Oklahoma Christian University offers students many different opportunities to exercise their creativity. One such opportunity, a 2023 fall semester class called Worldbuilding, centers its entire curriculum around the concept.
“This is the kind of course that combines what you might get in several other courses separately or discreetly, and we’re able to talk about it here in one course,” Dr. Chris Rosser said. “I also think it’s been helpful for students who have capstone projects they’re working on or other personal projects. This is a sandbox for them to really work on projects they’re doing in other courses and to hone those projects in this course.”
Worldbuilding was initially thought of by Dr. David Crismon, who based the course on a similar offering from the University of Texas at Austin. The course aims to foster creative growth in student’s personal stories or projects. Unfortunately, Crismon had to step away from the course early in the semester due to extenuating circumstances, leaving Rosser to teach the course.
“I want to make it very clear that this course was David’s baby: he designed it, and what he created is brilliant. Full props to David Crismon,” Rosser said.
Worldbuilding’s curriculum focuses on media such as “history, art history, film history, anthropology, science and literature to learn how complex mythic narratives have been created and structured,” as stated according to the syllabus.
“I strongly believe humans are storied beings. We make sense of the world through story, we create worlds with words. Then we inhabit those worlds that we create. Once you start paying attention to the ethics of what it means to make sense of a story, you begin to realize how those ethics then spill out into our own here and now,” Rosser said. “The story itself can actually help us understand our own humanity now much more clearly. Especially with regard to empathy for the other, and love for the neighbors, the self. So that’s how I’ve been approaching worldbuilding.”
A typical week in the class includes a lecture on Tuesday, followed by a workshop on Thursday.
“I enjoy listening in on the stories and examples for us to better understand worldbuilding as a whole,” Senior D’Chika Onwusa said. “The lectures are never really boring, and I can sit and listen to different perspectives all day. I don’t feel different or strange expressing my ideas in class, so it is very welcoming and stress free.”
The course focuses on desire-driven, “gamified” learning, which allows students to pursue interests unique to their storytelling goals and delve into course material at their own pace.
“I want to be comfortable coming up with stories and characters without feeling as if everything has to be correct or perfect,” Onwusa said. “I hope to communicate my ideas more fluidly and easily without feeling discouraged that what I have is not good enough or up to the level I want it to be. I want to be excited about the imperfections rather than overwhelmed.”
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