The goal of a liberal arts education at the college level is to imbue students with a broad education that allows them to think critically, communicate clearly, and problem-solve from various perspectives. As part of the foundation of their liberal arts education, students take courses across disciplines to fulfill general education credits. Typically, four semesters of full-time enrollment provide students with disparate classes on numerous topics to lay this foundation; at most universities, students are left to integrate this knowledge on their own. Independently, students may “connect the dots” between distinct disciplines, or they may simply treat the information as unique and discrete without integration. As part of our general education curriculum, students are required to take one pair of linked courses in which they integrate knowledge from two disciplines, an intellectual skill crucial in a global society where knowledge is ever-more fragmented and specialized. This essay provides some insights from faculty in English, history, political science, and sociology who, in pairs, have participated in linked courses: two distinct courses in different disciplines that concern a common theme, share the same group of students, and are part of the institution’s required general education curriculum. Each set of linked courses culminates in a signature assignment that requires students to synthesize knowledge from both courses. These are the themes of the links we have taught: healthcare in Latin America; structural inequality in Mexico and the US; and narratives of British and Spanish colonialism.
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