In the 2016-2017 academic year, as the American Academy of Religion considered College Guidelines for Religious Literacy, I re-designed my Religions of the World courses around the idea of religious literacy. This new framework culminated with a week of student presentations open to the campus, “Raising Religious Literacy at UNI.” Working in teams, students delivered 10-minute presentations, sharing their research and analysis about a specific religious group.
The purpose of this assignment was for students to gain familiarity with the academic study of religion (an in-depth study alongside a broader survey) and with library resources as their teamwork and oral presentation skills. By delivering presentations outside of our normal classroom in a shared campus space, the assignment outcomes allowed students to engage peers across the campus, sharing what they’ve learned and contributing to UNI’s Vision and Mission.
Cara Burnidge 