As the war with Iraq continues halfway across the world, professors at the University of Wisconsin are using the war as a teaching instrument by integrating discussions of it into their curriculum.
While some professors may choose to leave war out of the classroom, many say the war enhances the learning experience by associating real issues with the topics students are studying in the classroom. UW history professor Jeremi Suri said the war is an important and unavoidable topic to discuss.
“I think it makes education real,” Suri said. “My sense is that if we’re doing our job as a university, students will make better, more informed, more thoughtful decisions as a consequence of their education.”
Suri hopes students will get a better understanding of contemporary issues, see things from different perspectives and reconcile different points of view by engaging students in conversation about the war.
Yet, some professors emphasize the importance of not turning classroom discussions into debates. The UW Teaching Academy is hosting a panel discussion April 4 to explore the war’s relevance in the classrooms. The event focuses on the art of teaching, known as pedagogy, and the war.
“We don’t want it to be a debate about the merits of the war,” said Jay Martin, UW professor of mechanical engineering. “It’s an opportunity for those of us that are involved in this process in education to think about how or what you would do in teaching about this really complex issue.”
Martin thinks the war is one of the most important things people are thinking of right now, but that does not make it easy to create a balance of issues when presenting it in the classroom.
UW students have mixed feelings on whether the war should be a part of classroom curriculum.
An anonymous UW sophomore said she thinks the war is important to be educated about but doesn’t believe professors should discuss it in lectures.
“I think we’re here to get an education and to learn the concepts of the classes we’re enrolled in,” she said. “But I think [discussion of the war] should be separate from public schooling, any school system and our academic careers.”
UW sophomore Mari Dresner said the war really has an impact on day-to-day life and should be talked about in class.
“When you talk about current situations, it puts history and what it talks about into perspective,” Dresner said. “It’s important to know what’s going on and to have educated people telling you their point of view and what they know.”
Dresner said she does not think classroom conversations about the war serve to change opinions. Instead, they broaden horizons and teach what is really going on in Iraq, she said.
Suri said his students are anxious to talk about contemporary affairs and seem engaged with current issues. He said they are confused and seek a place, particularly the classroom, where they can talk about current events.
