Liberal Arts Research Articles

A Study on Anthropocene Education through Analysis of Science Museum Exhibits and University Liberal Arts Education Contents

A Study on Anthropocene Education through Analysis of Science Museum Exhibits and University Liberal Arts Education Contents

Emerson’s Scholar: A Transcendental Response for Sentient Resilience

Abstract In this essay, I engage in an interpretive and critical analysis of Emerson’s The American Scholar (1837) essay wherein he states, “Our day of dependence, our longstanding apprenticeship to the learning of other lands, draws to a close.” I assert that the educational philosophy Emerson posits in this essay on how to educate the new American intellectual of his time, which includes curricular engagement with nature, books, action, and the development of the human traits Emerson characterized as “man thinking,” continues to be relevant for informing contemporary forms of liberal learning curricula; indeed, some of these curricula can represent a Transcendentalist response to the decaying effects of neo-liberal economic interests, anti-intellectual impulses, and the neglect of the perennial idea of learning for its own sake. I contemporize and critique Emerson’s ideas explored in The American Scholar by including the work of two philosophers namely Murray Miles and Iris Murdoch; and, Emerson and Transcendentalism scholars including Barbara Packer and Robert D. Richardson Jr. and others provide contextual insights about The American Scholar address’s implications for achieving self-reliance and a more autonomous creative impulse initiated through the liberal arts tradition, with special attention to the essential literary works of humanity.

Leveraging Educational Technology in Liberal Arts Dance Sports: Exploring Effectiveness and Sustainable Application

This study explored the effectiveness and sustainable application of educational technology in a university liberal arts dance sports class. A qualitative case study was conducted with nine students enrolled in liberal arts physical education classes at S University in Seoul in 2023. It focused on how educational technology, including apps such as Pose & Tracking and Slopro, can enhance students’ understanding of dance movements, promote active discussion, and facilitate objective assessment. The findings indicate that the use of these technologies not only improved the students’ learning experiences by facilitating visualization and feedback but also supported collaborative learning and creative expression. This study highlights the potential of educational technology to enhance the quality of liberal arts physical education by making learning highly engaging and effective.

Shaping innovative change through concentrated, distributed, or hybrid leadership? Organizational resilience in women’s liberal arts colleges

ABSTRACT Decades of research suggest that women’s liberal arts colleges (WLACs) are models of excellence in supporting gender equity in higher education and society generally. But as WLACs face competition from coeducational counterparts for women students, their specialized mission compounds strong external threats to their sustainability. Consequently, these institutions may deploy different leadership approaches through which they synergize social interdependencies across the campus to innovate and thrive. To examine the connection of leadership to innovation at WLACs, we apply concentrated, distributed, and hybrid leadership theories to illuminate multi-campus case-studies of the engagement of administrative and faculty groups in academic changes taking place. Our empirical themes supported flexible perspectives on communication and decision-making: one case-site featured hybrid leadership to coordinate formal (administrative) and informal (faculty and staff) leaders in large-scale efforts, while the other case-site reflected distributed leadership via bottom-up, faculty-driven initiatives in discrete siloes of expertise on campus. Moreover, the study’s findings suggested that cultural and material resources mediated who distributed leadership, how leadership was distributed, and what was distributed, differentiating campuses’ respective social processes and outcomes of change. We discuss implications for theory, practice, and research that collectively emphasize WLACs’ mission-driven social activity, which animates their resilience and public purposes.

Generative AI and the necessity of an existential crisis for the liberal arts

The release of ChatGPT at the end of 2022 demonstrated to many educators that writing or, at least, the type of writing often asked of students had been automated. While this rightfully raised a host of practical concerns, mostly around cheating, it should also raise questions about what kind of intellectual life the liberal arts will open once they are no longer centered on writing. In this paper, I argue that the automation of writing and the subsequent decentering of writing within the liberal arts is a threat to the liberal arts’ intellectual life. I first argue that technics always participate in the constitution of the intellectual life, and so any transformation in the technical supplement will transform the intellectual life. I then argue that the technical supplement of the liberal arts’ intellectual life is writing. Thus, the decentering of writing transforms and threatens the liberal arts’ intellectual life. Considering this transformation and threat, those of us involved in the liberal arts need to re-examine what type of intellectual life we want to/can live and pass on. It becomes imperative for those of us in the liberal arts to recognize and to respond creatively to this existential crisis.

