Erin Pearson, assistant professor of English, will join more than 50 other CATL scholars to develop a highly innovative project to further Elon's strategic goal of building connections between the arts and sciences and professional schools through innovative cross-disciplinary pedagogy.
The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning has chosen a new CATL Scholar for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years. Assistant Professor of English Erin Pearson will join more than 50 other CATL scholars including current scholars Chris Richardson, Katie Baker, and co-scholars Ketevan Kupatadze and Elena Schoonmaker-Gates.
The CATL Scholar program fosters innovative and scholarly teaching and learning. Echoing the Elon Teacher-Scholar statement, the CATL Scholars program is designed so that participants engage deeply with the shared goals of our academic community and develop highly innovative projects.
Pearson will work on “Connecting Literature and Professional Programs to Increase Student Motivation and Success” for her CATL Scholar project. Despite significant evidence that literature cultivates vital professional skills, many students believe it is irrelevant to their majors and lives. This project seeks to increase student motivation by emphasizing connections between signature pedagogies in literary studies, business, and health. After researching and developing classroom activities and assignments focused on cross-disciplinary approaches to literature, she will run a pilot course and concurrent study to assess changes in student motivation and skills.
In her current role as co-director of a 15-person team applying for a National Endowment for the Humanities implementation grant to develop stronger connections between humanities and pre-professional programs at Elon, Pearson along with colleagues in business, pre-health, and other humanities disciplines will be working to create an Intercultural Pathway Certificate Program that uses humanities courses to help business and pre-health majors develop the skills integral to their future careers and society as a whole.
The research as a CATL Scholar will directly contribute to her work on the NEH grant both by revealing points of meaningful contact between the humanities and business and pre-health fields and by creating a course that can be a part of the new certificate program.
This project furthers Elon’s strategic goal of building connections between the arts and sciences and professional schools through innovative cross disciplinary pedagogy.
A call for applications for CATL Scholars is announced early each fall. All full-time faculty are encouraged to apply. CATL Scholars are selected by a faculty committee comprised of other Scholars and CATL faculty advisory committee members.
Visit the CATL website or email CATL at catl@elon.edu for more information.