what the other is teaching
(question 4) Yes, we laern about religion and how it is used in art and in literature and we learn how different reigions use art in different ways.
(question 5) The outside is how other people see me. It is square and represents stability. The spiral represents growth and change. The colors repersent purity, white, love and energy, red, friendship, yellow. The inside is how I see myself and how people close to me see me. The coffee is energetic, the cat is friendly and soft, the butterfly is colorful and flitty (spontaneous), the bandaids are accident prone, kisses are in the shape of a triangle, goal oriented, and are also in the shape of a square, stable, the masterlock is for strenght that was given to me when I had my eye surgery, the hearts are for love. The roses are for beauty and the spiral shape of them is for growth.
(question 6) I thought of all the faces that I put on for society and intergrated them on the outside of the box. That is how society views me. I used the shapes that Dr. Farrar discussed to describe how people see me and how I see myself.
(question 7) They all agree that self is what you think it is. It doesn't really invole anything but your view of yourself outside the physical sense of your body. It is how your soul sees you.
(question 8) Some say you put on faces, some say you can't see the true you until you are enlightened and some say that only when you find your true self, then you are really you.
(question 9) My self portrait represents how I see myself using my different ideas. I believed that there was no one way to see myself. It took pieces from all the different ideas to see me.
(question 10) Every form of religiong we talk about had conflictiong ideas than what most people in the class believed but you need to know about everything and not be ignorant even if you don't agree with certain things.
(question 11) NO there is no right answer. Every one sees everyone else differently. We don't have an inability we just aren't all made to be exactly the same. That is the reason there is no right answer. No one is like anyone else.
(question 12) I enjoyed it very much. It was both fun and educational.
(question 13) Yes, I am now more eager to learn what I once saw as boring.
Major: Nursing class: sophomore
question 1) I think interdisciplinary means having two or more different academics and artistic disciplines. I think an interdisciplinary class should be about teaching of one's self and also of differnt aspects of some ohter discipline.
(question 2) An interdisciplinary clss differs in that it gives you knowledge of everyone instead of just one particular group of people or ideas.
(question 3) yes
(question 4) yes it does. Like mentioned before Farrar is more in the art and what it means and represent and Vess is more into the history behind it and what makes it important.
(question 5) In my self portrait I've used wavy and jagged lines on the outside of the box because most everyone view me as being very gentle and energetic. On the inside of the box I used alot of triangles and squares because I feel that I am a very stable and down to earth person. I like to get to the very bottom of things instead of going on and on about it. I also put in a couple of circles becasue I am very holeness with myself. I used a big cross because I am at a turning point in my life. I have a good relationship with my boyfriend and right now we are engaged which is a very big step. I used spirals because I think life is very important and life is what you make of it. I 've used the 3-D name on the cross to really symbolize the big turning point in my life with the relationship of my girlfriend. The texture on the name piece is sleek and mirror-like representing peaceflness. This is just a little about my project.
(question 6) I used alot of the non-objetive art because it doesn't show any people or landscapes of any type but it shows alot of shapes, textures and lines and colors. I used this method because it represents me and not just a self portrait of myself.
(question 7) They agree with one another because they are telling of how that person is. The personality and the feelings of that person.
(question 8) One is abstarct art and one is non-objective art.
(question 9) I chose to go with the non-objective art because ismore fun to work with and it's almmost like a guessing game to someone that doesn't know you that well.
(question 10) No
(question 11) No because some one people see you one way and another person may see you in a very different way. This is because you don't let everyone know you in the same way or aspects.
(question 13) Yes. Instead of narrowing my view on one particular idea it has broadened my knowledge because it makes me think in several different ways.
(MAJOR) Computer Science (class) sophmore
(question 1) I think that "interdisciplinary" deals with the disciplines of thought and creativity. I think that it means finding a nore in depth understanding of the things aroind us and within us to find understanding in the things we do, the things we say, how we evolved to where we are, and the ways in which we act. I think that an interdisciplinary class is a way for us to broaden our perspectives and views and challenge us to think beyond the norm. It provokes thoughts and ideas and gives a deeper insight into themes that some instructors only brush the surface of. Interdisciplinary classes encourage you to dig deeper and find the true meanings of things and the inspiration behind the things you find.
(question 2) An interdisciplinary class concentrates more on the aesthetic atributes and motivations of a subject. The teachings seem to involve personal reactions and the evidence which governs these reactions. They give you a better understanding of how interconnected doctrines really are and how they all slightly depend on each other. Traditional classes go into detail about their subject, but they do not give you the freedom to freely express your feelings or go into discussions based on your perception of the topic. It's more of a "ask a question, get a response" atmosphere. They don't give you a scenario that you can visualize. They give you exacts based on numerous studies which really don't tell you anything.
(question 3) I think the professors did a great job of representing their views. This was my second experience of a IDST course with two instructors and I think that classes such as these are better that having just one instructor. With one instructor, you receive one point of view, one perspective. With two or more, you get multiple ways of viewing things and you can better understand how things are related. The professors would give you material, and basically give you more than one way to interpret the material. I think that this method leads to better comprehension. It also makes it easier, because if you can't follow what one instructor says, you can go to the other instructor who is familiar with what you are doing and gain further insight that way.
(question 4) It seemed to focus on the historical and artistic attributes of the material more than anything else. It's hard to distinguish the disciplines apart from the other because they are so closely knit together.