Research on the Cultivation of Critical Thinking Ability in College English Teaching under the Background of New Liberal Arts

Under the background of new liberal arts, the traditional college English teaching model which is mainly based on knowledge input can no longer meet the goal of talent cultivation. In the new liberal arts pattern, taking the cultivation of students' critical thinking ability as the entry point and exploring a three-dimensional and comprehensive teaching system for college English critical thinking ability not only conforms to the teaching laws of language classes but also can cultivate students' comprehensive English application ability, effectively promote the construction of a new college English curriculum system, and improve students' comprehensive qualities and abilities.

Collaborative strategies for designing employability curriculum in a liberal arts context

In Australian higher education, the push for curriculum innovation to enhance graduate employability is crucial but faces contention and debate. While the importance of integrating employability skills is widely recognised, perspectives on how and whether to incorporate these as curricular objectives vary, especially in liberal arts programs. This paper explores a multidisciplinary academic team’s experiences of embedding employability units into the Bachelor of Arts and undergraduate Communication and Creative Arts degrees at one Australian university. It addresses the challenges of diverse disciplinary perspectives on employability, career education, and work-integrated learning (WIL), and the design for a diverse student cohort, including career starters, career advancers, and career changers from multiple disciplinary contexts. Utilising Tuckman’s ‘forming, storming, norming, and performing’ model, the paper evaluates the team’s dynamics, offering insights and guidance for academics and institutions undertaking similar curriculum innovation projects to enhance graduate employability. This case study highlights the institutional support necessary for fostering sustainable curriculum reforms and the positive effects of collaborative curriculum design on the professional development and teaching capabilities of the educators involved.

Can you mitigate gender bias in student evaluations of teaching? Evaluating alternative methods of soliciting feedback

Student evaluations of teaching can be unreliable indicators of effective teaching and affected by implicit bias. We conduct a randomized experiment at a selective U.S. liberal arts college in which we vary both the instrument and timing at which we solicit student feedback to assess whether either intervention can mitigate gender disparities in qualitative evaluation comments. External evaluators with expertise in teaching evaluation scored the positivity, specificity, and constructiveness of student comments in control and treatment groups. We find neither intervention is successful in mitigating gender disparities. Students that receive an alternate prompt which highlights the potential for implicit bias and asks them to articulate and apply their own criteria for effective teaching penalize female faculty at similar rates as those receiving a more standard evaluation prompt. We also find no evidence that delaying solicitation of student feedback until the start of the next semester, when students face less stress and fatigue, reduces the gender gap in the positivity of feedback. Instead, we find substantial evidence that the positivity of qualitative student evaluations is affected by student, instructor, and course characteristics across all study conditions. The results suggest that bias in student evaluations may be difficult to mitigate.

A spirit of service in liberal arts education: the legacy from China’s former Christian universities and the influence of contrasting social contexts

AbstractLiberal arts education in Chinese higher education can be traced back to the liberal arts tradition that existed in China’s former Christian universities prior to the 1950s. The mission and goal of liberal arts education in Chinese contexts focuses on cultivating whole persons to serve their societies. Using data from documents and interviews, the study examines the liberal arts tradition for developing whole persons with a spirit of service in China’s former Christian universities. It also explores to what extent the legacy has been carried on to the development of liberal arts education in contemporary universities in Chinese societies (Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). The study provides insight into how some elements of whole person development from faith-based education could contribute to today’s higher education reform in terms of the goals of global citizen cultivation.

The Relationship Between Short Video Social Media Dependency, Negative Emotional Experiences, and Academic Procrastination among College Students

According to the 52nd "Statistical Report on Internet Development in China," as of June 2023, the number of short video users in China has reached a massive 1.026 billion, an increase of 14.54 million compared to December 2022, accounting for 95.2% of the total internet users. Smartphone dependence, especially on short video social media, significantly impacts students' negative emotions and academic procrastination. Studies have found that dependency on short video social media often leads to poor time management, distraction, and academic procrastination. Negative emotions such as anxiety and depression weaken self-efficacy, increasing procrastination on tasks. Research data indicate that female college students score significantly higher in academic procrastination than male students, and arts students score higher than those in liberal arts and science/engineering fields, although the difference is not significant. Negative emotional experiences have a significant positive impact on academic procrastination, suggesting that negative emotions increase the tendency to procrastinate. Meanwhile, negative emotional experiences do not act as a mediating variable between short video social media dependency and academic procrastination, indicating that short video usage may directly influence academic procrastination rather than indirectly through negative emotions. The study suggests focusing on the direct impact of short video usage on college students' negative emotions and academic procrastination, emphasizing emotional regulation and time management education to mitigate the negative effects of academic procrastination on students' mental health and academic performance.

