Radio Sloyd: An Amateur Radio Approach to the University-Level Critical Thinking and Writing Class Kristina Collins, Sarah Bania-Dobyns, David Kazdan, Nathaniel Vishner, and Andrew Hennessy Case Western Reserve University, kvc2, dxk10, sbd43, nnv, and ajb200@case.edu Abstract—This paper outlines the use of amateur radio in teaching a general education writing seminar in Case Western Reserve University’s SAGES program. The paper outlines the educational philosophy of sloyd, then presents a review of amateur radio activities in terms of their cross-curricular potential. This is followed by an overview of the course, which begins by presenting the earliest means of communication over a distance – horns and drums, couriers and smoke signals – and continues into the developments of postal systems and newspapers, optical semaphores, electrical telegraphy and undersea cables, radiotelegraphy, broadcast radio, television, the Internet, and space communication. We examine the issues in each of engineering and content regulation, and of censorship. The censorship issues are presented and discussed including both governmental and voluntary or market-based forms. We conclude with a summary of how critical and con- textual writing are integrated into the course, including a discussion of writing assignments and writing-to-learn strategies. Keywords—amateur radio, critical thinking, general ed- ucation, sloyd, writing, I. I NTRODUCTION Several universities now use amateur radio as part of engineering curriculum [1]. Case Western Reserve University’s (CWRU) use of it in general education is, as far as we know, unique. We model it roughly after Educational Sloyd, the 19 th century system of general education through handcraft and woodworking. Our electrical engineering version uses radio and electronics studies in place of wood- working but otherwise has many similarities to the Finnish school program. We cover issues of commu- nications, government, and censorship, personal and societal freedom, and even the creativity of hands-on electronics design and visual arts. We integrate these field-specific goals with general education learning objectives, including teaching academic writing, re- search and critical thinking skills. The course is taught in the context of a broader critical thinking, discussion, and writing curriculum. II. ON S LOYD The word “sloyd” derives from the Swedish “Sl¨ oyd,” meaning “handy.” Educational Sloyd began in mid-19th century Finland as a system of general education centered on woodworking. The term is from Finnish sl¨ ojd meaning craft or manual skill. Finnish educator Uno Cignaeus originated the pro- gram, which spread to Sweden, the UK, and the United States. The intent was craft education that systematically taught mental, physical, and moral development to children. A system of elementary education was based on paper model building. Sloyd continues as a compulsory educational program in Sweden, with educational goals including personal management, ability to create and to use materials, and cultural and aesthetic expression. Experiential learning in the United States ranging from Thoreau’s Concord Academy through Olin College of En- gineering’s collaborative, project-based technology studies are perhaps contemporary versions of Edu- cational Sloyd[2]. Educational Sloyd was a response to pedagogy involving a lecturing teacher at the front of a class- room and perhaps not very much more. “French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau said, ‘the great secret of education is to combine mental and phys- ical work so that one kind of exercise refreshes the other.’ Friedrich Froebel, originator of Kindergarten, placed manual work at the center of instruction and grouped all other studies around it.” [2] Similarly, we view amateur radio communication as a portal into many forms of inquiry, growth, and education.