(question 6) I think I used the ideas concerning colors and shapes more than anything else because I always use colors to describe the moods that I am in. When I am sad, I lean towards the color blue. When I am lonely, I lean towards the color black. When I am happy, I wear reds and yellows or anything bright. Sometimes I wear red when I'm sad and black when I'm happy, so at times colors don't represent my moods. I used the shape to exhibit the chaos I feel in my life. By appearance, I seem stable and unmoving. But on the inside, I'm going crazy. You would never know unless I let my shell crack and allow what I was feeling on the inside show on the outside. I tried to illustrate this by the use of the circles and the various colors I used to represent my center. As time goes on, my mask starts to crack and everybody sees the real, vulnerable me. And that's something that I absolutely cannot stand. I guess you could say it's a pet peeve of mine.
(question 7) The resources agree with each other because they all have the idea of the self in common. They all believe that there are certain attributes we must contribute to the self and that there are characteristic of each of us. They all seem to focus on a center which we try to protect by any means.
(question 8) The perspectives that they use to achieve their ideas of the self is what causes the conflict. What one person sees as a definition of the self, another might not. There is a conflict by which means we interpret ourselves and how we express ourselves to the world. As long as there is this boundary, there will always be a conflict between these doctrines.
(question 9) My self is too chaotic to reconcile. I just tried to put my self into a perspective so I can undertand where I am and how I can move on from where I am. I did lean more towards the frustration and chaos in my life because it is such a large part of my self. It's inevitable.
(question 10) There were so many things that we discussed, I don't know. I'm not very good at interpretation, and I obviously missed this one.
(question 11) I don't there is a right answer to what the self is because we are all so diverse. There is too much room for interpretation and no one, in my opinion, will interpret the self the exact same way. My reaction is normal because this doesn't come to me as a shock. If we all shared the same brain and thought patterns, maybe this could be possible. We can relate to each other's ideas about the self, but we would never end up with a right answer.
(question 12) It was interesting listening to Dr. Vess descibe the places she had been and the things that she has seen and viewing the tokens she collected from her experiences. It was also interesting just to see Dr. Farrar because her attire and her jewelry showed her love of art and it was inspiring to see someone who had such passion for their work.
(question 13) I don't know. If other courses consisted of the same atmosphere, maybe. If they don't, it probably will not.
(MAJOR) undecided
(question 1) taking different material and combining it with other useful information. Interesting, it should teach a student about different cultures.
(question 2) IDST classes take information from all aspects of life and combine them with other things, which is different from just a plain discipline because it just uses the same stuff over and over again.
(question 3) Yes, because Dr. Vess teaches about culture applied to art and Dr. Farrar does workshops to help us understand art and it's functions.
(question 4) yes it does. An example would be the French Revolutionary art. Not only did we learn something about history, we also learned about the art of that time period and why it was so important.
(question 5) my self-portrait is more realistic because i use scenes to show my self. I used lines, shapes, color, and texture to convey myself. The color scheme is based on the section about Hildegard. I used red, gold,green, and blue to represent myself. The red in my portrait shows my passion for life. I am very energtic and strong, which red also conveys. The gold shows my warmth and compassion for others. Blue shows my naturing side. The greenish blue in the portrait is my sensitive side. My nuturing, peaceful side. My picture of the ocean shows this. Green also means growing and changing and I am doing that. I used different lines and shapes such as diagonals, spirals, jagged, circles, and squares to show myself. The diagonals show my energy, spirals show i am growing, jagged show my intensity, circles show my more peaceful side, and squares represent that i am stable. I have one cross to show that my relationships are changing. The scato lines show that i am indecisive about decision making. Some of my portrait is a shiny color, represents my free flowing side.
(question 6) i used Hildegard's color scheme. I used some of the ideas from her depictions to represent myself. I guessed i used Hildegard's color scheme and ideas because i can relate mostly to them. Such as the vitalness of life and the nuturing side of her depictions
(question 7) You can relate most IDST together because the information can always relate. The things we learned were interrelated to the self and the question what is art. Most of the things we study try to make one find out who they really are, and explain how one can find out who they are. They teach that knowing the self will bring one peace and allow one to become apart of something much larger and better than just their self. People belong to something in the end that will complete their soul.
(question 8) Each different ideal has a different solution on what one should be and how one should find out who they really are. The ideals are different because of different cultures and values.
(question 9) I think I tried to explain who I am by using basic things like shapes, color, lines, and texture. The only ideal that I used from a culture we studied was Hildegard's depiction of the ocean as nuturing, peaceful, and growing. That really expressed who I am and where I am in life.
(question 10) not really because most things ended up tieing together. Almost everything could be interrelated to something.
(question 11) I don't think so because everyone is different. NO TWO PEOPLE ARE ALIKE. I think everything we studied can show some example of why we are who we are. Each section shows different things about the self and why we are us.
(question 12) It was very interesting to learn about different cultures. My favorite was the Egyptian art. I am not very artistic, but the class made me feel like I was.
(question 13) Yes because I have learned useful things about different cultures. I have a more rounded view on different types of people and their beliefs. I now have a better apprieciation of art and why it is so important.
(MAJOR) undecided (class) freshmen
(question 1) To me the word "interdisciplinary" means involving two or more disciplines,or in this case it means involving two branches of learning. For example, I am in Ethics and Society which is an interdisciplinary class because it combines ethics, as well as society.
(question 2) The interdisciplinary class differs from other classes in that it focuse on two topics of learning instead of one. If a person is in Biology they are just learning about Biology.
(question 3) Yes, the two instructors represent the different viewpoints with Dr. Farrar focusing on art and Dr. Vess focusing on history.
