Course Objectives

The name of this course is Roman Architecture, Construction, and Culture. As the title suggests it is about Rome, Italy. The course's main focus is on the Ancient Roman empire and the artifacts and buildings they have left behind, such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Circus Maximus, the aqueduct system, etc. It shows what these topics were like as well as what they are like today, over 2000 years later.

Unlike most classes, however, this course is not based on lecture, but research rather in what is known as "Problem-Based Learning" (PBL). At the beginning of the course, the entire class was divided into five groups of three, four, or five people. Then, each group was given a topic and a problem associated with this subject. By running the class this way, we learn how to solve a problem in a team, while still learning about whatever topic we were assigned.

The main goals of the course can be divided into three subcategories:

Cognitive

1. Developing knowledge and appreciation of technology

2. Understanding the strong inter-relationship between society and technology

3. Learning effective research methodology

Behavioral

1. Improving oral and written communication skills

2. Applying resources to solve problems

3. Developing skills to function in an interdisciplinary team

4. Understanding the importance of life-long learning

Affective

1. Appreciating the benefits of history in the decision-making process

2. Experiencing a different culture

3. Enjoying the benefits of the PBL approach to learning and problem solving

4. Recognizing the student’s need to know and support each other