Tae Kwon Do For College Credit

[dancingalone]

One of my students is doing one of those adult learner degree programs at a local private university. Apparently, they will give you college credit for 'life experiences' if you can document the activity and knowledge and put them into an academic syllabus model. So I have been asked to pull together my training information so the student can organize it for a request for academic credits.

Sounds good to me, I guess. Anyone ever done this before for themselves or their students? If I plan for a certain curriculum/belt level to last 6-9 months, is it reasonable to request the same equivalent time for it in semester hours, i.e. 6 semester hours? I'd really like to do a good job on documentation to help make the approval process more likely. My student only needs a handful of classes left to graduate and I gather she wants this to fit a free elective requirement.

Just for illustration, I've included my white to yellow belt curriculum which should take 6-9 months to learn to a beginner level of performance. I understand each one of these items need to be fleshed out and then explained what a failing, passing, or superior outcome would entail. That's some serious writing to do.


Yellow Belt Requirements
=======================
20 pushups
30 crunches
50 jumping jacks
50 mountain climbers

natural stance
front stance
back stance
horse stance
8-directional stance shifting

lunge punch
reverse punch
back fist

front snap kick
front scoop kick
instep round house kick
heel side snap kick

upper block
down block
inside to outside block

arm hardening exercises 1-3

one steps 1-5

combinations:
lead hand punch, reverse punch
back fist, front leg sidekick
lead leg side kick, advancing forward, down block, lunge punch

self-defense:
front choke escape #1
wrist grab escape #1
wrist grab escape #2
cross wrist grab escape #1
front hair grab escape #1
bear hug escape #1
back bear hug escape #1

mat skills:
front roll
front shoulder roll (both sides)
front break fall
side break fall
demonstrate basic clinch
demonstrate half nelson
demonstrate full nelson
demonstrate side head lock

anatomy:
locate solar plexus on another person
locate philtrum on another person
locate liver on another person

break 1 board

Chon-Ji hyung
Chon-Ji applications 1-3

Sanchin kata
Sanchin applications 1-3

Perform choice of Pinan Shodan or Gekisai Dai Ichi

 

[bluewaveschool]

The YMCA has set up with the local community college that students can take as a general free elective any fitness courses the Y offers (TKD, yoga, pilates, etc) for 3 credit hours. There is a sign in book at the front desk. I'm sure the Y gets something out of it. Perhaps, with your syllabus, you could approach the local college about making some sort of similiar arrangement. You could get a bit of money, maybe not your normal full fee, for a semester, and if you get them hooked they stay on and pay you direct. Could be a great way to bring in more students. We have gained adult students over the years this way, two of the current instructors joined the class through taking it as a college credit.

 

[bluewaveschool]

If I were to put together a syllabus on paper for white to yellow, it would look like this (general 3-4 month time span).

White belt form (Chan Hon forms start at yellow)

White belt 1 steps #1-5

Front kick

Roundhouse kick

Side kick

Lunge Punch

Lead hand jab

Reserve punch

Downward block

Rising block

Inside to outside block

T stance

Long (walking) stance

Horse (riding/sitting) stance

Cat stance (no idea what else people call it)

Q and A panel on test.

 

[StudentCarl]

Don't know if this is out of place, but:

Since your student is the one who wants the credit, I think they should do most of the work. I would have them outline as best they can the curriculum and submit it to you for editing. I think there's value in getting your student to think about this.

 

[granfire]

I am realizing I need to go buy coffee...I am forgetting stuff from 5 minutes ago..so much for kicking the habit...


Anyhow:
Not sure how this works out or needs to be documented. 'Life Experience' is a college credit I am not familiar with. My husband once got PE credit for fishing...go figure...

Also, since it is supposed to be about experience, maybe have her summarize the benefits past physical fitness she is getting from training.

I know a friend of mine noticed benefits that far exceeded the realm of normal exopereince, as well as I talked to a lady one (in the parking lot of the Y because the pool was closed, for 3 hours) how poomse massively affected her husband.

 

[dancingalone]

Since your student is the one who wants the credit, I think they should do most of the work. I would have them outline as best they can the curriculum and submit it to you for editing. I think there's value in getting your student to think about this.

Anyhow:
Not sure how this works out or needs to be documented. 'Life Experience' is a college credit I am not familiar with. My husband once got PE credit for fishing...go figure...

Also, since it is supposed to be about experience, maybe have her summarize the benefits past physical fitness she is getting from training.

I know a friend of mine noticed benefits that far exceeded the realm of normal exopereince, as well as I talked to a lady one (in the parking lot of the Y because the pool was closed, for 3 hours) how poomse massively affected her husband.

Good thoughts, but I've neglected to explain that since this is an academic effort, there's a certain amount of quantitative and qualitative outcomes that a student is supposed to meet to get credit.

Think of your own college courses. When you took English Lit 301, you likely read some works from guys like Shakespeare or Byron that the course designer decided was important enough to make an English survey course. He then took some themes and perhaps mechanical construction methods that these authors used or wrote about for the lecture component of the course. And then of course you're expected to write papers and examinations on this content. You are graded A, B, C, D, or F based on how well you regurgitate and possibly expand upon what was taught.

So, the professor knows what he is looking for. He know what is an A paper vs. a C paper. Does the student? Not necessarily. The student is not a master of the material after all. They are in the very beginning stages of learning it.

Just as I wouldn't expect a college freshman to be able to summarize the literature course to fit what an accrediting agency audits for, so too I wouldn't expect a white belt to be able to take this sparse list of TKD requirements and then explain to what an "A" hyung looks like compared to a "B" one.

In other words, as I review these guidelines for writing a 'portfolio' to request academic credit, I believe I'll be heavily involved... likely as I should be.