(question 4) This class uses resources from multiple disciplines, involving art and history. In the class we learn about civilization and then we look at the art that the civiliazation produces. For example, the pharoahs of Egypt was one topic of discussion and then we looked at the pyramids that was part of the art done during that period. We did this by looking at slides and reading material off the online part of the class.
(question 5) My self-portrait is in a star shaped box which is a light blue in color an the top of the box has gray colored snow flakes. I used a star because it is made up of triangles which symbolize stability, the color and snowflakes represent my distant personality. On the outside I appear icy, or removed, and I am in my own little world. On the inside of the star box, it is lined with aluminum foil which represents the reflection of my inner self. For the bottom of the star boxed I used five different fabrics to represent five characteristics of my personailty, placing one fabric in each corner. In the first corner, is a hard fabric which is actually material that you make table clothe out of, this symbolizes me as a serious, kind of uptight person. Next, is a red veil fabric, this symbolizes my temper. The color red is used to show anger, and under the red veil is a yellowish- orange felt fabric, so where it resembles fire, since I have a hot temper. In the t! hird corner, is a a shiny silver fabric, that is gaudy. This fabric shows the side of me that likes to have fun. In the fourth corner is a yellow fabric, which symbolizes a caring, friendly person. Finally, in the fifth corner, is a piece of hunter- green velevt, which is used to symbolize a warm, kind of practical person. The fabic is simple and elegant like me. The five pieces of fabric meet in the center to come together and create me. The tin foil star in the middle also reflects my inner self, and shows stability with the triangles formed by the star.
(question 6) Rilke's discussion of "faces" was used in creating my self- portrait. "Faces" discusses how people have many faces, not just one. Rilke's points out that even though one wears out a face, others simply put on another face. This shows that people are ever hcanging and one face would not do them justice to explain their personailty. I feel like toward some people I tend to act a certain way compared to how I act toward people I know very well. It is the same thing as putting on different face, to kind of please the people you are with.
(question 7) I think that these differect disiplinary resources agree wiht one another on what the self is in that figuring out what the self is, is something that is hard to achieve. Figuring out who you are is not something you wake up and are able to tell, it happens over a long period of time, and once you have had many different experiences, but some still are unsure of what they are.
(question 8) Rilke discusses the self as something that is always changing, whereas the Asian view sees the self as something that can be achieved.
(question 9) My self- portrait conveys the message that I have many different "faces". The way people see me differs completely from the way people I know personally. The impression I give and the person I am are somewhat two different people, in an aspect they are two different faces.
(question 10) Yes there were topics that presented conflicting ideas/perpectives on the topic. One question Dr. Vess asked the class was if anyone in the class knew their self, and only one person responded that they did. I think that no one will ever truly know who they are because a person is constantly changing.
(question 11) No there is not a right answer to what the self is, because I feel that a person is always changing, and therefore their self will change and so it makes it hard to really know who you are.
(question 13) No I do not think that this course will change my performance in my other classes, I think it really has no effect
(MAJOR) Undeclared (class) freshmen
(question 1) I honestly have no idea what it means. It may mean that the students and the professor should interact with one another.
(question 2) There are more inputs from students, including more class discussions. In traditional classes, I take notes and then take the test. In my IDST course, things are more involved. We also participate in hands-on activities.
(question 3) Yes. Dr. Vess normally teaches in depth. She gives us backgound information. Dr. Farrar simply explains procedures.
(question 4) The course involves many different perspectives. We also learn about different cultures.
(question 5) My portrait is representational. It is self-expressive. I used icy colors because I tend to be somewhat distant. The triangles and vertical lines symbolize my independence and stability. I have used sandpaper to show that I can be harsh and slightly abrasive. I have also used clouds (cotton balls) to show my soft and warm side. The use of the cross represents my relationship with my boyfriend. I have recently(less than a week ago) gotten engaged. The math problem symbolizes how analytical I am. I'm extremely rational and logical.
(question 6) I used the theories about the self that Dr. Farrar explained last Tuesday. I got most of my information from my notes and her handout, i.e., the use of textures, line, shape, color, etc.
(question 7) They all combine to make the person whole. Although each is separate, it isn't complete alone.
(question 8) Sometimes they are contadictory. I am both harsh and soft. How do they all apply at the same time? Or do they? Maybe one is more powerful thatn the other.
(question 9) My portrait argues with itself. My sky is both frazzled and calm. My house is stable, but yet my fence is broken. I'm sweet and snappy all at the same time.
(question 10) Hiduism kind of seemed that way to me. I don't feel as though I am a Hindu. After hearing Dr. Vess rationalize the philosophy, how could I not be?
(question 11) No, there isn't a specific answer. I'll never completely understand myself. When I think I finally do, I surprise myself. I am everything and nothing at all. I think even the greatest philosophers couldn't answer this question.
(question 12) I enjoyed it. However, it was slightly more difficult than I had previously thought it to be. I felt like it was an addition to my history class. It is by no means an easy A.
(question 13) Maybe, but I doubt it. It wasn't harder than my traditional classes. I may not ahve done as well in it though because I had expected it to be easier. In the future, I won't immediately assume the difficulty level of a course before I know anything aboutit.
(MAJOR) Marketing (class) sophmore
(question 1) An interdisciplinary class should expand your knowledge about different cultures. It should also increase your knowledge of the arts, we should know about more than just math, history, or english.
(question 2) It is more involved, and it makes you look at different cultures of the world. It also is a more hands-on type class.
