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“Many students who are afraid to discuss homelessness and other subjects in the real world are willing to discuss the same subject in the fictitious world of Star Trek.” — John Tenuto, sociology professor
Popular Sociology Professor John Tenuto brings sociology principles alive through references to “Star Trek.”
Engaging Students in the Wi-Fi Age Though lectures are still a basic of college teaching, many faculty are taking new approaches.
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n a famous 14th century painting, a medieval professor sits at a lectern elevated above his students. Some of them listen intently; others look down at their books, avoiding eye contact with him. Several others completely ignore the professor, chatting with their classmates or even nodding off. Today, seven centuries after Laurentius De Voltolina painted “Lecturing in a Medieval Uni-
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versity,” College of Lake County professors are still facing many of these same challenges in keeping students’ attention. Indeed, with the now constant distraction of portable electronic devices like smart phones and electronic tablets, the challenge may even be greater. “It’s not a bad thing to be disconnected from the world for a while,” history professor Dr. Phyllis Soybel tells students. “But some-
times I wonder if sitting and listening quietly, taking in information, is becoming a lost art.” If today’s students can be easily distracted, their professors are armed with an increasing arsenal of research about learning and what encourages it. “We now know that the traditional lecture format works fine for some students, but others are visual learners who need illustrations,” said