Giving Artifacts a Voice

Past and present discussions on education all too frequently neglect the role that silence plays in learning. In this article I set out to demonstrate that silence is the very foundation of learning. My claim is that we must find ways of freeing silence in our pedagogical practices so that our discourse does not denigrate into mere empty words, but becomes a means towards self-knowledge. My position is that no discourse can awaken self-knowledge; what it can do, at best, is to help create an inner state of silence necessary for mental, moral, and spiritual growth of the human self. The essay is a defense of Socratic learning, complemented with the poetic discourse of Max Picard. Such a marriage alone can render education creative, most especially when it is applied to reading and writing.     

Exploring problems of self‐directed learning within practice and discourse

Self‐directed learning is an important feature in using experiential approaches with adult students. It is both part of a theorisation and the basis of certain kinds of practices which together form a ‘discourse’ of self‐directed learning. The paper critically examines the general characteristics of this discourse and considers the consequences of the assumptions made about adult learning and teaching.

Case studies of practice involving experiential teaching approaches with two different groups of adult students are then presented and analysed. The idea is to show how the discourse of self‐directed learning relates to these actual situations of practice, it is clear that the discourse since it cannot take account of context misleadingly assumes adult learners to be naturally self‐directing. Practitioners, therefore, need to have a critical awareness of the frameworks of thinking and action which can be imposed by any discourse even if it purports to be ‘student‐centred’.     

Transformative conversations about sexualities pedagogy and the experience of sexual knowing

One of the hallmarks of sex education traditionally has been its Cartesian endorsement of mind/body dualism; we have preferred to equate ‘self’ as synonymous with ‘mind’, and have invested heavily in believing in the valence of rationality‐based sexualities education. We generally do not consider the way ‘self’ negotiates, interprets and relates to sexual knowledge in all of our complexity, including our messy, embodied and emotional lives. In this paper I address what I think are several much‐needed conversations for a holistic pedagogy of sexualities to incorporate, including the falseness of the mind/body split, reconsidering what counts as sexual knowledge, the role of the performative in communicating our sexual knowing, and the importance of considering affect in learning about sexualities. The second part of the paper examines pedagogical considerations currently absent in dialogues of sexualities education, such as incorporating transformational learning strategies in teaching sexualities, and what it means to educate toward being a sexual citizen. Finally, I will outline how discussions of epistephenomenology (our relationship to and how we experience knowledge) can contribute to moving toward a vision of a critical, cultural sexualities education.     

It ain't just what you do and the way that you do it: why discourse matters in higher education communities of practice

A number of Australian universities have established and sponsored interdisciplinary communities of practice (CoPs) to develop teaching and learning. CoPs are popularly defined as groups of people who share a passion for something and, together, learn how to do it better. Without further specification, this definition is of limited use in understanding intentionally established CoPs in higher education settings. The term CoP is used and applied in a range of ways in higher education and has been accompanied by some scholarly debate about the meaning and relevance of CoPs to academe. The prevalent response to such debate has been to propose typologies. While typology can be useful, epistemology and discourse are also significant in understanding and developing higher education CoPs. In this paper I focus on discourse surrounding CoPs as a conceptual and developmental factor which has been insufficiently considered in the literature on higher education CoPs. I draw on findings from interviews with 33 CoP members and facilitators in three Australian universities. My findings indicate that discourse surrounding CoPs is significant in shaping notions of participatory value. Connecting with the literature, my findings also reveal a ‘big D’ Discourse of collegiality whereby CoPs offer social support and knowledge sharing to build capacity, as well as spaces in which a collegial academic identity can thrive. This coincides in complex and unpredictable ways with a Discourse of managerialism. I conclude that discourse should supplement typology and epistemology in adaptively shaping understandings of contemporary higher education CoPs and their future development.     

Mindfulness,adult learning and therapeutic education: integrating the cognitive and affective domains of learning

Although it has been given qualified approval by a number of philosophers of education, the so‐called ‘therapeutic turn’ in education has been the subject of criticism by several commentators on post‐compulsory and adult learning over the last few years. A key feature of this alleged development in recent educational policy is said to be the replacement of the traditional goals of knowledge and understanding with personal and social objectives concerned with enhancing and developing confidence and self‐esteem in learners. After offering some critical observations on these developments, I suggest that there are some educationally justifiable goals underpinning what has been described as a therapeutic turn. Whilst accepting that ‘self‐esteem’ and cognate concepts cannot provide a general end or universal aim of education, the therapeutic function—the affective domain of learning—is more valuable and significant than is generally acknowledged. This claim is justified by an examination of the concept of ‘mindfulness’ which, it is argued, can be an immensely powerful and valuable notion that is integrally connected with the centrally transformative and developmental nature of learning and educational activity at all levels. The incorporation of mindfulness strategies within adult learning programmes may go some way towards re‐connecting the cognitive and affective dimensions of education.     