(question 3) Yes, Dr. Farrar has talked to us more about the arts and artistic meanings. While Dr.Vess has taught us more about the history behind the differnt cultures.
(question 4) Yes, when you are describing for example the Sistine Chapel, we discussed the art along with the significance of the numbers in the art.
(question 5) The top of my box has a very busy fabric on it, because I am a very busy, complicated person. It also has a spiral symbolizing my life, where I am growing and changing. The spiral is in a diagonal line to represent my dramatic personality. The line is done in yellow because in the Yoruba colors, yellow symbolizes the "pupa" personality. I am a easily angered person, and I have a very hot personality. The outside of my box is done in black because people can never tell what I am thinking or feeling. When you open my box, you see a bright, happy fabric, the way I feel inside. THe material has stars, clouds, and suns on it which symbolizes my goals, I always want to reach for the stars. On the inside I have horizontal lines, which shows the restlessness of my personality. I am always busy, never still. The lines are also done in yellow, once again representing the "pupa" personality. In one corner, I have just one ball away from everything else, alone, which re! presents my independence. I have cotton circles in my box. The cotton represents my warm heart inside. The circles show the importance of spirituality in my life. I have crosses in my box representing the changes taking place. But, they are all jumbled together, showing my confusion about the changes. I put fireballs in box to show my hot personality. I also put mirrors in my box because I tend to reflect the way others treat me to them. However they act toward me, I reflect back to them.
(question 6) Yes, I used the different shapes to represent my life. For example, the spiral and the circles. I used the Yoruba Color Aesthetics, when I used the color in my box.
(question 7) They all agree with one another because they are all used in describing oneself. Each of the disciplines in one way or another use different forms of explaining personalities.
(question 8) They use different ways to describe the doffernt personalities. Like Yoruba uses color, while others use shapes.
(question 9) I used a little bit of each of the different methods, and brought them all together in my box. This way I could show my diversity.
(question 10) No, to me everything presented by both instructors went together and was not conflicting.
(question 12) I learned alot about the differnt cultures, and how different the people in the world really are.
(question 13) Yes, I bacame more involved in my other classes. Like in my introduction to art class, after this class I knew more about the different art forms and art types.
(MAJOR) Business: Information Systems (class) sophmore
(question 1) Interdisciplinary means studying a variety of subjects or a broad look at a single idea from many diferent viewpoints.
(question 2) Interdisciplinary classes provide a chance for me to enjoy learning about subjects I did not think I would be involved in. These classes provide a general knowledge from religion to architecture that I would not have known ontherwise.
(question 3) Yes. Both showed expertice in each of their disciplines. It would be interesting to see both teaching at the same time, a tag-team if you will, building and adding on to each other's perspective.
(question 4) yes. Resources included school books, internet, video, slides, and visual aids. Disciplines included art and history
(question 5) My self portrait represents self expression. I used colors that represent my confidence, passion, energy, and stableness. Red, purple, yellow, and green/black. I used wavy lines to represent my flexability and jagged lines to show energy. Objects were also used to represent me. An eye for insightfulness, an eagle representing leadership, a globe representing an openness, and an anchor repesenting strength.
(question 6) Thoughts of all the ideas studied were considered, and you can see the ones I used in my portrait. I believe you can understand what is in my portrait by reading the previous answer. I used these ideas because they best represent me.
(question 7) The resources agree with one another because all require you to look deep into one's self. They all agree that the self is not the body, but the soul.
(question 8) I take the 5th.
(question 9) I used some of Rilke's ideas and ideas that involved psycological representation because I feel that we have much to hide and it takes the peeling off of masks to expose the true self.
(question 10) All the religious topics were conflicting....except for taoism and hinduism, they agreed with everything.
(question 11) The only right answer is the one within. My reaction to your inability? Nobody is perfect, all of us are in a learning process.
(question 13) No, but it has given me a better understanding of other cultures and how they pecieve the world.
(MAJOR) Psychology (class) sophmore
(question 1) It should teach students about different disciplines within the university system in order to allow young students to get a feel for quite a few areas. This allows students who aren't sure what their plans are to gather information and make an informed decision. I don't think an interdisciplinary class should be able to make or break a student but it should encourage students to broaden their spectrum of interest. Some people are just not gifted in some areas. For instance, I am terrible in the music area. I enjoy it but I am unable to appreciate it to the extent that would be necessary to complete the Gothic Imagination class, which is why I dropped it last spring. These classes should allow for such instances but teach students to have an appreciation and understand that other people are gifted in that area and should be respected because of it.
(question 2) It is more of a survey course rather than an in depth course. For instance, we touch on several different cultures, philosophies, religions,etc. rather than going into great detail in just one of those areas.
(question 3) Yes, Dr. Vess shows the very logical and analytical side to most of the material and Dr. Farrar shows the more spiritual and intangible side to most of the material.
(question 4) Yes. For instance, when we studied the Yoruba color theory, we looked at ourselves as well as the meanings that this theory suggests. But then when we did our Zen Gardens and haiku poems, we did them based on the Japanese ideals. We not only talked about different disciplines but we got hands on experience in some way with each of them.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 13) I don't necessarily think it will change specifically my performance in other classes but maybe the way I will handle myself in daily life because it has forced me to evaluate myself and those around me.
(MAJOR) undecided (class) sophmore
(question 1) Interdisciplinary means to me something that helps you grow mentally and not physically. An interdisciplinary class is a class other than english, math or science that helps a person grow in this wasy.
