Explore new territory with micro-courses

by dee Hobsbawn-Smith

Not every explorer wants to plunge headlong into an unknown river to find the South Pole. For some, a new path to the riverbank will suffice.

Students looking to sample a subject they have little knowledge of can venture into new territory one step at a time in the U of S ICCC’s growing variety of one-credit micro-courses. Classes can be combined into a three-credit set, on subjects which may be completely unrelated.

“Micro-classes give students a chance to try something different,” says ICCC Associate Director Sabrina Kehoe. Students can explore new areas of study or interest without making the commitment of a full course. Classes’ length and delivery are flexible: some can be one-week intensives; others are two weekdays over two weeks. “Flexibility is appealing: students have lives.”

One such micro-class, “Spoken Word and Other Forms,” scheduled for May, will be facilitated by U of S MFA in Writing graduate Elise Godfrey, who is also an alumna of the city’s slam poetry scene.

Godfrey draws a distinct line between slam and spoken word. “Slam has a competitive aspect,” she says. “Spoken word is broader, a loose umbrella term for many things. Where do you draw the line between stand-up comedy, hip hop, call-and-response, dramatic monologue, personal essays, political polemic and storytelling?”

This workshop-style course will explore the crossover between literary poetry and spoken word, and the spaces between the genres of both worlds.

“Workshopping made a big difference to me as a writer,” Godfrey says. “This will be brief but productive.” To create dynamic discussion, she plans to introduce spoken word examples as diverse as the work of poet Allen Ginsberg, a selection of YouTube videos, chapbooks and local members of the spoken word community.

Jordan Epp, a sessional instructor in the Centre for Distance Learning, recently concluded the pilot micro-course “Designing for Print and Screen.” The class introduces students to graphic design principles and theory as well as industry standard software. “The class supports the ICCC’s intention to inject digital literacy and culture into interdisciplinary studies,” Epp comments. “It’s important in this age to be able to communicate digitally, and this [class] offers a mix of lecture and lab.”

Playwright Ken Williams’ micro-course, “Emerging Creative Minds,” is designed to support curious would-be artists and writers in exploring ways to create unique expressions of their art. “When the one-credit course is finished, I hope they’ll have critical tools,” Williams comments.

“Micro-courses build on what we have heard students ask for,” Kehoe says. “They offer an experience we can’t offer in a three-credit course.”

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