Non-Traditional courses - Term Paper Example

Non-Traditional courses Nontraditional courses are slowly finding their way in the curriculum of various colleges and universities. Students get a formal scholarly education, for instance, on rock music, vampires, or Star Trek.This paper begins by outlining the characteristics of quality education. The qualities of nontraditional courses that embody quality education are then highlighted. It is concluded that nontraditional courses complement traditional courses and, therefore, should be offered by schools.

Nontraditional Courses and Quality Education Quality education equips students with the proper set of knowledge and skills they need to excel in their chosen discipline, commits a holistic approach to learning by considering the theoretical as well as the practical sides of knowledge, aligns itself with contemporary times, and makes learning fun. Students are equipped with the right set of knowledge and skills in nontraditional courses, although it may appear it different form and content. For example, there are certain disciplines that warrant the teaching of nontraditional courses.

In a Television Studies class, for instance, an entire course devoted to " Dallas " and "Dynasty" is deemed necessary. In other instances, cultural, political, and social concepts are best illustrated through these courses. Explaining gender roles or racial identities as demonstrated in “Dallas" satisfies learning objectives. . Rock Culture" course, for instance, students readily see how theories of culture, ideology, and ethnicity play out in the seemingly innocent and value-free discipline of music.

In studying "Star Trek", students get to learn and immediately apply valuable life lessons the film portrays. By constantly exposing students to these courses, their ability to find theoretical explanations of a phenomenon and apply them in real-life situations would be enhanced. What nontraditional courses offer which traditional courses lack is the attachment to the concrete and immediate realities of life. They are not widely detached from the phenomena or environment they seek to explain.

Nontraditional courses, then, offer students a holistic view of the world by combining theory and practice. The most important defining characteristic of nontraditional courses, arguably, is their ability to reflect contemporary cultural, social, and political landscapes. These courses are able to capture specific moments of cultural, social, and political histories. Constantly moving and changing, they are never stuck in the past. These courses use contemporary events to explain contemporary life.

A course on "MTV (music television)", which in itself is an amalgamation of contemporary culture and social landscapes, provides students with knowledge that is aligned with contemporary realities. It teaches students a specific set of knowledge while drawing on their own experiences of watching MTV. While traditional courses can practically impart the same knowledge, the attachment of nontraditional courses to the contemporary times makes learning more concrete, practical, and immediate. Finally, nontraditional courses make learning more interesting and fun.

Because of their rigid structure, traditional courses