I've heard of professors, and some PhD level TAs designing courses, or undergrads rallying around a specific topic and getting a professor to do an independent study around a particular topic. Many times these are either interdisciplinary, or related to the main subject the professor teaches but more in depth, or related but on something that wouldn't really fit into the course. I've never been a position or thought to push for new type of course. But it could be interesting to give some thought to.

If you could design a course, what would it be called? What would it be about? Would it be interdisciplinary? Would it combine your favorite subject with another subject you're interested in? Would it be adding a hands on version of a subject you've studied in theory already?

Would it be traditional lecture? Would it be co-taught by professors from different fields? Group discussion or project oriented? Lab or field work?

What course would you design?

[Edited on December 3, 2010 at 12:24 AM. Reason : .]

12/3/2010 12:16:21 AM

Just an (obviously fake) example


Course Title: Zeno's Paradox Archery

Subject Matter: Mixing philosophy & target archery

Course Type/Description: Hands on study of Zeno's arrow paradox

12/3/2010 12:23:33 AM

Course Title: Intro to Mythical Beasts

Subject Matter: Mythical beasts

Course Type/Description: Flying manatees, talking buffaloes and that thing living under Cameron Village

12/3/2010 1:15:29 AM

Course Title: Warp Theory

Subject Matter: Warp 5 engines

Description: Learn how the modern day warp propulsion system works for interstellar travel.

12/3/2010 9:48:07 AM

UFO 101: Intro to UFOs and Aliens

learn about alien abductions ,ufos, extraterrastrial lifes.

12/3/2010 12:22:40 PM

TWW 101

A study of various topics from sociology, psychology, gender studies, communication, and rhetoric using threads and conversations from TWW. Typical topics:

Bullying
Trolling
Argumentation
Flirting
Sexual permissiveness
Dating
Teaching
Intelligence
etc

Course will be taught by locking up students in a room with computers which can only access TWW, for 4 months, and then asking them to write a 10 page paper exploring the topics above (assuming they come out sane).

12/5/2010 3:06:03 PM

I'd like to see some sort of Sino-American relations course or post-Soviet democratization or a class on the Illicit Political Economy (human trafficking, drug trading, piracy, money laundering, etc.)

12/11/2010 1:51:14 AM

Personal Genetics


Ranging from direct-to-consumer testing to genetic counseling to visiting a clinical geneticist.

It's all fun and games until someone takes a 23andMe test then finds out they're a carrier of some disease and don't know what to do with the information...... >_>

12/11/2010 2:05:54 AM

SH 353- Supplanter's guide to thread making

12/12/2010 8:20:54 PM