ATHENS, Ohio -- In an effort to create a common ground and promote critical thinking, many first-year students at Ohio University are reading "Einstein's Dreams" as part of a university-wide project.
The novel by Alan Lightman is required reading for University College 115 (freshman orientation) students, Residence Learning Community members and members of the Residence Life staff.
Some faculty members in the areas of English, Health and Human Services, Chemistry and Interpersonal Communication are applying the book to their coursework and the concept has spread to the campuses of Ohio University-Chillicothe and Ohio University-Zanesville.
"This is the first time a program of this nature has been implemented at Ohio University," said Director of Residence Life Joe Burke. "It is usually done at smaller schools, but we thought it would be an excellent way to promote a sense of community and encourage students to experience an additional intellectual experience outside of the classroom immediately in their college careers."
The program was launched by Advocates for Critical Thinking (ACT), a group of faculty and staff members from Residence Life, Counseling and Psychological Services, Judiciaries, Health Education and Wellness who wished to promote critical thinking on campus.
This past summer, all first-year students and their parents received a brochure inviting them to participate. The response was outstanding with more than 400 parents buying "Einstein's Dreams."
The book is a series of about 30 dreams, all of which are based on time and reactions to different scenarios. The book stimulates discussion on topics such as decision-making, how viewing time reflects viewing the world, technology, keeping up with others and repeating mistakes. These themes allow readers to insert themselves into the plot and relate to the issues on an individual level.
Burke developed lesson plans to use the book as part of a class, and individual faculty members can adapt the plans to fit their own use.
"Students are able to get the message and apply it to their own lives," said Burke. "Because the way we react to time reflects how we see things on a larger scale, Einstein's Dreams gives us insight into how we view the world. Readers see the larger scale, and they are forced to stop, think and reflect on life. They can apply the story lines as personal or as broadly as they care to. It makes sense that the shared experience would involve reading a book. We are all on the same page, literally and figuratively speaking."
Students can participate in the open discussion on the third Monday of each month during fall quarter at Jefferson Hall 139. This program will continue throughout the academic year with discussions on the second Monday of the month during winter quarter and the first Monday of the month during spring quarter.
