October 10, 2019
Born@Tang
Forging promising ideas in educationThe latest at the Tang Institute? Building a “school within a school.”
It’s an interdisciplinary, project-based approach where students will consider a single theme through multiple academic lenses. Think topics like food systems, artificial intelligence, and political polarization. The pilot will debut in spring 2020, and participating students will take these integrated courses exclusively throughout the entire term. The focus will be on collaborative research and experiential learning—with opportunities for off-campus exploration.
Innovation is nothing new at the Tang Institute, of course. Since 2014, Tang faculty fellows have cultivated these concepts and more:
1. Learning in the World
The institute’s first major initiative now boasts more than 30 cultural programs spanning from China and Morocco to Italy and Brazil.
2. Andover Math Problems
This robust database houses more than 3,000 advanced math tasks—and is leveraged on campus and by six leading educational organizations. The “problem-creation sandbox” is currently being expanded to include other academic subjects.
3. EduCompass
The proprietary online testing platform offers a new and powerful way to conduct placement exams. Partner schools have the ability to create custom assessments while Andover provides detailed analyses regarding effectiveness
The focus will be on collaborative research and experiential learning—with opportunities for off-campus exploration.
4. SYNAPSE
The SYNAPSE project is a set of learning strategies developed for educators and students of all ages, drawing on original research in neurobiology and the science of education.
5. TEDxPhillipsAcademyAndover
More than 35 Tang-sponsored TEDx talks have encouraged compelling student presentations on topics such as “What Is Our Generation’s Mission Statement” and “The 21st-Century Citizen.”
Discover more at www.andover.edu/BornAtTang.
Originally printed in The Vista: Views from the Knowledge & Goodness Campaign, summer 2019.