Genre‐based writing in the German classroom in the age of generative AI

AbstractGenre, defined as a “staged goal‐oriented social process” (Martin, 2009), has long stood as a key principle in second‐language writing instruction. This article presents the principles underpinning genre theory as it relates to the language curriculum and the five phases of genre‐based L2 writing pedagogy. This pedagogy provides the foundation for a case study in which students in an intermediate, fifth‐semester German class at a small liberal arts college received instruction in the film review genre. Student products written prior to classroom work with film reviews are compared with those written after students had gained an awareness and understanding of the film review genre, revealing the positive effects of genre‐based instruction on student writing. In light of the future impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on writing pedagogy, the final section addresses how ChatGPT and similar platforms can potentially enhance genre‐based pedagogies. The article suggests ways in which generative AI can be incorporated into each phase of genre‐based second language writing instruction. As technologies such as ChatGPT become established in language classrooms, it is clear that the writing process must share the stage with written products, both in instruction and assessments.

대학생의 대학 생활 만족도와 적응도가 핵심역량에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purpose of this study is to find out how satisfaction and adaptability to university life affect the core competencies of a university. Methods To achieve this, data from 831 respondents who answered both satisfaction and adaptation surveys were collected at S University between May and August 2023. These data were compiled, merged, and converted into panel data. Using SPSS 25 and STATA 16.0, correlation analysis, validity and reliability tests, univariate analysis, multivariate tests, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were conducted. Results Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was applied. As a result of the study, the factors affecting empathy were derived as ‘learning support,’ ‘liberal arts,’ and ‘extra-curricular’ among the satisfaction variables of college life. ‘Student guidance’ was identified as the main factor for Creative Convergence, and ‘student guidance’ and ‘culture’ were identified as the main factors for glocal communication. As a result of examining the impact of adaptation to college life on core competencies, among the variables, ‘confidence in major career path,’ ‘emotional stability,’ ‘positive learning attitude,’ ‘academic confidence,’ ‘trust in professors’, and ‘satisfaction with professor relationship’ This was found to be statistically significant. Among these, ‘positive learning attitude’ was the highest, followed by ‘academic confidence’ as the variable that significantly impacted university core competencies. Conclusions After conversion, These research results provided implications on the role of universities in responding to a rapidly changing future society and what is needed for future planning.

What Does Liberal Arts Education Mean in Japan and South Korea?

What Does Liberal Arts Education Mean in Japan and South Korea?

간호대학생의 영어학습동기가 영어학습지속에 미치는 영향: 교양영어 수업만족도의 매개효과

Objectives This study is to examine the mediating effect of class satisfaction in the effect of nursing students' English learning motivation on English learning continuity and the effect of nursing students' English learning motivation and English learning continuity. Methods 274 university students in J area were surveyed to measure their English learning motivation, class satisfaction, and level of English learning continuity, and descriptive statistical analysis was conducted. The correlation between the variables was calculated by the Pearson correlation coefficient, and the mediating effect of class satisfaction in the relationship between the subject's English learning motivation and English learning continuity was analyzed using Hayes (2013)'s PROCESS macro Model 4. Results The effect of English learning motivation on the mediating variable, class satisfaction, was statistically significant (β=.591, p<.001), and the effect of the independent variable, English learning motivation, on the dependent variable, English learning continuity was also statistically significant (β=.484, p<.001). In addition, as a result of conducting a mediated regression analysis by using English learning motivation, an independent variable, and class satisfaction, a parameter, as an independent variable, and English learning continuity as a dependent variable, the effect of English learning motivation on English learning continuity decreased compared to the previous one, but a positive relationship was still analyzed to be significant, indicating that class satisfaction had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between English learning motivation and English learning continuity of college students (β=.379, p<.001). Conclusions It was confirmed that nursing students' English learning motivation had a significant positive effect on liberal arts English class satisfaction and English learning continuity, and it was verified that liberal arts English class satisfaction positively mediated the relationship between English learning motivation and English learning continuity.

