This course engages service-based learning with a focus on environmental restoration of water, land and soil. Students apply basic principles of Earth Science and Permaculture design to hands-on environmental restoration projects in the community. Four hours of active learning and group discussion per week.
Instructor: Steve Taylor
Keywords: Policy & Society, Science, Data, & Tech
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Superheroes are here to save the day and do whatever is necessary to defeat forces of evil. But what if “whatever’s necessary” crosses the line into criminal activity? In this course we examine epic good versus evil battles and analyze the criminal implications of being a superhero.
Instructor: Jennifer Moreno
Keywords: True Crime & Horror, Policy, Culture & Society, Storytelling
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America’s National Parks and Monuments preserve some of the most iconic landscapes on Earth. The historical reasons of why these places have been set aside will be explored and we will investigate what makes some of them geologically significant. Students will also learn how to use online map and navigation tools for exploring the parks. Challenges to park preservation both now and in the future will also be discussed. Finally, strategies for those seeking employment with the National Park Service will be investigated.
Instructor: Grant Smith
Keywords: Policy, Culture, & Society, Science, Data, & Tech
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We are confronted with an astronomical amount of information in the modern era. Much of this information is tied to numbers and statistics, yet often little or no context is offered so people can truly understand what the data shows. Worse yet, there are entities that are purposefully obfuscating the truth by misstating the data or presenting them in a misleading way. This course will focus on how data and statistics are used in the media and modern culture and how to view data through a critical lens to understand what the information means and whether it is being presented in a truthful manner.
Instructor: Maren Anderson
Keywords: Communication & Humanity, Media & Current Events, Science, Tech, & Data
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Video games are having an undeniable effect on modern society. This course examines how video games are impacting culture, art, education, medicine, rehabilitation, and communication as well as their role in societal issues such as sex, sexuality, gender, and race.
Instructor: Luke Cordova
Keywords: Media & Current Events, Policy, Culture, & Society, Science, Tech, & Data
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This course will explore the parallels between dance and coding and will culminate in creating an iPuppet dance using basic tools from dance choreography, illuminated puppet pieces, and basic coding skills. No previous dance or coding experience is needed.
Instructor: Darryl Thomas
Keywords: Science, Tech, & Data, The Arts
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In this class, we will research and practice what it means to be first-generation or low-income in the current U.S. educational system. What are the financial mechanisms that make Higher Education possible for those coming from low-income backgrounds? What is the financial impact of a college education, positive and negative? Students will calculate these costs and rewards from an individual perspective exploring cost of attendance, impact of financial aid, inflation in both cost of attendance and local economy, and planning for future financial needs.
Instructors: SEP Staff
Keywords: Conflict, Debate, & Revolution, Self & Identity, Teaching & Education
CRN: 30659
Crime shows, like CSI, have significantly increased public interest in forensic science over the last several decades and more. However, these shows present forensic science as though it were an almost magical solution to all problems and that results come back during the commercial break. Some prosecutors have even claimed juries expect a mountain of forensic evidence in every trial, the “CSI Effect”. In this course, we will review what is presented in movies and TV shows versus how forensic science is actually performed. The field of forensic science has evolved over the decades with new and more reliable tests being developed. We will cover some examples where new methods have been used to overturn convictions based on earlier and less accurate methods.
Instructor: Graham Rankin
Keywords: Media & Current Events, Science, Tech, & Data
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This course will focus on the origin, production and development, distribution, uses and impacts of energy in contemporary society. The course is a natural interdisciplinary topic and links all chemistry, earth science, physics, biology. Additionally, this course links the science of energy with societal costs and benefits, policy, and law.
Instructor: Phil Wade
Keywords: Science, Tech, & Data, Policy, Culture, & Society
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Exploration of the solar system is the first step to understanding our place in the universe. We will take a journey through time and see how our perception of the solar system has evolved over the centuries and how a revolution in astronomy led to the birth of modern science. With a gift for pattern recognition, humans formulated the laws of physics which are essential for predicting the motions and properties of celestial bodies. By analyzing the structure and composition of the solar system, we can discover what this information reveals about the origin and evolution of the solar system. We will explore the surface geology of planets and moons and learn what physical processes have shaped these unique worlds. In addition, we will examine the latest observations acquired from spacecraft, assess the significance of these recent discoveries and what they mean for the future of humankind.
Instructor: Jeremiah Oxford
Keywords: Historical Perspectives, Media & Current Events, Science, Tech, & Data
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WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
345 Monmouth Ave. N.
Monmouth OR 97361
503-838-8000 | 1-877-877-1593