NDI 100 Perspectives of Time Dr. Amy C. Berger

Summer 2004: June 4–July 2 Dr. Daryl Close

Oxford University Study Abroad Dr. Ruth Wahlstrom

June 4-July 2

Time: we have it, save it, spend it, lose it, waste it, kill it, measure it. This concept is addressed in different ways by different fields; this course will introduce you to time as it is perceived in geology, philosophy, and drama. By the end of the summer session, you will have gained an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of time, experienced time in another culture, and …. Additionally, you will have opportunities to develop your oral communication and writing skills, your creativity and imagination, and your ability to adapt to unfamiliar circumstances.

This three-credit interdisciplinary course is taught at the University of Oxford, one of the world’s best known and most prestigious universities, and facilitated by The Oxford Study Abroad Programme (OSAP), under the direction of Robert Schuettinger. Formal class will begin June 7 and end June 25, followed by a week of travel. (Housing will be available through July 2). Students and staff will leave for England on June 3 and return to the United States on July 2. Students sign up for the course at Heidelberg College; credits will transfer.

Course fee: $3300

The course fee includes tuition, room, associate student status at New College (one of Oxford’s oldest colleges), membership at the Oxford Student Union, and three additional trips (likely including Bath/Stonehenge, London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and Greenwich). Airfare and an additional trip to Scotland are not included. Students must additionally have their own medical insurance and pay for their own meals (except on special occasions). Students share a fully furnished house – i.e., with telephone, TV, VCR, and kitchen. Some houses have a washer and/or dryer. Computers and printers will be available for use in the OSAP office.

The course home page is at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dclose/dcoxford.htm. The home page contains a detailed day-by-day syllabus of the course, travel details, and other information. Students are expected to visit the course page regularly prior to departure to obtain updated information.

Texts Measuring Eternity: The Search for the Beginning of Time

Martin Gorst. (New York: Broadway Books, 2001). ISBN 0-7679-0844-9.

Introducing Time

Craig Callender and Ralph Edney. (Cambridge: Icon Books, 2001). ISBN 1-84046-263-9.

Note: Books must be purchased prior to departure for England.

Grading Percentage

Short papers (3) 45%

Journal 20%

Oral Dramatization (1) 20%

Participation and Involvement 15%

100%

Course Requirements

Short Paper: Students will produce three short papers (2-4 pages) on central course themes during the formal course period. Students may choose the topic of each paper from options provided by the instructors There will be an opportunity to rewrite these papers.

Oral

Dramatization: At the beginning of the course, students will organize themselves into small teams and establish for themselves a theme, issue, or event to explore over the course of their stay in Europe. During the course, students will be given opportunities to conduct research—in the field and in the library—to further their understanding of the topic. Each team will write a script for a public dramatization of their chosen topic. At the end of the course, teams will perform the dramatization for the entire class. Detailed instructions for this project will be provided in lecture.

Journal: All students must keep a journal. The journal is a place to record events, impressions, and ideas generated by both course work and travels. This journal is also a place to reflect upon, attempt to make sense of, and make connections between, those same events, impressions and ideas. This journal will use a double-entry system, with notes written on the left-hand pages and commentary about those notes written on the right-hand pages. Your journal will be graded on the interaction between your observations and your commentaries. A full description of the journal will be provided.

Seminar Participation

and Involvement: Preparing for and engaging in international study always requires an extra commitment on the part of all group members to make that study successful. Students should be active participants in their own learning experience and in the experience of others, respect the rights and feelings of others, take care that no one is isolated or ostracized, and show enthusiasm despite the unforeseen but inevitable surprises. The instructors expect students to demonstrate an intellectual curiosity and willingness to learn at all times during this course. Instructors also expect students to participate in all scheduled experiences. Participation in class and team conversation is central to the course. Students should take this opportunity to develop discussion and communication skills.

Schedule of Events, Lectures, & Discussions

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
	1	2	3	4	5	6
		Dr. Berger arrives		Dr. Close and Dr. Wahlstrom arrive	Oxford City Tour (OSAP)	Travel to Cambridge
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
What is time? Dr. Close	Measurement of time Oxford guest	Records of time: Geologic history Dr. Berger	Records of time: Literature Dr. Wahlstrom	Travel to Bath and Stonehenge (OSAP)	Travel to Stratford Macbeth (OSAP)	Free day
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Macbeth Oxford guest	Dramatic time(-ing) Dr. Wahlstrom	Geologic time Part II Dr. Berger	Geologic history of the UK Oxford guest	Travel to Scotland	Siccar Point Great Fault Dunottar Castle	Free day
21	22	23	24	25 TRAVEL	26	27
Physics of Time Oxford guest	Time & position: longitude Oxford guest Greenwich Observatory	Philosophy of Time Dr. Close	Interpretations of/in time Student teams Final program	Dr. Berger: Wales and Ireland
				Dr. Close: Italy
				Dr. Wahlstrom:
28	29	30	1	2	3	4
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