Case studies from 4 different colleges

Marketing is such a key part of college administration today that we wanted to present a snapshot of four specific programs from schools around the country. Read on to see what you can learn from a group of community colleges in San Antonio, a private liberal arts school in Georgia, a state university in Arkansas, and a public research college based in San Marcos, Texas.

Exploration of Teaching Reform in Emergency Management Courses under the "New Liberal Arts" Context

The "New Liberal Arts" initiative advocates breaking free from traditional liberal arts thinking, fostering cross-disciplinary integration and fusion across multiple fields, while shifting the focus from discipline-centric to socially-driven needs. In this context, emergency management courses must adapt to the evolving demands of talent cultivation and educational reform. This paper outlined four key requirements, examined the current state of course instruction, and proposed reform measures such as enhancing practical training, strengthening industry-education integration, incorporating interdisciplinary knowledge, and embedding ideological and political elements. These efforts aimed to comprehensively improve teaching quality, cultivating emergency management professionals equipped to meet the challenges of the new era.

Purpose development in the context of higher education

The aim of this study was to examine the development of purpose among college students, especially in relation to experiences typical of a liberal arts education. We surveyed 1,019 students in 11 U.S. colleges and universities at two-time points over three years. At Time 1, 546 of the students were in their first year of college and 473 were in their second year or above. The survey assessed three dimensions of purpose, as well as learning experiences, advising experiences, and course types. Repeated measures mixed-effects model analyses were conducted to investigate the associations between purpose and college experiences and changes in purpose from Time 1 to Time 2. Results indicate some college experiences predict modest changes in purpose during college. However, these limited effects suggest that colleges could do more to promote students’ purpose development during college and to sustain students’ purpose after graduation.

A Empirical Study on Critical Thinking Ability in College English Reading Teaching under CBI

In the context of the new liberal arts, the ordinary English teaching model is difficult to adapt to the development of college English teaching, and English reading, as a necessary part of cultivating students’ comprehensive language ability and critical thinking ability, has played an important role in college English teaching. As a text-based teaching method, Content-Based Instruction (CBI) is more in line with the learning of English reading. Based on Krashen’s input hypothesis and Swain’s output hypothesis theory, it selected 66 English major seniors from Y University as the research subjects, who subsequently are divided into control classes and experimental classes. Data was collected by survey questionnaires and reading tests. Based on the analysis and discussion of relevant data, it concludes that: firstly, the critical thinking ability of college students is at a moderate level. Secondly, the CBI teaching method is significantly positively correlated with students’ critical thinking ability. Thirdly, the CBI teaching method has a positive impact on students’ critical English reading skills.

Examining the effect of impossible problem solving on state anger: Comparing in-person and MTurk participants

This research comprises of two studies examining the effect of impossible problem solving on state anger. For the first study, using 155 participants on Amazon’s MTurk, a significant difference was observed on state anger from baseline to post-intervention (p = .04). Due to the well documented concerns about using MTurk participants, a second study involving 111 participants from a small liberal arts college was conducted. Using the same design, no significant effect of time on state anger was observed (p > .05). Post-hoc analyses indicated a significant difference between MTurk and in-person participants on trait anger (p < .05), pre-test state anger (p < .05), and post-test state anger (p < .05). Implications are discussed.

Design and evaluation of Enthralled: A higher education conversation game based on Euripides’ Bacchae

This article presents the design, goals, and evaluation of Enthralled following the 2022 playtesting in three undergraduate Liberal Arts core courses. Enthralled draws on ancient Greek myths and the classical tragedy Bacchae by Euripides. As an immersive pedagogical intervention, Enthralled promotes group collaboration and rewards consideration of diverse viewpoints and cultural values. Participants vote on the motivations of dramatic characters, which allows for a deeper understanding of their preconceptions and implicit biases and offers the opportunity for self-reflection and dialogue. The game toolkit includes an original deck of cards, a role-playing script, a character sheet, ballots, a hints-and-clues deck, instructions for players and moderators, and scoring materials. The third version of Enthralled exceeded our entertainment efficacy, playability, and usability goals and contributed positively to the learning outcomes of the courses. Minor game improvements and a course-tailored implementation toolkit are the next steps for scaling this project.