(question 2) There is more discussion and projects in interdisciplinary classes than in the more traditional classes.
(question 3) Yes,definately.
(question 4) Yes it does. It combines art, history, and Literature. Examples of this are the art we studied, the history behind them, and The book we read "The Tao of Pooh."
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I really enjoyed it at the beginning when we were learning about architecture in Egypt, Greece, and Rome. I could take a whole course in this because it amazes me how low tech these civilizations were but still were able to design magnificent structures.
(question 13) I already know it has. I was taking Art 1105 after our class and the two classes almost worked hand in hand. Much of the stuff we discussed in our class we also discussed in my art class so this really helped me out.
(MAJOR) Marketing (class) sophmore
(question 1) The interdisiplinary classes are designed to provide a wide base of knowledge and aid in the development of a well rounded student.
(question 2) They differ from your traditional classes beacuse you have studied your maths and sciences and histories for many years, these classes are designed to open your hozizions and develop the total student.
(question 3) Yes, most defenitely. Dr. Farrar was more clearly the expert in the field of art whereas Dr. Vess was more skilled in History.
(question 4) Yes, the course often used multimedia presentations, which are very prevalent in the business field as well as in the field of communications.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I think the IDST department is a conciderable gain to this University and is making Ga. College one of the elite schools in the state and the country as far as the liberla arts theme is concerned.
(question 13) Yes, alot of the information exchanged in this class can be very beneficial in other classes, if not only for the fact that it broadens your hozizions and provides alternate positions of thought for a particular subject.
Student 15:
no response
(MAJOR) marketing (class) junior
(question 1) Interdisciplinary classes are a chance for students to break away from the traditional way of learning. Students become more involved in what is being taught.
(question 2) Iterdisciplinary classes have differed from traditional classes because they seem to be more laid back, in which you can be creative.
(question 3) Yes, they both used their skills and knowledge to portray to us a different way of learning.
(question 4) Being that we studied so many different cultures and had the perspective of two different teacherers, I beleive that they did use the resources from mutiple disciplines.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I enjoyed the activities and learning more about other cultures.
question 13) It gives a different way to perceive how I learn in other classes. Some I do not feel I will be able to use these skills, but others it might prove to be very beneficial.
(MAJOR) Vocal Music Ed and Performance (class) sophmore
(question 1) An interdisciplinary class should be one where multiple teaching tools and styles should be used to give a broader sense of learning. This kind of class isn't supposed to be merely learning facts and spitting them back out for tests, but actually understanding and interacting with different topics.
(question 2) Interdisciplinary classes are different because they touch on more than one subject. They combine the disciplines into a class where ideas are dealt with and responded to in various ways. Traditional classes have one main focus, while interdisciplinary classes take parts of different disciplines and bring them together in a broader sense while still learning about them in depth.
(question 3) Very much so. Dr. Vess did a wonderful job of teaching historical concepts and the different places the arts have in history. Dr. Farrar equally displayed her passion for art and encouraged us to find our creative sides as we did different projects or looked at different culture's art.
(question 4) Yes -- not only did we hear lectures from each teacher, but we watched a variety of videos, looked at a very wide variety of slides portraying historical events, art work and people, used the internet, read books and participated in solo and group discussions and projects. All these different resources provided different perspectives. For example, when we looked at a slide of a painting, we looked at it's mathematical qualities, it's religious qualities, it's cultural background and relevance, and it's aesthetic qualities.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) This was a very interesting class for me. I love history and the arts and so i enjoyed learning more about both of them. Thanks for an interesting semester.
(question 13) I think it's challenged me to see subjects from more than one view, but it can only be taken as far as the teacher allows it. If a teacher encourages interdisciplinary teaching in a traditional classroom, which some of mine do, than learning becomes more intersting and fun. But if a teacher does not, it's easy to get back into the memorization/regurgitation slump.
(MAJOR) Criminal Justice (class) sophmore
(question 1) Interdisciplinary means the training to use your own thoughts and emotions to generate an answer to a problem that doesn't necessarily use the more structured elements of the other disciplines. An interdisciplinary class should be a class of free thinking and expression. The student should feel free to express themselves in any fashion they see fit with the exception of a way that would offend another.That is the only limit on this issue.
(question 2) The Interdisciplinary class allowed for self thought and expression. The traditional class is more of a structured class that has a rigid regement of responses that have a definite right and wrong answer. The Fine and Applied Arts class allowed the student the ability of free thought and expression which in today's world is stiffled many times due to the nature of the world we have created.
(question 3) I believe that Dr. vess and Dr. farrar were very successful in approaching the issues of art from their specific standpoints. Dr. Vess approached it from a more logical and historical aspect (which I understood more) and Dr. Farrar approached the idea of art from a more personal stand point. I believe that both instructors complimented each others approaches to give the class a well rounded point of view.
(question 4) I believe that this class offered a historical approach, A common sense approach, and a inner self approach. The study of the Terra Cota soldiers at the tomb of Shi Huangdi was a historical approach to the soldiers being art. It was explained why the soldiers were created with different facial features and expressions which were done for a pratical purpose but at the same time were forms of art.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I thoroughly enjoyed this class, some of the projects were difficult to accomplish because my mind had never been challenged in that manner before. I am accustomed to education where there is a right and wrong answer and it is easy to achieve the proper answer through studing. When asked to use my mind to make a project of myself, I became confused because I have never used my mind in that manner before. Sitting down and thinking about the project, ideas became clearer and the project became easier to comprehend. Again, it was a very enjoyable class and I feel that I will leave the class with a better understanding of art as well as myself.
