New Courses in Education

Many alumni of Furman, especially those majoring and certifying in the Education Department, recall EDU 111, Foundations in American Education. Many still refer fondly to the course as “ED 11,” in fact.

Over the last few years, the department has created and offered a new series of three introductory courses—EDU 112 (History of Education in America), EDU 113 (Introduction to Educational Philosophy), and EDU 114 (Culture, Identity, and Schooling)—to serve better the needs of our majors and the university as both continue to evolve.

Intended for a broad audience, EDU 112 examines the history of education policies and schooling in America from the Colonial period through the early 2000s. It also introduces students to historical analysis as a mode of inquiry, including the use of primary artifacts, secondary sources, and oral testimonies as forms of scholarly evidence. Emphasis is placed on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Students receive General Education Requirements (GER) in HA (Historical Analysis) and IEJ (Identities, Equity, and Justice).

“Studying the history of American schooling is an important reminder about what has and has not worked in the past, which can be helpful to parents and policymakers alike,” commented Dr. Scott Henderson, one of the faculty members who teaches EDU 112.

EDU 113 offers an introductory overview of a wide range of educational philosophies, focusing on philosophical foundations of American public education. Students read major texts of educational philosophy while considering issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Topics on the nature of knowledge, how humans learn, the ethical dimensions of pedagogy, and the complexities of formal, compulsory education guide the overview. Students receive GER credit in TA (Critical, Analytical Interpretation of Texts) and IEJ (Identities, Equity, and Justice).

“Educational philosophy has disappeared from many education course offerings,” Dr. Paul Thomas, who created and often teaches the course, noted. “But students seem to enjoy connecting current issues in education to our beliefs about teaching and learning as well as the foundational purposes of formal schooling.”

EDU 114 explores the basic question of “who are you” and how schooling influences personal identity. Students analyze and explore the intersection of culture, schooling, and identity formation in a diverse and democratic society. Students receive GER credit in HB (Empirical Study of Human Behavior) and IEJ (Identities, Equity, and Justice).

“Schools have always been the front line of cultural wars because it is in schools that a society tries to pass on to the next generation who we are as a people,” Dr. Mike Svec explained, adding, “It is where we can, as educators, examine the idealized version of who we are as a community with the realities, and where students can examine how their schools shaped their personal identities.”

So far, these courses have been popular with students interested in education and students seeking GER credit. The department is excited about these new offerings and contributing to the wider university curriculum.