Transformative Education | Asking the Great Questions of Humankind - Student Infohub

The Great Questions Seminar program at Austin Community College District (ACC) stands out as a unique college readiness course, specifically tailored for a community college setting. This innovative course, supported by a generous Teagle Foundation grant, is an alternative to the traditional EDUC 1300 Student Success course. Instead of standard textbooks and classroom materials, the seminar focuses on discussion-based learning centered around transformative texts.

The ACC community can participate in Community Seminars to delve into the Great Questions of humankind through engaging in discussions on these pivotal texts. Community Seminars are designed to be interactive, offering students, faculty, staff, and community members a platform to explore significant questions guided by these transformative texts.

Participants are encouraged to read a selected text before attending the session. During the seminar, attendees engage in small group discussions to explore the questions raised by the text, followed by a debriefing session to share insights and reflections.

Check out one of the most recent seminars showcasing the vibrant discussions and collaborative learning that make this program special.

The ACC Liberal Arts Department hosted the Great Questions Community Seminar event on Thursday, February 7, 2024, at the Highland Campus. As participants arrive they are assigned to different groups.
Students, faculty, staff and community members were all invited to join a discussion focusing on a selection of James Baldwin's 1962 essay, “Down at The Cross”.
The event starts with a brief introduction by Associate Professor of Government Ted Hadzi-Antich Jr.
During the second part of the event participants divide into groups as assigned upon arrival and begin discussing the reading material.
All participants are encouraged to engage in conversation and express their thoughts freely.
The event is an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and community members to discuss Great Questions, guided by transformative texts that productively raise them.
ACC faculty engage in a separate group conversation on the same topic as the other participants.
During the last part of the event the participants return to the lecture hall where a conversation about their group discussions conclusions ensues.
Each group and each participant is given a chance to share their insights.
Professor Hadzi leads and moderates the conversation.
The dialogues often continues in smaller groups at the end of the event.