(question 13) No, I feel that the other classes must be approached with a different outlook than the Fine and Applied Arts class. Again this resorts back to the more structured aspect of the education process. It will however allow me to approach other apsects of my life with more clarity than before.
(MAJOR) Early Childhood Edu. (class) sophmore
(question 1) I think that interdisciplinary classes are classes that are hands-on and use a great deal of communication. The classes that I have taken at GC&SU are much different that normal classes that I have taken. They taught me about different cultures, arts, religions, and other interesting aspects dealing with life. I think interdisciplinary could mean "different" or even "world-wide" education.
(question 2) They differ in ways that normal classes are in the way that in normal classes students usually just sit and take notes. In interdisciplinary classes, there is a lot of interaction between the students and teachers.
(question 3)Yes, they show different viewpoints, but are both similar in helping the students to understand what they are teaching.
(question 4) Yes, the class uses many perspectives. An example would be the different religions that are taught. Each religion gets respect.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 13) Yes, it helped me to be more creative about views.
(MAJOR) Health Education: Comm. Health (class) freshmen
(question 1) An interdisciplinary class is one that isn't like any old math or science class. It takes you to new places and explores other cultures and ideas that you would have never thought of. The word itself can mean out of the ordinary or out of the realm of regular classes. I have learned so much from the IDST classes that I have taken. It has expanded my knowledge about life, my way of thinking, and also my view and acceptance of other cultures.
(question 2) It expands your mind and enables you to jump out of the everyday reading and writing. It takes you to faraway places and gives you a sense that you are learning positive things that will actually help you in life.
(question 3) Yes, they presented each of their ideas clearly on each of the different topics that we studied. You could tell that Dr. Vess was more interested in the facts and helping us understand the material than she was about the colors and shapes, etc. Dr. Farrar always taught the class when we were to do an art project and you can tell that she likes that best.
(question 4) Yes, we have covered so much in this class--i never would have guessed that I would have been able to learn so much in just a short time. We learned the views and perspectives of many cultures and places. I was shown that the world is very big and full of so many interesting things and different ideas.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I LOVED this class. Dr. Vess and Dr. Farrar are VERY interesting teachers and know alot about what they teach. They made teaching art and history fun and exciting. What I liked most about this class is that it was hands on and involving. I loved making the art project and especially my self portrait because it made me think about myself and display it for everyone else to see, and I didn't mind a bit!
(question 13) Yes, it will help my to use my mind more and really think and look into questions, not only what the words say, but what they mean...what they are trying to ask, put myself into the questions and into the different situations in each of the different classes.
(MAJOR) nursing (class) sophmore
(question 1) Interdisciplinary means getting to know yourself both inside and outside. It means that you are capable of making your own choices and decisions despite what everyone else thinks because everyone has their own decisions. It helps you to explore your own personal thoughts and feelings about life as a whole. An interdisciplinary class shouldn't teach you to think, but how to think. It should help you to further understand yourself as a person. It should teach you how your mind and thoughts can form opions all on your own.
(question 2) Discipline classes all have problems and questions that have only right answers or wrong answers it gives no room for self opinion or self thought. Discipline classes do not give you the chance to explore your inner self.
(question 3) Yes because each knows about their fields of study more than the other does. They do have almost all of the same facts, but different opinions. Dr. Farrar is more familiar with the arts and their meanings and Dr. Vess is more familar with history and historical facts. One thing that I thought was cool about this class and their teachings is that both have been to these different and very distant places to learn and study the art and history of them. They were able to bring us back pictures (which I really enjoyed looking at) both in a legal and an illegal way (like the pictures of the terra cota soldiers and the money from Japan!) This gave me the desire to go and visit some of these places for myself. I know it would be much neater to see these things in person.
(question 4) There is alot of history, art, and architecture, as well as mathematics, and reading in this class. The history part is obvious because all of the art and sculptures were done long ago. The art was neat because of all the different styles and colors of painting. The architecture played a huge role because of all the different mosks and temples, and the Egyptian pyramids. I'm sure it took alot of mathematical means and formulas to build these sacred buildings. There was alot of Arabic writing in art and in the mosks. Science also played an important role especially in the pyramids where the flooding of the Nile could be predicted.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I have enjoyed the class and the material. Learning about new ideas and characteristics of other cultures is very important. It makes you well-rounded and open to other people. I have gained a new sense of respect for people from other cultures and countries around the world.
(question 13) Yes, I think it will make me more open-minded to learning about things that I have never heard of or even experienced.
(MAJOR) Early Childhood Education (class) sophmore
(question 1) I think that interdisciplinary would mean studying a different culture or topic and focusing on the in depth way of life of the culture or the different aspects of a topic.
(question 2) In traditional classes you study the facts and the way all things are supposed to be. In interdisciplinary classes you study and interact to different topics and these could be called opinions.
(question 3) Yes. Both instructors used their different areas of study to teach about a certain culture that was very interesting.
(question 4) Yes.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) The class was real quite interesting and I enjoyed learning about art in other cultures and having the workshops to give us a better idea of what a culture is like.
(question 13) Yes. It allows to really think about certain topic in depth.
(MAJOR) undecided This student submitted two respones (see also student 7)
(question 1) taking different material and combining it with other useful information. Interesting, it should teach a student about different cultures.
(question 2) IDST classes take information from all aspects of life and combine them with other things, which is different from just a plain discipline because it just uses the same stuff over and over again.
