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A discussion of classes should begin by defining our terms. Historically at Johnston there have been two meanings for the word classes; In this section, I call the traditional, professor-dominated, classroom model classes, and the integrative model learning experiences. Learning experiences integrate informal and formal student meetings, classes, workshops, and possibly fieldwork. Learning experiences are contracted by the students in the course, in contrast to courses, which are syllabus-driven.
One things that rings true for me about Johnston learning experiences, as Owada describes a Kevin O'Neill class, is that the more structured parts of the class were more structured. Now as you reread that sentence, you are rightly confirming yourself of its reflexivity. But what it means is that, as the activities students engage in become more formal, they are more structured by someone and meet at specific times. Less formal things -- dinner table discussions -- were obviously more spontaneous, without a leader. Someone -- often the teacher -- really was the dominant figure in the more formal; there were no leaders in the least formal. Now, my observation is that in my experience students and teachers at both Hampshire and Johnston make the mistake of trying to make classes more like learning experiences. They allow discussion to dominate, which often results in bored students, low student conviction. They intend to inject the conviction, excitement, and spur-of-the-moment saliency that dominates informal discussions into the formal class meeting, and it doesn't work.[21]
When I interviewed Bill McDonald, a founding professor of Johnston, he told me that his Johnston courses are about ``twice as hard'' as the ones he used to teach. He attributes this not to the amount of homework he gives but to the maturity of the principles he requires the students to master. He said that more of the classes used to be spent discussing the process of the class, and that the students were better at discussing the group process, because they had been trained in it. He also said that it seemed more academic discussions took place out of classes now than did back in the 70s.[15]