The Futuristic Education Spaces in which Learner-led Classes are Held

Director Jung is standing in the midst of change. Since he was appointed Director of the Institute on March 15, 2019, the organization has expanded, and SK Future Hall is at the center of that change. Just as new wine is in fact poured into a new wineskin, new forms of education should take place in a new type of place. As the person in charge of KU's new thrust in the field of education, there is great responsibility on Jung's shoulders.

“In this era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there is a growing need for convergence education. The significance of the science and technology that will bring about global advances, and the importance of the humanities that will help lead these developments in the right direction, are emerging at the same time. In order to kill both birds with one stone, Korea University expanded and reorganized the Institute of General Education on July 1st, 2019. General education courses used to be managed separately in each field of learning, but the newly organized Institute will be the overseeing entity of all general education courses, operating as a platform for general education at various levels. We will strive to cultivate intellectuals with a rich cultural background and good character who can take the lead in the development of the intelligent information society.”

To this end, the Institute of General Education plans to continuously develop general education courses that can encompass the needs of a wide range of students both on the humanities and social science track and on the science and engineering track, as well as foreign undergraduates. The Institute plans to provide students with opportunities to lay the groundwork for a convergence education, by acquiring knowledge in their majors while flexibly assimilating knowledge from other majors. The goal of the Institute also includes creating a site which facilitates learning in ways that are not restricted by time and place, through large-scale online lectures, hands-on learning and other initiatives, and SK Future Hall is the place where such goals can be achieved. Currently, Korea University is changing the paradigm of university education by offering forms of courses which employ online content, such as NeMo Classes, MOOCs, and Flipped Classes. The six PBL classrooms in SK Future Hall which are designated to host discussions will speed up the move toward debate-based creative education. There are also various smaller discussion rooms available for small group sessions, which can be used at any time upon application.

“The Liberty Justice Truth course, which is one of the required general education courses for all KU freshmen, will maximize the effect of such classes. In this course, students share ideas within small groups using a common monitor and laptop at a group table, and the professor remotely oversees each group table while sharing students’ discussion materials and providing feedback. The days when professors used to unilaterally convey knowledge are gone. Student-led classes will take place in this space, where students will raise issues of interest to them, engage in intense discussions, and work together to draw conclusions and present them to the class. Flexible and productive classes of a type that has never been attempted before will blossom in SK Future Hall.”