(question 3) Yes, because Dr. Vess teaches about culture applied to art and Dr. Farrar does workshops to help us understand art and it's functions.
(question 4) yes it does. An example would be the French Revolutionary art. Not only did we learn something about history, we also learned about the art of that time period and why it was so important.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) It was very interesting to learn about different cultures. My favorite was the Egyptian art. I am not very artistic, but the class made me feel like I was.
(question 13) Yes because I have learned useful things about different cultures. I have a more rounded view on different types of people and their beliefs. I now have a better apprieciation of art and why it is so important.
(MAJOR) Mass Communications (class) sophmore
(question 1) "Interdisciplinary" is a word made up of the prefix "inter" and the root word "discipline". "Inter" means between, like interleague play is a game between the Amerian and National Leauges. Discipline is a field in whatever art or study you are discussing. Different artists subscribe to different disciplines and that's part of the way which we can indentify them. So interdisicplinary means between or concerning different disciplines. Therefore, an interdisciplinary class should be a class which you learn about many different disciplines within a certain subject.
(question 2) Most classes focus on one discipline, like "Biology" or "Calculus". Those are disciplines within the sujects of science and math respectively. You don't learn about Chemestry and Astronomy in your Biology class. There is just one discipline. An interdiscplineary class such as this differs in that we study about lots of different disciplines within the art field.
(question 3) Dr. Farrar represents the viewpoint of art in that she come in to discuss the actual art in every unit. For example, she presents information on the color and texture of the art itself. Dr. Vess, on the other hand, discusses the historical aspects of the art and let's us in on what was going on at the time and with the culture. So we get to learn about the art and about who crafted the art and why.
(question 4) This class uses many different resourses from many different disciplens to present the course material. For example, there is the on-line chapter, the arts and humanities book, the art gallaries and cultural events, and the lecures and outside material like the "Tao of Pooh". These are all from different disciplines like, computers, literature, reference material, experience, etc.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I learned a lot about art and not only about art but about cultures and civilizations as well. I think it was extrememly effective to have a history professor involved as well as an expert in the arts because it let us get a big picture that is necessary in understanding the whole of the art.
(question 13) This course will definately change my performance in other classes because it helped to change my perspective on things. I understand better how things work together, like art and history. I do poorly in classes sometimes because I don't see the relevance of the subjects, and this class showed me that these subjects are important in other contexts, like history in art etc.
(MAJOR) Music Education (class) junior
(question 1) Interdisciplinary refers to a pulling together or a synthesis of all the diciplines of study. I suppose that an effect class would do just that.
(question 2) IDST classes have a lot more hands on activities. With the exception of perhaps art and music classes, most other classes don't.
(question 3) Yes.
(question 4) Not really. I believe that they attempted to include music at a few points, but it was presented very briefly and not in a lot of detail.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(MAJOR) undecided (class) sophmore
(question 1) Interdisciplinary is teaching yourself and making sure that you achieve what you want to. Interdisciplinary classes are classes that teach about "worldly things" rather than facts.
(question 2) Interdisciplinary classes are more useful in life. They teach more about life skills rather than just random facts like Biology.
(question 3) Yes. I felt that they fully expressed their ideas of the different forms of art that was discussed in our class. They both come from a different education and major but express their belief on a certain issue really well.
(question 4) Yes. They have different ideas about each topic we discussed and they brought in different disciplines such as history. We learned about the time periods in which the piece of art was produced.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) that i really had a great time expressing my ideas and beliefs in the different projects that we were able to do. Also the history of the forms of art was outstanding.
(question 13) yes because it opened up my eyes to see much beyond the cover.
(MAJOR) Biology (class) sophmore
(question 1) I'm guessing interdisciplinary would be some courses in which prepare a student for a major class, or higher level class. Maybe like Biology 101 leading to Anatomy and Physiology.
(question 2) They lead to a higher level class, rather than just being a part of a core cirriculum and classes you just take to expand your learning horizons.
(question 3) I suppose. Dr. Farrar seems to think every thing is "beautiful" and doesn't really see the technical side of the class like Dr. Vess.
(question 4) Not that I can think of
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) It was fun, I learned a lot, and it was a very interesting course. I'm glad I took it!
(question 13) I don't know yet. When next semester comes around I'm sure I'll learn and grow from all of the classes I took this semester.
(MAJOR) marketing (class) freshmen
(question 1) "Interdisciplinary" means that the course integrates a number of various disciplines in order to provide the student with a better overall, well-rounded perspective and learning experience than typical, basic courses offer.
(question 2) In traditional classes, you go in, listen to the lecture, read the book, study, and eventually take the test. It is kind of boring.
(question 3) Yes. Dr.Vess presented the historical and culture background behind the pieces, such as the unit on the Art of Benin. On the other hand, Dr.Farrar present an artistic viewpoint. She talked about the various devices an artist uses to portray the desired message, as well as presenting examples from modern art.
(question 4) Yes! We attended a storytelling of Beowulf. We attended a Beethoven recital. We studied religion via landscape (Zen garden) and literature (Tao of Pooh).
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I will definitely take more IDST courses. I think I may consider majoring in Liberal Studies.
(question 13) Yes. It sparks curiosity as to why a person created a certain work of art, literature,or music. It also makes you wonder what kind of art a people created because of their circumstances. Basically, it makes me want to connect the dots AND color the picture.
(MAJOR) Undecided (class) freshmen
(question 1) Two different views of a subject are taught in the same class.
(question 2) Other classes are core classes and interdisciplinary classes are chosen by your interest.
