CT ASSESSMENT
Class: Humanities
Instructor: Nick Bozanic

In an effort to keep students engaged with both the texts and the in-class discussions, I require students to turn in a minimum of five (out of a possible seven) Response Papers. These papers need be no more than one, typed, double-spaced page in which the student is free to address any topic, question, or issue raised by either texts or discussions. Students are encouraged to use the response paper as a way of formulating their own questions. These questions then become the basis for class discussions, and the student who raises the question is invited to lead that discussion.

I have found this assignment a most useful instrument both for assessing the individual's student's progress and for diagnosing specific problems. Above all, these papers enable me to see more clearly what sorts of assumptions govern the students' thinking and what manner of logic they bring to their concerns.

As I read these papers, I usually correct the more prominent grammatical/syntactical errors and any errors of fact which might be skewering the student's reasoning. But most of my marginal comments are conversational -- i.e., I try to continue the dialogue initiated by the student's paper. I aim to reinforce in each student's mind an awareness of the dialogistic (as well as dialectical) nature of the philosophical inquiry.

Here is a portion of the concluding paragraph of a recent Response Paper which illustrates both the assessment and diagnostic value of the assignment:

"Most people nowadays would not see [gluttony] as a sin, but rather as something that is unhealthy. Overeating or overdrinking may seem unhealthy to yourself, but when you think of it on a larger scale and put other people into the picture (rather than just thinking of yourself), you see that it could hurt other people. This is why gluttony is a sin. Just think of the starving people who have no food at all, and there you are stuffing your face when they could be eating. By puffing other people into the picture you can see that you are hurting them by your simple little act, and this is why it is a sin. I thought that this was an interesting conversation because I never thought of this before. I didn't know that the whole picture could change if you just stopped thinking about yourself and thought about others."

This is one of those remarkable moments that not only reveals a startling student assumption but also alerts me to an assumption governing my own thinking -- viz., that all moral inquiry must begin with the awareness of others' needs or interests.

Attached are copies of response papers from last semester. Again, these are unsolicited comments -- unsolicited in the sense that the topic for each paper is solely determined by the individual student (within, of course, the context of the class).

Tania P.
Humanities 12:30
October 24, 2000

Changing Perspectives

Throughout the last quarter I found myself doing a lot of reading, and learning through that process. I came to find that the more I enjoyed the reading material, the more I learned about the text and its applications. I found myself challenging my conventional ways of thought and understanding. The thoughts which our society was built on fascinated me. This made me question the way our society's and my own thoughts were structured. In the quest for a complete and ultimate understanding of the universe and existence, I came to analyze myself and the actions which surrounded my being. This ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of myself and my perspectives on life. I came to realize that I owe it to myself to be educated and prevent ignorance towards others.

This knowledge created my thirst for understanding. I found myself ecstatic to learn something new or to engage myself with a text. With my passion, came learning. I found myself questioning the text and its present relevance to today's society. I was especially pleased in my reading of The Symposium. I found the ideas presented in the text to be new and fresh. I had never read or experienced such interpretations of any virtue. I found myself understanding and relating to each of the different philosopher's knowledge regarding love. It amazed me how the thoughts of the past held such relevance to this day. I found it ironic that society had advanced so much with technology and sciences, and still had no better interpretations and knowledge regarding the virtue of love. This showed me that thoughts from the past can be relevant to the thoughts and understanding of society today.

In the next quarter, I hope to continue engaging myself with different texts and to continue questioning these texts. It is assumed that with more knowledge and understanding, my perspectives about society and literature will be greatly changed for the better.

A look back at the quarter

This being my last year at Punahou, I am trying to make the most of it and keep track of all that has happened and will happen. Humanities has definitely been a class that has influenced the way I process my thoughts this year. This first quarter has challenged me greatly, but it has also made me step back and take a look at not only what I think, but also why I think that way.

I decided to take this course at the suggestion of a student who had taken the course last year and found it worthwhile, as well as because it would give me the special critical thinking credit I need so much. This being my first critical thinking course, I thought it would allow me to broaden my mind and hear a lot of different perspectives on my thoughts. From what we have done this quarter I have been blown away at what I now notice about my thought process. I have been able to support claims that I have made because I am able to define the aspects of a point that make me process the data in a certain way.

Another aspect of this class that has been really enjoyable and thought provoking is the selection of books that we have read and continue to read. Each of these texts is an example of a literary work of an author that has created and prompted many a discussion. The selected texts are so beautifully written that I am compelled to try and compose my thoughts into writings like these, and have begun to write in a journal again. I doubt I would have ever picked up any of these books just for the fun of it, but I am glad that I have been exposed to this literature.

Our class in particular has also brought me to some new insights on the whole thought process. I appreciate that we have a diverse class and most people are very willing to give their opinions on different topics. When a question is posed, there is almost always someone who has a valid opinion or question to add to our discussion. A lot of the times in class I might not be able to process my thoughts fast enough to come up with something to say, but with the help of my classmates I usually get a much clearer understanding on everything, whether it be a book we are discussing or the concept of love. I think that this quarter has been one of immense growth for me as a thinker and person in general. I have learned critical thinking skills that will help me out for the rest of my life.