Paper as lens: Using the Medium’s Cultural Significance to Introduce First-Year Students to Higher Education Principles

Abstract

The medium and technology of paper serves as the focal point for a seminar-style course that introduces first-year college students to foundation concepts in higher education, such as research methodology, critical thinking, and creative problem solving, and to the multitude of resources on campus.  This article provides an outline of the course's design and modules and suggests ways that it could be adapted to other academic instiutions. It is intended to provide a fuller understanding of how one professor along with multiple staff collaborators are using paper as the starting point to address foundational intellectual ideas, approaches, and concerns in the academic setting.