CFP: Teaching Hub at the APA Eastern 2021- Rethinking Upper-Division Courses for Non-Majors

The APA Committee on the Teaching of Philosophy (CTP) and the American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT) seek presenters for a session at the AAPT-APA Teaching Hub at the 2021 APA Eastern Division meeting, January 4–7, 2021, in New York, NY. The topic of the session is Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes for Upper-Division Courses.

The basic question of this session is ‘What should we hope/expect students to learn in upper-division courses?’ We are especially interested in discussion focusing on students who are not philosophy majors and/or are not considering continuing to graduate school. Possible topics for the session include:

• Transferable Skills in the Philosophy Classroom

• Service courses and courses for other programs

• Interdisciplinary courses

• Teaching upper-division students of diverse backgrounds

• Teaching upper-division students with diverse education & career goals

• Preparing students for alt-ac careers

• Student Autonomy in course design (negotiated curricula, co-constructed syllabi, etc.)

• Balancing rigor and accessibility in upper-division courses

In other words, we are soliciting answers to the question ‘What is the point of an upper-division philosophy course, beyond grad-school prep?’. We invite submissions that approach this question from a variety of perspectives, including critical approaches that problematize the question or reject the premise. We are especially interested in concrete examples, skills, and strategies.

Format: Teaching Hub sessions are expected to be highly interactive. Proposals should indicate how audience members will participate in the session. One format is a presentation followed by Q&A. Others might have participants working through an interactive experience. The session will consist of three or four presenters. Group presentations are possible.

Submissions: Questions about this session, as well as proposals of no more than 750 words, prepared for anonymous review, should be emailed to Jerry Green  ([email protected]) by Friday July 17th, 2020. 

Please use the Subject Line ‘2021 Eastern APA-AAPT Teaching Hub Proposal’. Include a brief explanation of (a) use of specific Course Objectives and/or Learning Outcomes, (b) use of specific texts, assignments, modules, or other approaches to facilitating these Objectives and Outcomes, (c) your experience with implementing (a) and (b), and/or motivation for changing approaches or experimenting with new methods. Supporting material, such as syllabi or handouts, is also welcome. We are interested in ensuring representation of a range of voices. 

Deadline for Proposals: Friday July 17th, 2020

Selection of Presenters: Friday July 31st, 2020

For questions about this session, please contact Jerry Green at [email protected]. For questions about the Teaching Hub at the Eastern APA, contact Rebecca Millsop at [email protected].

The AAPT-APA Teaching Hub is a series of interactive workshops and conversations designed specifically for philosophers and created to celebrate teaching within the context of the APA divisional meetings. Jointly organized by the APA Committee on the Teaching of Philosophy (CTP) and the American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT), the Teaching Hub aims to offer a range of high-quality and inclusive development opportunities that address the teaching of philosophy at all levels, pre-college through graduate school.

For general information about the AAPT-APA Teaching Hub, please check out the AAPT website and Facebook page and the CTP website and Facebook page.