Liberal Arts College
LAC COLUMN

LAC COLUMN

Learning in the City – “The Course in the City” Series-Chang, Li-Hung
Learning in the City – “The Course in the City” Series-Chang, Li-Hung

LAC COLUMN

Learning in the City – “The Course in the City” Series-Chang, Li-Hung

Learning in the City – “The Course in the City” Series  -----Chang, Li-Hung

Original URL: Staff Members https://en.liberalarts.nycu.edu.tw/nycuboyabookstore/Staff+Members/
Copyright belongs to the author. For commercial reprinting, please contact the author for authorization. For non-commercial reprinting, please indicate the source. 


       In the blink of an eye, September arrived, marking the beginning of a new school year and a warm welcome to new students. Apart from assisting students with course registration, credit validation, and various administrative matters, the Liberal Arts has been busy arranging classrooms, cross-campus facilities, remote teaching, and employment of  teaching assistants. Meanwhile, we are also gearing up for the promotion of our eagerly anticipated "Course in the City" new series of courses, which we've been devoted to preparing since the beginning of the summer.

“Course in the City” is a series of courses that combine historical exploration with creative hands-on learning. Our guiding principle is "learning with the city and learning in the city." We extend our classroom into the surrounding urban landscape. Through these courses, we lead our students into the community, exploring the interconnection of people and society through the lens of time and space.

In  “The Course in the City” series this semester, we will embark on a journey starting from the Beitou district, where our Yangming campus is located, and lead our students to explore old Beitou. The name "Beitou" originates from the indigenous Pingpu language "ki-pataw," meaning "witch". Legend has it that the geothermal valley in Beitou constantly emits mist and steam due to the magic of a witch. This unique geological condition has given rise to the famous "Hot Spring Street" in Taipei.

Beitou has been through several civic and sustainable development movements, making it one of the few communities with a Community Development Charter, known as the "Beitou Charter." Take, the establishment of the Beitou Hot Spring Museum, for example. Originally built as a public bathhouse by the Japanese in 1913, it fell into disrepair after the war. Unexpectedly, in 1994, students in a local history class at a local elementary school discovered the historical value of the building. They initiated a petition and submitted a request to the Taipei City government, sparking widespread interest in preserving historic buildings. Through the collective efforts of local representatives, scholars, and residents, the "Beitou Hot Spring Museum" was born, marking the beginning of cultural and historical revitalization in Beitou and a renewed commitment to environmental sustainability and civic consciousness.

This history reminds us of the importance of promoting environmental and civic education within our school. We hope that through off-campus exploration and hands-on courses, combined with the framework of "Individual, Society, and Culture" in our field courses, we can create exemplary courses in citizenship and environmental education. Following the exploration of old Beitou, we will gradually introduce a complete series of courses, including "Exploring Qilian," "Exploring Dadaocheng," and more.

    Psychologist Bronfenbrenner (1979) once proposed the theory of bioecology, which, suggests that an individual's growth is a dynamic developmental process influenced by biological and environmental factors from the perspective of developmental psychology. These factors encompass systems such as school, community, interpersonal relationships, values, social culture, and the passage of time. In this series of courses, we aim to explore our surroundings together with our students. We believe that the exploration and deepening of knowledge related to urban and rural socialnd cultural contexts are crucial components of personal growth, including self-understanding and self-discovery. Therefore, the Liberal Arts thoughtfully designed this series of courses, inviting students from all campuses to join us in the journey of "The Course in the City".