We’ve been working with the folks at AMC and faculty and staff at UC Irvine to develop “Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC’s The Walking Dead,” an exploration of social, health, and physical sciences through the lens of a zombie apocalypse. The course opened on October 14, and, yes, you can still enroll.
"I've seen dirty socks that were moreself-actualized than Lori."
-quote from student in TWD course
In the first two days of the course, students from 86 countries posted more than 2,000 comments within 150 different discussion forums. It's been fascinating to watch a global audience connect concepts to resources in their own backyard, creating an opportunity for cultural learning.
In the course’s "Think about this…" video series where professors share expert opinions and lead students into deeper discussion, Professor Michael Dennin presented evidence to support a widely accepted notion that an indoor shopping mall is the best possible hideout. Students were asked for alternatives and they responded with a wide range of possibilities from a global perspective. Here’s one example:
"I live in Spain next to the sea. In front of my house there's a fortification, built by the Greeks, strengthened by the Romans and reformed in the sixteenth century. It'd be difficult for a zombie to enter, but it's easy to escape. The problem here is that, in my country, there are not many weapons in homes, only on hunter's homes, or armories... The good thing is that we have the sea in the front of that fortification, and a lot of boats. I think I could probably survive there."So, with two weeks down and six to go, we’re thrilled the course is providing learning opportunities for people of all ages, cultures, and locations. And as this comment demonstrates, so are participants:
"I graduated from high school 20 years ago with the promise that I would go to college someday. I view this as an opportunity to gauge my ability to assimilate into a routine of learning and keep up with a class schedule. Thank you for the opportunity."So whether you’re Team Lori (ha!, no one is Team Lori) or Team Daryl, we hope you enjoy the simulated zombie apocalypse and all there is to learn from it.
Keep learning,
Carrie
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