Some Courses Shouldn't Be Fun

In this article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Mikita Brottman argues that some college classes can't be "enjoyable." In a nutshell, most college courses can be challenging and fun, when led by a gifted teacher, but there are some areas of inquiry that shouldn't be "fun." For example, consider a class in Greek tragedy, or on understanding suicide. Such classes should lead students to think about profound and important questions, like good and evil, human nature, or the nature and origins of consciousness. The enlightenment that consideration of such questions yields is (or should be) more sobering than pleasurable. She continues: "if such courses are taught well, there will be little immediate gratification. Disillusionment is a more likely outcome, in the short term at least."

Professors often shy away from teaching these difficult and potentially depressing topics because of fear of negative course evaluations, or simply because teaching sobering topics is very challenging. However, it's in these courses -- the "nonenjoyable" -- that students often learn memorable lessons.

Also see: More on Teaching