goingon.com

The best part of my job is getting to see what amazing projects our clients are working on, and it is particularly gratifying when the GoingOn platform is a key component in making those projects work. We recently announced a partnership with SUNY Empire State College and we are already seeing the great work they are doing.  Hosted on the GoingOn platform, the Project for Critical Inquiry (PCI) at Empire State College is a "venue for interdisciplinary work in an open learning environment."  By combining access to a wealth of educational resources with the mentorship of a faculty member, the Project for Critical Inquiry develops students who are not passive consumers of information, but rather have a deep understanding of the context and implications of a body of knowledge. 

In their own words, the defining features of the project are:

• "Students are encouraged to engage in multi-term investigations of academic issues, problems, topics, or interests. The Project attempts to break the “iron triangle” of credit, calendar, and courses by allowing students to engage in learning both formally (i.e. for registered credits) and informally (in which case credits can be evaluated once the learning is complete).
• Each academic year will have a theme which will be investigated from a number interdisciplinary perspectives. The theme for 2011-2012 is “Freedom”.
• The affiliated faculty are committed to maintaing high standards of critical thinking, research, writing, and thoughtfulness. Not only are these the consummate elements of a college education, they are also skills highly prized by employers.
• By using a social learning approach, students have embedded in their PCI education the information literacy, media navigation, and analytical skills to succeed in the networked and rapidly evolving media environment of the global economy.
• Although PCI students will be expected to develop the ability to understand complex conceptual schemes, the PCI is an intensely “hands on” experience. As a student, you will be pushed to excel, and to contribute to a community of learners."

We will continue to post highlights from the work of our clients.

How have you encouraged critical inquiry in your programs?