Chris Kawecki Conflict Resolution/Historical Analysis Self-Evaluation and Curse Themes Spring 1994
I enjoyed and learned from much of the course. At the same time, I feel that some of the course did not work very well for me. I read all the books, attended all the classes, and completed all the assignments.
Our group's presentation was at least partially successful in meeting its original goal, making people confront the question of how diverse a community can be. I feel good about my role in that presentation and the eventual outcome.
The least successful part of the course was the final paper. The main problem was that the impetus for the formation of the group was not the needs of group members, but the requirements for a class. We had neither an audience, nor a real goal which we were writing the paper for. I have found this to be a problem with top-down education in general, and this was not an exception.
The benefits of the class also fit into what I expect from classes: I felt some things related to my life, became interested in them, thought a lot about them, discussed them at home, and added them to my mental repertoire. The way the Tibetan tried to let people understand that they should base what they do on their self-interest (self-interest as he sees it, of course). The framework of _Getting_To_Yes_, which provides a way to reconsider problems and be satisfied with the solutions. The historical references -- for example, relating conflict resolution approaches to World Wars. I gained from those experiences which I would not otherwise have encountered and which I felt related to my life.
I do not know if these are the same impressions my classmates have of top-down education, so I will preface the following recommendations by reminding the reader that I speak for myself and what would be best for me. In terms of changing the class, and classes in general, I recommend concentrating on what classes are most effective at: presenting new ideas which may have applicability to the lives of students. Emphasize the guests who we will not otherwise see; present ideas that have faded into history. Relate history to the present and to our lives. I find class discussion to be highly overvalued at Hampshire. I know I frequently discuss academic and personal matters with modmates and friends. Those discussions are genuine, helpful, and social, whereas class discussions are often contrived, boring, and isolating. I feel strongly that having interested and interesting modmembers, as well as time to spend with them, has been the best thing Hampshire has contributed to my education. Group projects are also poorly suited to classes. Students are taught in large part to pursue goals which seem to them to be peripheral, rather than learn for themselves that they can, with effort, change the world they live in. I have projects not related to classes which are genuine interests, where I work with others, and which I benefit very much from.