FAST-US-5 (TRENAK13) United States Education Survey is an
elective intermediate course in both the FAST Area Studies and English
Translation curricula. Introduction to American
English and U.S. Institutions Survey
are prerequisite for US-5.
US-5 covers the basic structure of education in the United States,
including socioeconomic and political dynamics and the roles of schools as
instruments of social change. Social and pedagogical distinctions between
American and Finnish educational structures are reviewed, including the
influence of decentralization in the U.S. and topical Federal-State,
church-state, racial, ethnic and budgetary issues. The course covers U.S.
education from pre-school through post-doctoral, as well as co-curricular
and extra-curricular activities, adult and continuing education,
international education, and influences of new technologies.
Evaluation for a range of 2-8 ECTS credits will be via an exam plus the
submission of 2 student questions, with an optional
student project and, for registered FAST students, a research paper
available for additional credit. Students should subscribe to the USA5-L class e-mail list.
