21G.026 | Spring 2018 | Undergraduate

Global Africa: Creative Cultures

Instructor Insights

Instructor Insights

Below, Professor M. Amah Edoh describes various aspects of how she taught 21G.026 Global Africa: Creative Cultures.

"Academic work isn’t separate from life, and it’s not something that’s only accessible to some people. We are always theorizing. Making sense of our experience is about theorizing."
— M. Amah Edoh

Curriculum Information

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course, but French language concentrators should have taken 21G.028 African Migrations or have the permission of the instructor.

Requirements Satisfied

Offered

21G.026 was offered for the first time in Spring 2018.

Assessment

Grade Breakdown

The students’ grades were based on the following activities:

  • 20% Reading responses (weekly, 10 total)
  • 20% Presentation of readings
  • 20% Paper
  • 30% Final project (20% project, 10% presentation)
  • 10% Class participation

Student Information

Enrollment

12 students

Breakdown by Year

About 2/3 sophomores and juniors; about 1/3 first-year students and seniors

Breakdown by Major

Many engineering and computer science majors; a few humanities majors

Typical Student Background

About half the students were Africans from the continent or first-generation Americans of African background. Many of the non-African students were going to be working in Africa during the summer or had recently spent time there.

How Student Time Was Spent

During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:

In Class

  • Met once per week for 3 hours per session; 12 sessions total; mandatory attendance.
  • Students participated in active discussions, listened to weekly samples of African music, and delivered presentations of their final projects.

Out of Class

  • Readings in preparation for class sessions
  • Attending theatrical performance and film screenings
  • 10 weekly reading responses
  • 5-page analytical paper
  • Creative final project

Course Info

Instructor
As Taught In
Spring 2018
Learning Resource Types
Written Assignments with Examples
Instructor Insights