Two LSU professors are co-teaching a World War I history class this fall — with a twist.
Karl Roider, a history professor and Kevin Bongiorni, a French professor, are combining their expertise to coordinate one class about both history of the war and its effects on French culture, art and literature.
The two professors decided to set up the class in a learning community style with a grant from the Centers for Excellence in Learning and Teaching.
Bongiorni said the purpose of the learning community is to increase contact among different departments.
Roider said there are three types of learning communities — two separate classes meet together for lectures, a class can be divided into small groups for discussion to meet outside the classroom setting and a third model in which classes from different colleges meet together.
Students will earn six hours of credit— three in French and three in history.
Bongiorni and Roider will team teach this summer for the LSU in Paris program and will continue working together with the learning community this fall.
Roider has worked with interdisciplinary classes in the past, and he said students in his previous classes participated in debates, made up skits and watched films. Roider said he plans to bring the class to view WWI posters at the state archives in Baton Rouge. Bongiorni said his part of the class will include presentations and group activities that combine history and French culture.
Bongiorni said he will order texts in both French and English so students who are advanced in French can translate.
“I don’t want to limit the class only to French students — that limits the number who will be able to take the class,” Bongiorni said. “But I also want to keep the French aspect in the class.
Roider said he and Bongiorni will read each other’s required books and listen in on the other’s lectures to understand what students are learning from both professors.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” said Aimee Brasseaux, a French and history double major who will take the class in the fall. “I love the aspect of combining more than one subject. It gives you a more complete picture.”