Any SNU undergraduate student who meets the requirements can register for the course beginning from winter session of his/her 1st year. Prospective students need to submit application forms with detailed course plans to the Faculty of Liberal Education, and then the ‘Student-Directed Curriculum Steering Committee’ will approve the registration of selected students whose research projects and seminar plans are outstanding. In this winter session, two tentative general education courses will be offered-- ‘Undergraduate Independent Study 1’ and ‘Peer Group Seminar’.
The Student-Directed Education program offers a very attractive form of general education, because it fosters the development of creative thinking using investigation methods such as topics from a combination of both theoretical and practical studies, current issues, and student-chosen topics, which are difficult to have the chance to explore in typical lectures or major field of studies.
Another important characteristic of the program is that it provides students with opportunities to engage in active learning from instructors and peer colleagues with a variety of educational backgrounds; surpassing the boundaries of departments, students can choose an advising professor and graduate teaching assistant who will provide them with one-on-one instruction. Also, prospective students will organize their own research topics, seminar schedules, lecture rooms, learning processes, and grading methods with their professor’s assistance. Finally, at the end of the semester when the research and seminar are completed, students will give a presentation at a symposium and publish their theses in the undergraduate scientific journal called “SNU Student-Directed Research” (a tentative name), gaining a complete experience as future outstanding scholars.
The world’s leading research-focused universities have been successfully operating student-directed programs in order to develop their students’ abilities to carry out self-led studies and creative research. Seoul National University is the first institution in Korea providing students with opportunities to plan and execute their own self-designed research and seminar as a form of general education study, with active support from the board and professors.
In order to develop the Student-Directed Education program as a proper general education course suitable to the environment of universities in Korea, the Faculty of Liberal Education went through a detailed preparation process by visiting universities abroad and carrying out case studies. The Student-Directed Education program will be in effect tentatively during the 2007 winter session. By closely examining the effect of the program and student response, the Faculty of Liberal Education is planning to develop various types of courses and increase the number of classes it offers.
For further information regarding details of the Seoul National University Student-Directed Education program, please visit the Student-Directed Education program homepage (http://sde.snu.ac.kr). Undergraduate students, graduate teaching assistants, and professors can get precise and continuous support from the ‘Student Directed Education Program Office (Building 61, Room 107)’ in the Faculty of Liberal Education.
Basic information regarding Student-Directed Education courses ‘Undergraduate Independent Study 1’ and ‘Peer Group Seminar’, is listed below.
- Course Number: 009.030 (Undergraduate Independent Study 1)
- General Education 2 credits
- Grading Methods: Criterion-based grading (A~F) or A-F letter grading
- Eligibility: Beginning from the winter session of the freshman year (submission of the research plan is possible beginning from 2nd semester standing). A GPA of B0 (3.0) or above is required.
- Research team limitation: up to 3 individuals may form a cooperative research team.
- Unrestricted obtainment of advising professors (faculty with full-time instructor status or above at SNU) and teaching assistants (who are pursuing a master's or doctoral degree, or a degree-bearing researcher at SNU).
- Program applicants who submit a course proposal, research plan, and professor’s approval are selected through the Steering Committee’s examination process .
- Every week a minimum of 5 hours of self-led research and 1 hour or more of a research workshop with the advising professor and teaching assistant are required (based on a 15-week-schedule).
- Every student is limited to participation in this program only one time for his/her general education requirement (however if a student’s accomplishment is considered outstanding, or continuous research is necessary, he/she may apply for Undergraduate Independent Study 2).
- Students will present their research results at a scientific symposium and publish a research article in the journal ‘SNU Student-Directed Research’.
- Students are not permitted to retake this course.
< Peer Group Seminar>
- Course Number: 009.032 (Peer Group Seminar)
- General Education 1 credit
- Grading Methods: S/U grading S/U
- Eligibility: Beginning from the winter session of the freshman year (submission of the research plan is possible beginning with 2nd semester standing, and requires a minimum of 3 undergraduate students). A GPA of B0 (3.0) or above is required.
- Research team limitation: up to 20 undergraduate students including 3 opening individuals of the course.
- Unrestricted number of advising professors (faculty with full-time instructor status or above at SNU) and teaching assistants (who are pursuing a master's or doctoral degree, or a degree-bearing researcher at SNU).
- Whether to offer the seminar course will be decided by the Steering Committee’s examination based on an application, schedule, and advising professor’s approval.
- Opened seminar courses will be announced to all SNU students.
- 10 or more seminars will be offered in a semester (more than 30 hours total). Advising professors and seminar-teaching assistants will attend more than 3 and 10 seminars, respectively, to provide instruction for students.
- Every student is limited to participation in this program only one time for fulfillment of his/her general education requirement.
- Students will present their research results at a scientific symposium and publish a research article in the journal ‘SNU Student-Directed Research’.
- Students are not permitted to retake this course.
Faculty of Liberal Education : http://liberaledu.snu.ac.kr, Building 61 in Gwanak
Dec.1, 2007
SNU PR Office