Inquiry-Based Learning

My teaching is driven by the belief that students are already thinking philosophically, and that my role as instructor is to cultivate their philosophical voices by giving them the skills they need to think clearly about problems that interest them. In all of my courses I employ experiential and active learning strategies such as scaffolded group work about normative case studies. In addition to engaging students in the learning process, these activities present regular opportunities for students to cultivate intellectual virtues such as curiosity, humility, and autonomy—traits that are valuable in their own right and that contribute to successful inquiry and to a flourishing democracy.

Courses Taught

Moral and Philosophical Issues in Education

This course centers on the social, philosophical, and normative foundations of education, especially education in a liberal democracy. Drawing on both historical and contemporary sources, we examine fundamental questions such as: What are the aims of education? What makes the distribution of educational opportunities just? Who should have the authority to shape educational policy and practice? Students engage in regular deliberation around normative case studies, encouraging them to critically examine and revise their philosophical views. The course emphasizes habits of open-minded inquiry and the cultivation of intellectual virtues needed for truth-seeking in contexts of disagreement.

Intergenerational Philosophy

Intergenerational Philosophy is a community-engaged course I created at UNC in Spring 2021. Each semester, students from diverse academic backgrounds engage in sustained, intergenerational dialogue with older adults around a wide range of philosophical questions, with particular emphasis on ethical reasoning and real-world dilemmas. The experiential nature of the course invites reflection on the purposes of education, the role of lifelong learning, and the civic and social value of philosophy. By bridging generations, the course fosters mutual understanding and draws on the lived wisdom of older adults to enrich philosophical inquiry.

Ethics Research Seminar for Undergraduates

UNC-CH

Directed Readings: Cicero’s Moral and Political Philosophy

UNC-CH

History of Ancient Philosophy

University of Pennsylvania

Social Foundation of Education

University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education

Public Philosophy & Civic Engagement

University of Pennsylvania

Ethics Bowl and Democratic Deliberation

UNC-CH