The Natural World
Quest 2 courses engage students in thought-provoking undergraduate coursework that builds on and expands their Quest 1 experience in the arts and humanities. Where Quest 1 courses ask what faces our globe today, Quest 2 courses asks what we can do to create positive change. Rather than offer introductory and survey courses to specific fields, Quest 2 courses invite students to encounter important real-world issues that cut across disciplines.
Quest 2 courses introduce scientific methods and discourse for students to become familiar with the ways that data, methods, and tools from diverse fields can be brought to bear on pressing questions facing human societies and/or the planet today. How do the various social and/or biophysical sciences substantively contribute to life on our planet? How do these disciplines converge towards improving the human condition?
To approach these questions, Quest 2 courses foreground active learning opportunities and help students develop concrete skills in communication and critical thinking. Students are expected to create arguments, draw on evidence, and articulate ideas according to the norms of the fields of study covered in the course, and they are assessed accordingly.
In addition, Quest 2 courses should inspire students to engage with social and/or biophysical sciences directly: the best classes invite participation in experiential learning activities at relevant sites around the UF campus and in the greater Gainesville community. While the content of Quest 2 courses will vary, all Quest 2 courses must achieve Quest 2 Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes, while some may also meet the criteria to receive the Gen Ed designation for the Social and Behavioral Sciences (‘S’), Biological Sciences (‘B’), or Physical Sciences (“P”).