Bringing the Real World to the Classroom
The Division of Social Sciences at UC San Diego is breaking from the ordinary by offering undergraduate students a more active learning experience. The professional world and today’s students crave a change. The key ingredient is giving students a chance to experience the real world in the classroom by “practicing doing.”
UC San Diego has over 1,200 students majoring in psychology, and many want to become counselors or psychologists in the clinical setting. Surprisingly, even at the best clinical psychology universities in the country, undergraduates rarely gain experience in this area while still students. The most typical offering is a single introductory course. We’re seeking to change that – thanks to the help of a generous benefactor, Joseph Edelman’78, the Edelman Family Foundation and the partnership of two divisions. The Advancing College Mental Health pilot program is an innovative two-year program by the Psychiatry and Psychology departments that will offer undergraduates a range of clinical experiences.
Law and Politics is another of our initiatives for “practicing doing.” Our classes are small seminars for 25 students. Alumni and legal professionals are involved in every class. “Legal Reasoning” has students learning argumentation and legal writing. “Science, Technology and the Law” explores the legal responses to rapidly changing technology, taught by a retired judge, Michael Orfield, ’72. Our “Moot Court” class gives students an appellate court case and challenges them to present before a judge for their final exam. When a student delivers her first brief to a panel of three judges, who can interrupt and fire challenging questions, the student gets a great sense of whether trial law is right for her.
Based on feedback we’re getting from students, I think we’re on to something!
Also, in June 2017, UC San Diego became the first campus in the University of California system to approve the creation of a Real Estate and Development major and minor. Our program will offer a new comprehensive approach to the field, involving more broadly issues important to our region: transportation, affordable housing, conservation and sustainability as well as real estate and development. Students will combine skills in economics, real estate finance, physical planning and design, and data visualization and analysis. Part of what makes our program special is that it will also give students ample opportunities to carry out projects in the community and interact with and learn from professionals. Stay tuned as we roll out this exciting new initiative.
Where else might we go next with “practicing doing?” If you have ideas, I would like to hear from you.