Course Description:  This class will explore the person-centered psychology of learning of Carl R. Rogers as a foundation for engaged, self-directed, student-initiated higher education.  We will examine ways in which the learner-centered approach can be enhanced by more recent developments in epistemology (social constructionism) and pedagogy (learning communities).  Students will be introduced to basic tools that facilitate person-centered learning, such as portfolios and support groups.
 

READING LIST

Required:

• (1st assignment)  Arthur Warmoth. Technology and the Postmodern University (http://www.sonoma.edu/users/w/warmotha/awtechnology.html)
• Humanistic Education Reader (Assignment Schedule)
• Kenneth A. Bruffee.  Collaborative Learning

Recommended:

Jean MacGregor, James L. Cooper, Karl A. Smith, Pamela Robinson (Eds.). Strategies for Energizing Large Classes

Michael Reber.  Community Learning Centers and Sustainability (http://ceres.ca.gov/tcsf/pathways/chapter8.html)

A social constructionist exploration of the field of psychology as defined by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and the curricula of major U.S. universities. The major areas of contemporary psychology will be identified and explored, with particular emphasis on cognitive psychology, social psychology, human development, and personality & depth psychology. Consideration will be given to the role of dissenting positions, such as humanistic and transpersonal psychology, and psychoanalysis.