S5 Student’s Attitudes and Lessons from a Gen Ed Course: Introduction to Literary Studies

Presenters

Dr. Isabel Quintana Wulf, English
Anna Randall, English

Abstract

Instructors usually understand that General Education courses fulfill an important role in a student’s education, contributing to the formation of well-rounded individuals with transferable essential skills that help realize our institution’s mission to “empower our students with the knowledge, skills and core values that contribute to active citizenship” (SU Mission). Do our students get the memo, though? Do they understand the purpose and value of General Education courses? When confronted with courses “they must take” programmatically, students often espouse ideas grounded in high school experiences that may or may not map onto college courses, or they “suffer” taking the courses as part of their lot as college students. What are some student understandings regarding the purpose and value of General Education courses? How do students engage with required General Education courses? How can we make General Education courses appealing and meaningful for students? In this presentation, Dr. Quintana Wulf and Anna Randall present the preliminary findings of their research study regarding student attitudes and understandings of gen ed courses in an introductory literature class. During fall 2024, they collaborated in gathering data from two sections of ENGL 257: Introduction to Multiethnic US Literatures to understand the experiences of students in literature classes, regarding their previous assumptions about the material, their expectations in the college classroom, and their experiences in the course. Preliminary findings suggest that there are many misconceptions about what literature courses are about and the value to be found in them, indicating that the key in breaking through the misconceptions can reside in assigning contemporary materials that connect with today’s world and in scaffolding student’s skills for engaging with the material at hand.

IQW and AR TLC 2025.pdf

Session Recording