Many hours of course design time tick off the clock before any Cookman class begins, particularly one using computers. Cookman discusses a video sequence with Susanne Schwibs of Instructional Support Services . They are editing an instructional video that explores the pedagogical issues that emerged when James Mumford, director of IU Bloomington's African American Choral Ensemble, transformed about thirty members of the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching into a gospel choir. Those learning experiences promote student control, self-pacing, and reflection. In the lessons he designs, he builds a foundation by demonstrating the new skill and talking through his steps.
Students first recreate that model, then go on to modify it.
The final step is an open-ended project of their own choice in which they synthesize all they've learned. While there were some problems and imperfections, their design projects struck me as creative, visually sophisticated, and risk-taking. Cookman knows a little about risk-taking himself. College teaching is his second full blown career. After graduating from Wheaton College in 1965 with a major in classical Greek and a minor in philosophy, he did a stint in the Army that included a tour in Vietnam.