By Amber Hensley

The world is changing, as so are the ways that students learning. No longer are courses only offered on traditional subject matter, and taught in traditional methods. Predominately, humanity courses are on the forefront of using innovative methods and unorthodox subject matter to reach their students. The result has been the development of some rather unique and interesting college courses, which can be found in leading universities around the world. Following is a list of the 12 quirkiest college classes currently being offered in today’s universities.

Providence University – Porn Appreciation

As of the spring semester of 2009, the mass communications department at Providence University (Taiwan) now offers a course based on the appreciation of pornography. This class includes an assignment wherein students must give a 15-minute presentation analyzing the psychological reaction to a pornographic scene, from an academic perspective. This class was created with the intention of combining psychological theories with those of mass communication to better understand the pornography’s role in contemporary society. source

Occidental College – Stupidity

The ‘Stupidity’ course at Occidental was created to critically engage the field of psychology through the work of Nietzsche, Deleuze, and Ronell. The course description reads, “Stupidity, which has been evicted from the philosophical premises and dumbed down by psychometric psychology, has returned in the postmodern discourse against Nation, Self, and Truth and makes itself felt in political life ranging from the presidency to Beavis and Butthead.” Contrary to presupposition, students are required to undertake substantive reading to effectively participate in this course. source

Centre College – Myth and Science Fiction: Star Wars, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings

Centre College now affords students the opportunity to pursue literature coursework in contemporary epic storytelling. Course creator, Professor Lee Patterson has decided to focus the course material on these contemporary stories because of their narratives. Molded after myths and legends conceived centuries ago, these movies of the eponymous course title have been translated into a style and format never imagined by their ancient precursors. This course also investigates the comparison of other epic stories, and contemporary narratives such as: Star Trek, Stargate, Dr. Who, The X-Files and Babylon 5. source

Oberlin College – Super Smash Brothers Melee Theory and Practice

Offered as a class through Oberlin’s psychical education department, this elective course teaches students, among other things, virtual combat techniques. Limited to game play via The Super Smash Brothers Melee for the Nintendo Game Cube, this course also serves as a platform to facilitate greater discussion. Through the duration of the course, students are expected to thoughtfully examine the correlation between, and involvement of, video games and society. Topics include: censorship, stereotyped characters, addiction, and gaming as an evolving art form. source

Brooklyn College – South Park and Political Correctness

This course was first developed in Fall 2008 by adjunct professor, Brian Dunphy. Professor Dunphy’s motive in this course is to train students to look beyond the physical humor and presumably crass storylines of this television show, and instead focus on the shows numerous underlying social agendas. Using communication theory to dissect the allegorically subject matter, this course encourages students to explore the relation of humor and mass communication in persuasive political arguments. source

Vanderbilt University – Worlds of Wordcraft

The English and Information Technology departments at Vanderbilt University have collaborated to create a unique classroom experience for its students. This course bridges classic literary theory with the new digital, interactive form of storytelling. Enrolled students are required to subscribe to, and participate in online roll-playing games, to compare the interactive story arcs with related narrative forms from literature and film. source

University of Alaska, Fairbanks – Beginning Pistol Marksmanship

This class is offered for one unit of physical education credit, and is aimed at advancing a student’s knowledge and skills necessary in safely owning and operating a pistol. An interesting component of this class is that it may be used to facilitate students’ progress through The NRA Marksmanship Program. Presently, this course is one of the most popular of those offered by the school’s Department of Physical Education. source

University of North Carolina at Greensboro – Alien Microeconomics

Shirking traditionally pedagogy, students enrolled in this web-based course are required to play an alien-themed video game to learn the course curriculum. According to course creator Professor Jeff Sarbum, this enables students to become immersed in the game’s storyline. As a result, students are taught microeconomics in way such that the reading material, examinations and homework are built in as the game itself. To successfully complete the course, the student’s characters are required to complete a number of interactive tasks, and consequently “beat” the game. source

Pitzer College – Learning from You Tube

This course is based on the predictions of the radical media theorists of the early 20th century. Specifically, this course analyzes the growing democratization of media production and distribution. Pitzer’s media studies department have selected YouTube as a case study, in order that students may understand the current trends in new media, and discuss its role in society. Important questions discussed in this course are: “What is society reflecting in YouTube?” and, “What can society learn from this reflection?” source

Mount Holyoke College – Whiteness and the Construction of Identity

This course at Mount Holyoke College is aimed at understanding the role that white culture has played in the social, political, and economic history during past four centuries. This course also covers issues such as historical, race-based injustices and inequality, as well as the role of racial identity in contemporary America. Required reading in this course includes a book by Dalton Conley entitled “Honky.” This book explores the author’s own upbringing in a minority neighborhood and his realization of racial injustices. source

University of California, Berkley – The Strategy of StarCraft

Berkley’s course on Starcraft has received a lot of media attention, and is used to teach students, among other things, war strategy. Requisite reading for this course include “The Art of War,” by Sun Tzu, and “Crazy as Me,” by Lim Ho Hwan. This course is offered through Berkley’s Hass School of Business in hopes of teaching students military theory, as visualized through video games. Lectures for this course include military and strategic theory as well as the practical aspects of conducting war in the game’s interface. source

University of Illinois, Urbana – Oprah Winfrey, the Tycoon

This unorthodox history class is devoted to studying the historical significance of Oprah Winfrey. Conceived by professor Juliet E. K. Walker students in this course are instructed on the media mogul’s rise to prominence. Topics includes: her humble beginnings, her early days as a local TV anchor, and her rise to owner of one of the world’s largest production companies, Harpo Productions, Inc. This course was first offered in 2001, and for the inaugural class, all fourteen students mailed their twenty page term papers to Oprah to have her read them. source