Teaching Research Methods to Undergraduates

Abstract

In recent years, several studies have appeared that bemoan what they see as a crisis in higher education.1 They suggest that if we are to have a society of thinking people, several major changes need to be made in our educational sys tem. Some of these changes involve en couraging students to do more individ ual research, to sharpen their critical skills, and to take more responsibility for their own education. These pedagog ical objectives have been a part of the mission of Hampshire College since its inception. Its curriculum was designed specifically to foster these kinds of skills and to produce the kind of educated per son who could become a critical, con tributing member of society. To this day, as other alternative institutions strive to make their programs more traditional, Hampshire prides itself on its innova tive, individual approach to education. Hampshire College's academic pro gram, with its project orientation and emphasis on critical inquiry, puts a pre mium on students' ability to use the li brary effectively. Students cannot get by with reading just the assigned course materials. They have to initiate and ex plore questions, and as a result many students pursue issues not covered in textbooks designed for conventional undergraduate courses. This creates a

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