美国一流大学通识课程结构的模式分析--以哈佛大学、哥伦比亚大学、普林斯顿大学、芝加哥大学和布朗大学为例

Analysis of general education curriculum structure models in American top universities--Cases from Harvard University,Columbia University,Princeton University,Chicago University and Brown University

对美国5所一流大学的通识教育课程结构进行案例分析发现,通识课程在其本科教育中占有重要位置,并主要遵循两条逻辑进行课程设计:一是“开放”“分布”“核心”三类选课形式所体现的选择自由逻辑;二是“经典”“分科”“实用”三类内容特质中隐含的教育价值逻辑。基于美国经验,国内一流大学的通识教育应适当增加通识课程的学时学分,明确各模块的“核心”目标,逐步扩大学科大类平台课程的“分布”范围,并积极探索经典名著阅读,联系真实问题的跨学科课程等设计,形成自身内容特色。

This article makes an analysis of the General Education Curriculum(GEC)structure of these 5 first-class universities in the U.S.and finds that GEC is an important part of total undergraduate curriculum system in all of them.Course design for these GECs follow 2 main principles,one of which is course selection freedom,including"Open Model","Distribution Model"and"Core Model";and the other is course content characteristics or philosophies,embodied in"classics","disciplinary division"and"pragmatism".In view of these references,domestic first-class universities should add credits and credit hours when do their GEC commitment,clarify the learning aims of each GEC module,expand the range of major discipline platform curriculum,and step to explore classics reading,real problem-related cross-disciplinary courses designing,thus forming their own features.