Through innovative course design, English lecturer Sue Oakes provides students in her Technology and Science in the U.S. Experience course, English 2367.04, the opportunity to be part of a class that involves both experiential and interdisciplinary learning.
Offered each year at Ohio State Marion, students are asked to choose a person in the Marion area to research science, industry, business, and innovation through one-on-one interviews. Students then gather their materials and present a poster during a public campus/community reception at the end of the semester. They are given instruction in graphic design, learn interview skills, and the history of a community through the eyes of it's most valued assets, its people.
A primary goal of the project is to document the technical history of workers, their families, jobs, and businesses in north central Ohio. Students benefit through increase student engagement as they actively participate in preserving memories. Students have the opportunity to explore topics relevant to student classwork and future employment, as well as collect and preserve primary sources for the study of industrial culture.
A team of faculty and staff judges review the students' work for clarity, grammar, punctuation, and design. Three students are honored each semester for their work, and the entire group's work is archived, preserving memories for future generations, especially those of an aging generation of workers.
Winners of autumn semesters Memory Project presentation were recognized at the event, including: sophomore pre-occupational therapy major Payton Schmidt, "Advances in Speech-Language Pathology," first place; senior English major Alex Kauser, "Markeing in the Age of Technology," second place; and sophomore biology major Jade Ritzert, "Doing Open Surgery is Becoming an Archaic Science," third place.
If you have questions or need more information, e-mail memories@osu.edu or leave a message for Sue Oakes at (740) 725-6147.