Travel-Learning Course, ‘Castles and Cathedrals in the Middle Ages’
Learn how OWU’s Course Connections, Travel-Learning Courses, Theory-to-Practice Grants, and other programs prepare students for global citizenship and leadership and help them…Make the Connection.
Led by Ohio Wesleyan assistant professor of history Ellen Arnold (left), students visited castles and cathedrals of England and Scotland. The trip enhance classroom learning by enabling students to study the buildings as symbols of power, feats of engineering, and expressions of cultural identity for medieval peoples. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Thomas ’15)
Sarah Thomas ’15
Name: Sarah Thomas ’15
Major: Medieval Studies
Minors: History, Humanities, and Journalism
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Experience: Travel-Learning Course, “Castles and Cathedrals in the Middle Ages,” May 2014
Lesson Learned: “The best experience for me was being able to see with my own eyes for the first time all the history and architecture that I have studied for the last three years at OWU.
“I loved being able to walk around the cities, such as York, and being able to see medieval buildings and streets and get an idea for what medieval city life was like, outside of textbooks that I’ve read in classes.
“I’m so thankful for this course because it gave me the opportunity to utilize my knowledge with my major in day-to-day scenarios, as well as a provide ideas for possible further studies and careers after graduation.”
Name: Christine Mendiola ’16
Majors: English-Creative Writing and Medieval Studies
Hometown: Wooster, Ohio
Experience: Travel-Learning Course, “Castles and Cathedrals in the Middle Ages,” May 2014
Lessons Learned: “I’ve have been to England before and even been to a few of the sites that we visited. However, that didn’t make this trip any less amazing.
“[I]t was easier to see the effect of what I learned over the semester on how I understood the buildings.
“On my first trip, I was inspired to want to learn more about the Middle Ages. … [T]his time I got to see some of those efforts pay off, as well as get motivated to continue.”