(question 3) Yes
(question 4) Yes
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I really enjoyed the class and I learned a lot about myself.
(question 13) Yes, I think it will make me look deeper into everything.
(MAJOR) Poli Sci (class) sophmore
(question 1) An interdisciplinary class is a class that teaches a student not only facts but also ways to work in the real world. This class should show the student how to work in the real world.
(question 2) Disciplinary class tell the facts, not how to work with different obstacles that you'll really.
(question 3) yes
(question 4) Yes this class does use resources from multiple disciplines and presents perspectives from multiple disciplines. Dr. Vess used different religions to show this.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I learned things I never knew about different cicilizations.
(question 13) Yes, because I will try and do the as much work as I did throughout this course.
(MAJOR) Accounting (class) freshmen
(question 1) I think that interdisciplinary means many different areas that are being studied, not just one. I think that an interdisciplinary class should involve learning about many different cultures of the world. It should give a background in more areas than one.
(question 2) In the traditional classes, one learns about one specific area and nothing else. But in interdisciplinary classes, one learns about more than that one specifice area. This might help one in comparing different areas, in our case--cultures and their art.
(question 3) yes, I do believe that the two instructors represent different viewpoints of the disciplines. Dr. Vess taught us about specific cultures and their history, whereas Dr. Farrar gave us insight into the art of the specific cultures.
(question 4) Yes, I do believe that this class seemed to use resources from multiple disciplines because we learned about different cultures and their respective views of art, which were all very different.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
question 12) I really believe that i learned a lot in this course. I have never been so exposed to so many different cultures and their art before. So this was a true experience for me. I also learned alot about art and how different countries perceive art.
(question 13) Yes, because i will take into consideration all the different aspects of a particular subject instead of just being in one set frame of mind.
(MAJOR) undecided (class) sophmore
(question 1) Interdisciplinary means that multiple disciplines are used to teach an idea. Classes should be open to discussion. They should not be taught in lecture rooms, but in class rooms so that they can be more personal, also they should be kept at a certain size. They should not be allowed to get to big.
(question 2) An interdisciplinary class teaches people more how to think for themselves rather than just lecturing information at the student. Interdisciplinary classes allow more freedom for discussion. These classes also show the student that nothing in the world is separated and neatly catagorized like traditional classes are. It is a more practical and realistic form of education.
(question 3) Yes, Dr.Vess taught us the art from the point of view of why a piece of art was important at that time in history according to the political and social state of being at the time the art was created. Dr.Farrar taught us why a piece of art was important because of the artistic quality.
(question 4) yes, this course used examples from music, architecture painting, sculpting, literature, and film. These were discussed in relation to religion, politics, and other reasons for the art's being.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I really enjoyed that we could have hands-on experience >creating some of the art that we studied.
(question 13) Yes it lets me see how certain events and ideas tie in with others even if they do not belong in the same discipline.
(MAJOR) undecided (class)
freshmen (question 1) I guess the term "interdisciplinary" means to me a study or class in which educational mediums dealing with art, science and other instructional matters are out to use.
(question 2) An interdisciplinary class differs from the traditional classes I've taken in that it goes into more than one subject matter, such as the fine and applied arts. It dealt with art and history at the same time, while other non-interdisciplinary classes would only deal with just art or just history.
(question 3) Dr. Vess and Dr. Farrar differed vastly in their viewpoints because each seemed to know a little more on their subject matter and taught through their own personal life experiences with their individual subject matter.
(question 4) yes, I guess the best example would have to be the section that was taught on Michelangelo. Much was taught in the two areas of art and history on this historical icon, but also the teachers of this course seemed to put in examples of their personal experiences with his art, something that would rarely happen in a non-interdisciplinary course.
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed doing the little workshops that Dr. Farrar presented to us, even if I wasn't able to make it for part of the semester.
(question 13) not really, because I always strive to do my best no matter what course I'm taking.
(MAJOR) Spanish (class) sophmore
(question 1) Interdisciplinary?? Just what it says...I think that although we learn a lot in college, I don't believe that the classes we learn are integrated with each other enough. True, some classes don't go together too well--but some subjects should be taught together, corporately.
(question 2) This and Communications are the only IDST classes I have taken since I came to school this class was more effective on the IDST level--it was great having hands-on things to help learn although I grumbled sometimes about having to go to outside things, I enjoyed them once I got there. I liked "doing" and not just listening to a lecture.
(question 3) Yes!!! Most definitely. I learned history in a way I never have before, that was cool. At the same time, I learned art (I was simultaneously taking a visual culture class that tied into this class very nicely--) in a new way..I got to experience it. Together I learned more in this class than any other one previously taken.
(question 4) Yes. In one semester, i've experienced the history department, art department, music department, public speaking (Ms. Vinsonhaler)....it was awesome!
for responses to questions 5-10, see this student's self-portrait
(question 12) I think this is one of the most diverse, intriguing, and challenging courses I've taken so far at GCSU. Sometimes we discussed things and did things that cause me to think about myself and how I am changing and growing most parts of that I enjoyed, but some were hard to handle for me. Thank you both for making this class interesting and educational all at the same time. I think that this class should be required to take at the same time as the Understanding Visual Culture class, because they both discuss the same things and are conducive to each other's curriculum.
(question 13) Yes. I have learned to study differently (Ms. Vinsonhaler!), I have learned to experience things rather than just read them or listen to a lecture on them, and I have come to a greater understanding of the broadness of the art world around me.
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