Faculty Are Using Digital Engagement to Teach
The College of Arts and Sciences extends education far beyond textbooks and lectures. Faculty members are integrating experiential learning—hands-on and immersive teaching methods—to engage students in real-world problem-solving and interdisciplinary research. Whether exploring religion through video games, analyzing astronomy through science-fiction worlds, or engaging with data in fieldwork, these courses challenge students to think critically, interact with emerging ideas, and prepare for an evolving job market.
Sociology, Science Fiction Film, and Artificial Intelligence
Sociology
Professor Harry Dahms uses science-fiction films to explore the complex interplay between society and technology. This innovative course focuses on artificial intelligence to demonstrate persistent social problems and issues, offering students a fresh perspective on sociological theories and their real-world applications.
Experiential Learning in Foreign Language Classroom
World Languages & Cultures
Renee D. D’Elia-Zunino, distinguished lecturer in the Italian program, builds on traditional language education by integrating practicum experiences into her course, which allows students to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. By positioning students as peer mentors in lower-level foreign language courses, the class cultivates a collaborative learning environment that enhances both academic understanding and practical skills.
Ethical Use of AI
Philosophy
Lindsay Young Professor Adam Cureton equips students with the essential competencies needed to navigate the ethical challenges posed by rapidly evolving AI technologies. By focusing on generative AI’s ethical implications, the course fosters open dialogue and critical thinking among students from across the college about AI’s impact on society and education.
Religion and Gameworlds
Religious Studies
Led by Teaching Associate Professor Michael Naparstek, religion and gameworlds is a pioneering class that integrates video games into the study of religion, allowing students to simulate fieldwork and engage deeply with mythological narratives and transformations. This course combines theoretical discussions with practical gaming sessions in the eXperience Point Lab, where students analyze their gameplay as they would in ethnographic research.
Independent Study
Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences
As part of an independent study course in fall 2024, Teaching Assistant Professor Amy Robinson provided students with hands-on experience monitoring groundwater quality at the UT dairy research unit. Authentic experiential learning models such as this give students first-hand experience with environmental science and allow them to immerse themselves in scientific problems.
Tales from the Yggdrasil
Physics and Astronomy
Teaching Associate Professor Sean Lindsay created a class that embeds students in a science fiction scenario where they must save a multi-generational spaceship. The class blends scientific principles with creative problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration, engaging students in a dynamic and interactive way that strengthens their understanding and application of scientific concepts.
Whodunit?: Detective Stories
English
Sally Harris, teaching professor, explores the development of different types of detectives and forms of justice through historical and social contexts, encouraging critical reading and thinking. Inspired by Dorothy Sayers’ novel Gaudy Night, students engage in literary detective work, analyzing texts for clues and understanding sociopolitical influences on crime and justice.
Faculty shape how students interact with information and ideas in ways that transcend traditional academia. By embracing relevant, thought-provoking, and career-oriented approaches, they equip students with practical skills that translate into their post-college lives. The innovation happening in the college’s classrooms ensures that graduates leave prepared for careers, research, and leadership roles in an increasingly complex world.