A COLLEGE HONORS SEMINAR ON EVOLUTION AND INTELLIGENT DESIGN: SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES

College honors courses provide an opportunity to tackle controversial topics in an atmosphere that encourages active learning, critical thinking, and open discussion. This venue is particularly appropriate for addressing the scientific, religious, educational and political issues in the debate about teaching intelligent design (ID) in public school science classes. A 1-credit honors enrichment seminar taught in spring 2006 provides a model, with associated successes and challenges, for addressing the controversy.

The discussion-based class met weekly for 1.5 hours for 10 weeks. The initial meeting set the tone as class members shared their interest in the topic, revealing a diversity of viewpoints. Ground rules were established, emphasizing tolerance and respect. The first meeting also included a hands-on exercise that clarified the differences between science and religion. The second meeting included the only lecture, an attempt to bring all students to a basic understanding of what is meant by evolution (as both fact and theory). The remainder of the course consisted of discussions based on a set of weekly readings that presented contrasting viewpoints on evolution and naturalism, ID, theology, and educational issues. The Kitzmiller v. Dover decision served as a final case study. In preparation for each class, students constructed charts contrasting the views of each writer on key points presented in the readings and summarizing their own responses. Discussion focused on a set of questions arising from the readings and designed to provoke debate. Students also met with and attended the public lecture presented by the Honors Program spring speaker, philosopher of science Michael Ruse. Each student also prepared a final paper defending or criticizing Judge Jones' decision in the Dover court case.

Prior to the course, some students had not heard of ID and many had limited knowledge of evolution. The course improved student knowledge of evolution, ID, and the issues involved in the controversy, preparing them to make informed political decisions. Challenges included the uneven level of knowledge about evolution among students and the time constraints of a 1-credit course. In addition, because I had decided to serve as a facilitator and not press my opinions, misconceptions were difficult to correct.