Prashant Kumar

design my courses with three goals: 1) introduce students to major scholars and themes in the field as it relates to the specific course topic; 2) further develop studentsâ?? confidence as intellectuals and thinkers; and 3) further develop studentsâ?? practical skills and increase their employability. Regarding students as intellectuals and thinkers, I promote a classroom environment and design assignments that encourage students to read primary and secondary texts, patiently engage the texts and one another so as to develop their understanding of the authorsâ?? arguments, and encourage them to formulate a position about the material. Final assignments, such as research papers, tend to incorporate themes of the class and require a certain number of texts from the reading schedule so that students produce a final assignment that builds upon their effort and understanding of course material developed throughout the semester. On the path to the final assignments or final exams (often take-home exams), students have grown accustomed to working in small groups in class to discuss material, a practice that helps students develop a collegial rapport with one another and engage in the practice of discussing ideas rather than seeing â??doing schoolworkâ?? as a solitary endeavor only involving them and their computers at home. They have also grown accustomed to having a lot of class discussion about the material and in the process, practicing the skill of unpacking material through dialogue.