Countering ‘Social Curriculum’ and ‘Alternative Truths’

Guest Blogger: Abbes Maazaoui

In this era of rising xenophobia, ethnocentrism and “alternative truths”, the question that may be raised, particularly during and after the US elections, is whether schools and universities are doing enough to educate students and prepare them for what might be called “ le vivre ensemble” (= living together) or global citizenship. For it is academia where students are expected to learn how to think critically, make ethical choices and develop an inclusive global mindset.

One quick way to appraise what higher education institutions teach students and what types of curriculum, courses and experiences they offer is to examine actual course schedules.

For instance, a quick glance at Lincoln University‘s fall and spring courses, as listed on the Registrar’s website for 2016-17 academic year, reveal a glaring lack of diversity in course offerings. Major regions of the world and notably those marginalized and/or demonized in today’s polarized world are inexistent. Our students, like most Americans, are left with what Carlos Cortés calls “social curriculum.” Their education about other cultures, countries and religions is mainly fed through media of all kinds (TV, film, Facebook, Tweeter, etc.).

The question is to consider what can be done to strengthen student learning with regard to multicultural/international education and help confront the illiberal forces of political, social and religious extremism. Here are a few areas where these forces can be resisted:

1.     A globally-rooted curriculum. In most cases, this implies revising the curriculum and developing strategies for incorporating multicultural education in all academic majors, not just foreign language programs. Courses targeting marginalized cultures, religions and regions should be developed with specific assessable outcomes in all majors.

2.     The liberal arts component of the curriculum. Students should be provided with ample opportunities to explore multiple perspectives, the clash of truths instead of the “clash of civilizations,” to make judgments based on facts and not opinions, and counter the effects of ethnocentrism. Truly multidisciplinary (team-taught) courses should be implemented. For instance, developing team-taught courses has been a Lincoln’s dream for a long time, but as far as I know, was never really carried out with any coherence or consistency.

3.     Faculty development grants should include money for developing international/multicultural courses.

4.     Study abroad activities and exchange programs. Cross-cultural contacts have the potential of increasing student tolerance, broadening their horizons, and lessening the harmful effects of “social curriculum.” “Currently, less than 10% of U.S. students graduating with associates or baccalaureate degrees each year study abroad” (Institute of International Education).  But we should do more, and aim at reaching 25%, 50% of students going abroad. This is true of Lincoln University too. Around 3-4% of students study abroad annually at Lincoln. As the chair of the Committee on International/Global Initiatives, I must acknowledge here the efforts of the current Lincoln’s president who made study abroad a cornerstone of his educational leadership, as well as the growing number of colleagues who have been accompanying (or are planning to accompany) students abroad.

 These four areas, in my view, must be strengthened in all U.S. institutions, particularly liberal arts colleges, if we are concerned about true diversity, tolerance and democracy in this country.  I hope these random thoughts will trigger serious reflection and discussion, and better yet, be followed by action. 

Teaching to the test – maybe not a bad idea?

Guest Blogger: David Royer

No, I am not advocating for more standardized testing or teaching to the test in K-12, but I am searching for ways in which we can help our students prepare for the challenge of achieving a competitive score on the standardized exams that are required for admission to graduate and professional schools.  These include the LSAT, MCAT, DAT and GRE.  Most of my experience is with the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and it is frustrating when a student with an outstanding academic record at Lincoln has an average or below average score.  This disconnect becomes a major obstacle to gaining admission to medical school for our students.  The MCAT is the one common element in every student’s application to medical school; they all take the same test, and medical schools can compare all applicants using this test.  These test scores become particularly important when one of our students applies to a medical school that has never had a Lincoln student or does not know anything about Lincoln. 

From talking to other faculty members, this issue is not restricted to the MCAT

This leads to the question of why the disconnect between MCAT scores and GPA?  I do not have all the answers but one reason is that the test is unlike anything our students have seen before for many reasons.  First, it is a long exam; not counting the breaks, the exam lasts six hours and fifteen minutes; there is one 30-minute break and two 10-minute breaks, all of which are optional.  Second, the exam requires strong reading skills.  As an example, the section on the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems includes ten passage-based sets of questions with four to six questions per passage.  There are also fifteen independent questions.  The total is 59 questions that must be answered in 95 minutes.  Last, the breadth of the exam is very wide as it includes biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, psychology and sociology, the latter two included in a new section that was added to the MCAT  in 2015.

From talking to other faculty members, this issue is not restricted to the MCAT so the question I am posing through this blog is what can we do differently in the classroom to better prepare out students for these exams, and yes, I am suggesting that we do a bit of teaching to the test.  While I agree with most parents and teachers that it is inappropriate in K-12 classrooms, I believe that there must be some things we can do in the college classroom that will improve out students’ scores on these standardized exams without compromising the content of our courses which is also important for strong performances on the exams.

What do you suggest?