P1 Developing an Authentic Personality

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This course enables you, in the safe company of other women, to explore how to hear and respond to your own inner voices in the face of religious, cultural, and family expectations. This five-week course uses case studies and women-to-women interaction by way of illustrating the innovative learning style of Catherine College. Inter-cultural component = +8  Dr. Nirmala Draksha 1 cr.hr. 

Note: This five-week course is especially designed for those who want (a) to explore their readiness for online learning and (b) to taste the innovative and interactive learning at Catherine College.

Why take this course?

I have designed this course in order to show you how you can strengthen your character and become a good leader. The course is one way of preparing yourself for more effective studies and a more meaningful life. We all stand on the shoulders of giants in order to see far. In this course, you will discover whether a few of my giants can excite you in the way that they have excited me.

This course is divided into five lessons. Each includes examining a case study and interacting with other participants for the purpose of helping you integrate the values and virtues of exceptional women into your life.

The benefits of this course have been so highly rated by one of our sponsors that she has decided to pay the full tuition for any woman who enrolls. When you register yourself for this course and complete the exercises for each of the five lessons and write a final assessment paper, you will receive a certificate from our Virtual College.

	Lesson 1. Believe in yourself Character often requires stepping out of social roles and asserting your own dignity in the face of opposition.
	Lesson 2. Live with integrity Honesty demands that you question your dearest held views if they go against established fact or reason. You should treasure a critical mind and healthy doubts.
	Lesson 3. Study, listen and fight You should put all effort into educating yourself as well as possible. You should listen to your opponents before you fight them.
	Lesson 4. Examine tradition before trusting it Tradition is not always our best friend. If it proves unreliable, you may need to reject it even if it brings you in conflict with social and religious authorities.
	Lesson 5. Be generous and give Being self-centered and selfish does not produce greatness or happiness. Paradoxically, you become a fruitful personality by giving of yourself to others.

Have an adventure in learning!

Nirmala Draksha

Computer Assisted Learning

Many of the stories examined in each session can either be read silently, read out loud, or listened to as audio recordings.  In addition, there are some short videos that will be viewed.  Accordingly, those taking this course will want to test their internet access speed and their computer settings to assure themselves that they can enjoy a clear reception of audio and video files.  If you are working on a computer in a public space, you will want to have your earphones handy. To test your computer system, double-click on the image below.  [Note: It takes about ten seconds before the sound track begins.  At the end, use your browser's reverse button to return to this page.  If you have technical difficulties, click here.]

Learning Style

Preparation: The course presumes no special previous training.

Types of feedback called for: personal reflections on the five case studies,  making surmises relative to the hidden agenda of narratives and the hidden meaning of those lives under consideration.

Cross-cultural component = +8  Based on a scale +1 to +10.  This rating indicates the degree to which the presentation of this course includes an examination of (a) the rich diversity of cultures existing today and (b) the transformations that a given culture experiences over a span of time.

Interactivity: Besides offering one's own thoughts for comment, each participant normally spends twenty minutes each week reflecting upon and offering feedback regarding the reflections of others in the class.  Guidelines for offering feedback are presented and implemented in such a way as to assure respect for the individuality of each participant and to provide a safe atmonsphere for free and open exchanges.

Chatroom activity: There is no designated time each week for chatroom activity.  Participants, however, have access to a live chatroom for informal exchanges set up by the tutor or by the participants themselves.

Tutor availability: A tutor will be overseeing each session.  You may contact your tutor via email anytime (and, in some instances, via phone during limited hours).  You will receive regular feedback, encouragement, and challenges from your tutor each week.

Textbook: none.  All readings are supplied online. 

Time required each week: 3 to 4 hours at times convenient to yourself.

Graduation Certificate: Participants who wish to merit a Graduation Certificate are asked to complete a research project that requires four to eight hours of research and writing beyond the five lessons of the course.  Practice shows that the choice of topic is best left open until the final weeks of the course when further details will be available.

Introduction

It was October 1095 in the city of Baghdad. Hundreds of students had crowded into the lecture room to hear Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali, the famous, enthusiastic, young lecturer of Nizamiyya College.

As al-Ghazali began his lecture, all took their seats. The shuffling of feet and hubbub of voices subsided. All eyes were fastened on his face. al-Ghazali consulted his notes. He opened his mouth to speak, but not a sound came . . . Drops of sweat stood on his forehead. . . .

“One particular day I was making an effort to lecture in order to gratify the hearts of my students. But my tongue would not utter a single word. I could not accomplish anything at all. . . .”   Al-Ghazali in Deliverance from error

Al-Ghazali picked up his notes and left the lecture room.

Lifelong Learning

This course will show you how, by examining the critical life choices of others, you can strengthen your character and become a good leader. The course is also one way of preparing yourself for more effective studies and a more meaningful life. We all stand on the shoulders of giants in order to see far. In this course, you will discover whether a few of my giants can excite you in the way that they have excited me.  ---Dr. Nirmala Draksha