I think we may use the language too much as a means of creating and
defending the territory on which our career progression is based.
-----Original Message-----
From: learning development in higher education network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Len Holmes
Sent: 07 December 2004 16:01
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: generalism vs specialism - teaching vs. learning
How about 'book *reading*'? Here's a thought experiment: what would
happen if we eradicated from our vocabulary the words 'learning',
'learner' etc, and also 'skill', 'capability', 'ability', 'competence'
etc? What difference would that make to the way that we talk and think
about what we are engaged in as educators and academics?
Then what if we started to reintroduce those terms, **but being
conscious the whole time that they do not refer to, denote, any
empirically observable phenomena**. That is, if in reintroducing the
terms, we constantly seek to avoid the 'bewitchment of our intelligence
by means of language' about which Wittgenstein warned.
What would our world be like then?
regards
Len
Jill Armstrong wrote:
> Sorry, b-learning stands for book-learning, a much older and wiser
story.
> Jill
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: learning development in higher education network on behalf of
> Cheetham, Ken
> Sent: Tue 07/12/2004 13:41
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: generalism vs specialism - teaching vs. learning
>
>
> We at UWIC are into b-learning now - that's b for blended! Or is it
just another b for buzzword that somebody out there dreamed up?
>
> Ken
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Anita Pincas [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 07 December 2004 12:48
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: generalism vs specialism - teaching vs. learning
>
>
> THANK YOU in capital letters. What a brilliant, succinct, and
true response! [if I may say so without sounding patronising].
>
> It is just what I try to get across when I teach about another
dreaded "L" word, "e-learning". This has shifted the focus of online
course delivery to learners/students, and thus taken away all
considerations of teaching - as if people could just learn, flexibly [a
new "f" word] on their own. when I train people in online course
delivery, I try to talk about e-teaching, not e-learning, but it's an
uphill struggle.
>
> And since the whole e-learning movement has - very positively
on the whole - focussed the attention of HE staff on their need to
understand pedagogy, this is important for face to face traditional
teaching, not just online methods.
>
> Anita
>
> At 12:40 PM 06/12/2004, Leonard Holmes wrote:
>
>
> Christine Keenan wrote:
>
>
>
> Dear all
>
> Does anyone have any views on the argument
that staff should not "own" the units they teach on, but rather be
available to teach on any unit as required by course management? Does
anyone know of an example where this works, or doesn't work, well?
>
>
> Well this does seem to me to be an implication of the
'learning turn' in
> higher education, particular in the way this seems to
have become a sort
> of cultist, quasi-religious ideology (that I call
'learnerism' - see
> http://www.re-skill.org.uk/papers/learningturn.html).
> If, as learnerists argue, teaching staff should be
'facilitators of
> learning', focussing on the 'process of learning',
then there is little
> scope for the claim on specialist expertise within a
particular field.
> Add to that
> (1) the possessive-instrumentalist conceptualisation
of skills that
> currently doninates, and
> (2) the rather limited understanding that many in
senior management
> have on the possibilities applications of ICTs in
education,
> then we have a toxic mix.
>
> I have argued that learning is a 'contaminated
concept' (see
> http://www.re-skill.org.uk/papers/contaminated.htm),
> that analogy with contamination suggesting some
possible responses.
> First we should 'decontaminate' our own discourse. We
need to remove
> improper uses of the term 'learning' and other words
based on the stem
> 'learn-'. We teach, we do not facilitate learning (? =
make learning
> facile??) Students (not learners) study, ie engage in
the practices of
> study, such as reading, attending and taking active
part in classes,
> writing, practise, etc. When we teach we may do
different sorts of
> things, including lecture, provoke debate, chair
discussion, set
> activities for students to perform, etc. We try to
teach effectively,
> and hope that, if our students undertake their own
related
> responsibilities, this will be shown by successful
educational outcomes
> (part of which we attribute the term 'learning').
>
> Second, we can take prophylactic measures. Let's stop
talking about
> 'learning outcomes' (unless we mean the outcomes
*actually* achieved, in
> terms of learning) - if we are forced to use the 'L'
word, let us say
> 'desired learning outcomes' or 'intended learning
outcomes'. Say
> 'undergraduate' or 'student', not 'learner'. We don't
have 'learning and
> teaching strategies' but we might have an 'educational
strategy' or
> 'pedagogic strategy'. Drop the term 'skill', let's
talk about
> 'practices' that we expect, or require, students to
rehearse and
> practise (if relatively new to them) or just engage in
(as they move
> forward in their transition from undergraduate to
graduate).
>
> On the other hand, if required to teach a final year
unit/ module on
> advanced brain surgery, I am willing to do so provided
I am able to
> choose the people on whose brains I can demonstrate.
> (ouch!)
>
> regards
>
> Len
>
>
> Anita Pincas, Senior Lecturer,
> Lifelong Education and International Development [LEID}
> Institute of Education,
> 20 Bedford Way
> London WC1H0AL
> Tel +44 (0) 207 612 6522
> FAX +44 (0) 207 612 6467
>
> Personal Web page <http://www.ioe.ac.uk/english/Apincas.htm
> <http://www.ioe.ac.uk/english/Apincas.htm> >
>
> Online Education and Training
> Full details and application form:
> <http://www.ioe.ac.uk/english/OET.htm
> <http://www.ioe.ac.uk/english/OET.htm> >
>
--
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr Leonard Holmes
Director, Management Research Centre
London Metropolitan University
Holloway Road, London N7 8DB
tel. +44 (0)20 7133 3032
email: [log in to unmask]
websites:
http://www.re-skill.org.uk
http://www.odysseygroup.org.uk
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