It's week three of a new interdisciplinary course at Penn State Abington, and the students and team of instructors are shifting paradigms, thinking outside of boxes, and working out of their comfort zones. The groundbreaking course was developed as a model of integrated teaching and learning - essentially the coursework the very near future.
But how does one process emotionally and socially a completely new way of thinking and working? Eight faculty are team-teaching 24 hand-selected students, and blog posts on the website for LA497: Visualization provide some insight.
Jacob Benfield, assistant professor of psychology, posted a funny analogy on the class blog to relate his thoughts:
"I’ve been struggling these first few weeks to make a judgment about this class. What do the students think? What have I gotten myself into? Is this going to be a disaster or a triumph?
"Let me start with an analogy that summarizes my thoughts comically: A blindfolded kissing booth is an absurd situation. Why would you ever sign up to interact with strangers in such an intimate way? What if there’s unexpected stubble or stinky breath?
"At the same time, what if you like it? What if the idea of the unknown, the unnatural, and the uncomfortable makes something as benign as kissing more interesting? What if you make a new friend or end up with a great story to tell later? What if it’s better than you expected?