Right brain or left brain? Poet and philosopher or scientist and mathematician?
A University of Colorado Boulder professor created a unique course this year to challenge freshman students to choose both.
Professor Rishi Raj spends most of his time working with graduate students in mechanical engineering, but when CU Boulder leaders called for proposals for first-year seminars, Raj volunteered.
First-year seminars are small classes that help engage freshmen in communication, community-building and learning more about their interests.
“The idea was rattling around in my head for a long time,” Raj said. “Our education system has become so specialized that we’re not giving students a broader sense of how science, technology, philosophy and poetry come together. Leonardo da Vinci represents that.”
Raj’s class, “In the Footsteps of da Vinci,” asked students to analyze ideas through writing and drawing.
Raj wanted students to explore how da Vinci is relevant in modern times using the same methods that da Vinci used — drawings and writings about all manner of topics, from anatomy to architecture. Da Vinci did thousands, Raj’s students did three.
It wasn’t particularly rigorous, Raj said, because that wasn’t the point.
“Classes like this are building lifelong learning in students,” he said. “It’s something that is so fundamental and it will grow with them and stay with them through their professional career. It’s a foundation for them to think outside of the box.”
Freshman Jake Barsness said he initially signed up for the class because it looked easy.
“Coming out of it my whole perspective changed,” he said. “While it wasn’t a ton of work, it was really eye opening because we were given a really deep understanding and perspective on how we can think about life.”
Barsness was struck by how da Vinci didn’t limit himself to one area — just science, music or art.
“When you don’t do that to yourself you have such great potential,” he said.
Barsness is majoring in integrated physiology with a minor in music, so he’s already familiar with mixing interests.
“But I’ve never been into drawing, and now I purchased a sketchbook and I doodle all the time. I think I’ve become more creative because of this class,” he said.
Raj said he was impressed by how students embraced the class and challenged themselves.
“They didn’t try to just copy something out of a book. They understood I was trying to push them to find their own creative instincts,” he said.
