Arbitrary Hour

Arbitrary Hour is a Spring 2009 seminar series is a Student Designed Course at Olin College in Boston, MA. The course is essentially an educational collective in which each student in the course (there are no "teachers" or "professors") gives a one to two hour long seminar on a topic that interests them. The seminar can be about anything, from a hands on baking experience to a discourse on international politics.

Course Background, Description, and Expectations

Arbitrary Hour is a one-credit student organized seminar series for Spring 2009. The course is essentially an educational collective in which each student in the course (there are no "teachers" or "professors") gives a seminar on a topic that interests them. The seminar can be about anything, from a hands on baking experience to a discourse on international politics.

All students enrolled in the course will be required to plan and deliver at least one seminar during the course. All students are required to give written feedback about each seminar to the seminar leader. This will enable us as a group to figure out what makes an effective experience. Students are encouraged to casually post about the seminar experiences (with photos and video!) to the Arbitrary Hour blog.

As a one-credit course, each week includes three hours of expected work time. This translates roughly into two one-hour seminar presentation meetings, with the difference made up by seminar preparation time. During the week in which a participant is delivering a seminar, they are expected to spend additional time planning their seminar, and reviewing feedback and reflecting on their presentation. Additional time can be allotted to publicizing documentation, such as posting about an experience to the blog, keeping the Wikiversity page up to date, and uploading videos.

Seminars

Two hours a week will be allotted for seminars, discussion regarding the seminar, and hands-on practice of whatever topics the seminar covers (if applicable).

A twenty to thirty minute lecturing time limit might be important. It is difficult to give an engaging one hour lecture, and a discussion or hands-on experience is likely more effective for learning.

Free Discussion

Some of the time each week will be allotted for group investigation of our overarching theme of what makes a good seminar. Sessions can cover anything from free form discussion, short readings, videos, and any other interesting material suggested by members of the course.

Feedback and Reflection

Each week every student in the course should write a reflection on the seminar presented. The seminar leader should write about his or her experience running the seminar.

At the end of the course, each student should prepare a written reflection of their experience in the course, and how their experiences in the course have changed the way they think about presentations.

Recording and Archiving

Talks will (hopefully!) be recorded and uploaded to YouTube for posterity.

Competencies

Olin College employs a competency system. The following competencies will be addressed by the Arbitrary Hour course:

• Life Long Learning
• Communication

What is a Good Seminar?

In addition to the various documentation produced by the class, students should also present a final reflection addressing the question "What makes a good seminar?" - this should reflect the experiences of both leading and attending a seminar.

Question for consideration: should this be individual or team? (answer on the discussion page)

How to Join

Sign up for the Arbitrary Hour mailing list at http://lists.olin.edu!

Olin College (and other BBOW schools) students wishing to take this "course" should contact Nikki Lee, preferably before the first week of January, so that Independent Study paperwork and scheduling can be handled appropriately. You must also create a Wikiversity account and add yourself to our participant list below.

External learners who would like to participate in the course are welcome. While geography may be a problem, we will attempt to be accommodating, and would love drop-in lecturers or participants! To let us know your interest, please add yourself to our participant list below!

Participants

• Nikki Lee (Olin College)
• Kathleen Towers (Olin College)
• Andrea Lai (Olin College)
• Mel Chua (Olin '07, "external learner", potential 1-2x drop-in guest student/lecturer)
• Nikolaus W
• Kelcy Adamec tentatively (Olin College)
• Ellen Chisa (Off Campus, in MI, drop in when possible)
• Greg Marra

Schedule

Arbitrary Hour meets Tuesday and Thursdays from 17:00 to 18:00 in AC109.

Sign yourself up for presentation slots on this table.

Presentation Schedule

Date	Presentation Slot 1	Presentation Slot 2
1/27	-	-
1/29	-	-
2/3	-	-
2/5	-	-
2/10	-	-
2/17	-	-
2/19	-	-
2/24	-	-
2/26	-	-
3/3	-	-
3/5	-	-
3/10	-	-
3/12	-	-
3/17	Spring	Break
3/19	Spring	Break
3/24	-	-
3/26	-	-
3/31	-	-
4/2	-	-
4/7	-	-
4/9	-	-
4/14	-	-
4/16	-	-
4/21	-	-
4/23	-	-
4/28	-	-
4/30	-	-

Presentation Descriptions

When you add yourself to the presentation calendar, add a section here with a one paragraph summary of your planned talk.

1/19 - Everyone - Planning the Course

The class meets and decides how to run Arbitrary Hour. In this seminar, we will discuss scheduling issues, as well as the overarching goals and assessment plans for those taking the course. We have Jon Stolk on board as an academic adviser, so we are very near executing Arbitrary Hour.

What Do You Want to Learn About?

Fill this space with topics you would like to learn about. Maybe someone knows a lot about it.

It's kind of like that wall from the movie Accepted.

• Car Maintenance
• Cooking
• making Dim Sum (I will be learning this summer and can theoretically teach it after --Nikki)
• international politics
• philosophy
• rhetoric
• color theory for web design
• making balloon animals
• breadmaking
• fast ways of ironing/folding clothes
• book cataloging systems (dewey, library of congress, etc.)
• howto make a database-backed webapp in an hour
• using the pcb miller and doing surface-mount soldering properly, for those sans hand-eye coordination like myself
• how to stretch / become more flexible
• grantwriting
• what makes an engineering textbook good? (this is a lecture I can give, I did my AHS capstone on it --User:Mchua)
• designing a sound system for your domicile
• auto repair
• skateboarding
• biomechanics of breakdancing