Sins Against Nature: The Condemnation of Birth Control in Early Christianity

In the period when the early Christian Church was formualting its doctrine on marriage, sexual relations and procreation, a number of technologies existed which were used by both women and men in an attempt to impede conception. Church fathers, however, particularly St. Augustine, strongly criticized the use of birth control. Their argument was that contraception was a "sin against nature." This paper attempts to explain why that argument was so compelling and shows how it was used in the struggle over who would control reproduction—the individual or the community.A l'époque où les premiers chrétiens formulèrent leurs doctrines sur le mariage, les relations sexuelles et la procréation, il existait un certain nombre de techniques contraceptives utilisées par les femmes et les hommes. Cependant, les fondateurs de l'Église, particulière- ment St. Augustin, critiquèrent fortement le contrôle des naissances. Leur argument consistait à dire que la contraception était un «péché contre la nature». Cet article tente d'expliquer pourquoi cet argument fut si convaincant, et montre comment il fut utilisé dans le combat contre quiconque voudrait contrôler la reproduction—individu ou communauté

Stereotype modeling for problem-solving performance predictions in moocs and traditional courses

Stereotypes are frequently used in real life to classify students according to their performance in class. In literature, we can find many references to weaker students, fast learners, struggling students, etc. Given the lack of detailed data about students, these or other kinds of stereotypes could be potentially used for user modeling and personalization in the educational context. Recent research in MOOC context demonstrated that data-driven learner stereotypes could work well for detecting and preventing student dropouts. In this paper, we are exploring the application of stereotype-based modeling to a more challenging task - predicting student problemsolving and learning in two programming courses and two MOOCs. We explore traditional stereotypes based on readily available factors like gender or education level as well as some advanced data-driven approaches to group students based on their problem-solving behavior. Each of the approaches to form student stereotype cohorts is validated by comparing models of student learning: do students in different groups learn differently? In the search for the stereotypes that could be used for adaptation, the paper examines ten approaches. We compare the performance of these approaches and draw conclusions for future research

Teaching College-Level Science

This seminar focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary for teaching science and engineering in higher education. Topics include: using current research in student learning to improve teaching; developing courses; lecturing; promoting students' ability to think critically and solve problems; communicating with a diverse student body; using educational technology; creating effective assignments and tests; and utilizing feedback to improve instruction. Students research and teach a topic of particular interest. This subject is appropriate for both novices and those with teaching experience

Management Communication for Undergraduates

This is a required seminar for Management Science majors to develop the writing, speaking, teamwork, and interpersonal communication skills necessary for managers. Students learn communication principles, strategies, and methods through discussions, exercises, examples, and cases. Assignments include writing memos and business letters, and giving oral presentations in labs outside of class. A major project is the production of a team report and presentation on a topic of interest to a managerial audience

Guidelines on Learning that Inform Teaching

This handbook includes 16 Guidelines on Learning based on the research literature on student learning and accepted good teaching practice, that inform the teaching at MIT. Each Guideline is explained with appropriate quotes and there are links to examples of the guideline in action. The handbook was adapted by The MIT Teaching and Learning Laboratory from the "Guidelines on Learning that inform teaching at the University of New South Wales" and it's associated Toolkit. This has now been expanded as a generic "Guidelines on Learning that inform teaching" website with exemplar examples and written in a format to encourage other universities to draft their own set of guidelines and examples. Online Publicatio

Communicating Across Cultures

In an increasingly interconnected world, communicating across cultures is a crucial skill in the international networks of business, science, and technology. Subject examines a range of communication styles and techniques resulting from different cultural norms and traditions. It begins with a general theoretical framework and then moves into case studies. Topics include understanding the relationship between communication and culture, differences in verbal and non-verbal communication styles, barriers to intercultural communication, modes of specific cross-cultural communication activities (e.g. argumentation, negotiation, conflict resolution) and intercultural adjustment. Case studies explore specific ways of communicating in Asian and European cultures. Graduate students are expected to complete additional assignments. Taught in English. From the course home page: Course Description It has become commonplace knowledge that globalization is one of the major forces shaping our world. If we look at the spread of information, ideas, capital, media, cultural artifacts--or for that matter, people--we can see the boundaries and borders that have historically separated one country or one group from another are becoming more and more permeable. For proof of this close to home, you need only to look at the composition of the MIT student body: 8 percent of the undergraduates and 37 percent of the graduate students are from 109 different countries. "Communicating Across Cultures" is designed to help you meet the challenges of living in a world in which, increasingly, you will be asked to interact with people who may not be like you in fundamental ways. Its primary goals are to help you become more sensitive to intercultural communication differences, and to provide you with the knowledge and skills that will help you interact successfully with people from cultures other than your own. We hope the course will accomplish those goals by exposing you to some of the best writers and scholars on the subject of intercultural communication, and by giving you a variety of opportunities to practice intercultural communication yourself. As you read the syllabus for this course, we hope you get a sense of our commitment to making this course a rewarding experience for you

Understanding Curricular Approaches to Communication as a Global Competency: An Interdisciplinary Study of the Teaching and Learning of Communication

As society grows more global and interconnected, the challenges that must be addressed by the next generation of engineers are becoming more complex. Engineers need deep technical expertise, of course, but they also need what have typically been called 21st-century skills, for example, critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and communication. Technical knowledge and “soft” skills are complementary, and both are necessary if engineers are to help solve the most serious problems our societies face. This call for engineering education to position itself so students can meet modern challenges was laid out by the leaders of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in their influential reports, The Engineer of 2020. There is now a need to reflect on how engineering education has positively changed in the decade since those reports, and to consider what still needs to be tackled

Management Communication for Undergraduates

Required seminar for Management Science majors to develop the writing, speaking, teamwork, and interpersonal communication skills necessary for managers. Students learn communication principles, strategies, and methods through discussions, exercises, examples, and cases. Assignments include writing memos and business letters, and giving oral presentations in labs outside of class. A major project is the production of a team report and presentation on a topic of interest to a managerial audience