Rethinking science education: Beyond piagetian constructivism toward a sociocultural model of teaching and learning

In the first part of the article I present an epistemological critique of forms of pedagogy founded on Piagetian constructivism. Despite the appeal of the notion that learners construct their understanding, I argue that constructivism is problematic because it ignores the subjectivity of the learner and the socially and historically situated nature of knowing; it denies the essentially collaborative and social nature of meaning making; and it privileges only one form of knowledge, namely, the technical rational. I then present a critique of active learning and student-centered forms of pedagogy. I argue that in our models of teaching we rely on too many unexamined assumptions from developmental psychology and we take for granted the problematic notion that children learn by doing. My central thesis is that constructivism is flawed because of its inability to come to grips with the essential issues of culture, power, and discourse in the classroom. In the concluding section of the article I present a preliminary account of a sociocultural approach to teaching and learning that takes seriously the notion that learning is situated in contexts, that students bring their own subjectivities and cultural perspectives to bear in constructing understanding, that issues of power exist in the classroom that need to be addressed, and that education into scientific ways of knowing requires understanding modes of classroom discourse and enabling students to negotiate these modes effectively so that they may master and critique scientific ways of knowing without, in the process, sacrificing their own personally and culturally constructed ways of knowing.     

Dewey,Derrida, and ‘the Double Bind’

It is taken for granted that the complexity of the information society requires a reorientation of our being in the world. Not surprisingly, the call for lifelong learning and permanent education becomes louder and more intense every day. And while there are various worthwhile initiatives, like alphabetisation courses, the article argues that the discourse of lifelong learning contains at least two difficulties. Firstly, the shift from a knowledge‐based to an information society has revealed a concept of learning with an emphasis on skills related to information retrieval, dissemination and evaluation. Learning now is the constant striving for extra competences, and the efficient management of the acquired ones. Secondly, the discourse of lifelong learning suggests the autonomy of the learner. However, educational practices are organized in a way that ‘choosing to learn (particular things)’ has become the contemporary human condition. With reference to Marshall's notion of ‘busno‐power’, it is argued that—contrary to what one likes to believe—lifelong learning has become a new kind of power mechanism.     

Self‐assessment in university assessment of prior learning procedures

Competency‐based university education, in which lifelong learning and flexible learning are key elements, demands a renewed vision on assessment. Within this vision, Assessment of Prior Learning (APL), in which learners have to show their prior learning in order for their goals to be recognised, becomes an important element. This article focuses on a first step in APL, namely students’ self‐assessment of their prior learning before entering university education. The main aim of the presented study is to examine the suitability of the use of self‐assessment in APL. First, in an explorative study, the main sources for self‐assessment are derived and the relation between sources and domain of study is investigated. Second, in a pre‐test post‐test research design, the hypothesis that students’ self‐assessment of prior learning related to a course changes after studying a domain‐specific course is tested. Pre‐test results reveal that students indicate that they have prior knowledge related to the chosen university programme. In general, this prior learning is obtained from study experience, work experience, books, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, TV, radio, film or video. A relation is found between the type of source and the university programme. The hypothesis that students change their self‐assessment after a study period could not be confirmed. Based on these results, it is concluded that self‐assessment in APL might be a suitable tool. Implications for further research are discussed.     

Levinas: Ethics or Mystification?

The metaphysical ethics of Levinas appeals to many philosophers of education because it seems to promise ethics and social justice without recourse to moral norms, ‘totalising’ political systems or religious belief. However, the notion that the subject can be detached from its worldly being—that one can posit a primordial metaphysical pre‐conscious pre‐phenomenal self which stands in ethical relation to a primordial metaphysical pre‐conscious pre‐phenomenal Other—is highly questionable. From an empirical perspective, our experience of the world and of ourselves can only be conceived in social, cultural and linguistic terms; the self‐referential lexicon Levinas employs to depict the relation between the transcendental subject and the Other ‘in his alterity’ renders his metaphysical assertions impossible to evaluate or give determinate form. From a transcendental perspective, Levinas's metaphysical abstractions simply do not have the power to motivate people to behave ethically. Instead of contributing toward the transformation of education and society envisaged by many philosophers of education, the ‘ethics of the Other’ merely generates an esoteric discourse.     

Enhancing teacher engagement with workplace learning

In this article we have injected the idea of engagement with learning into the discourse of teacher professional development and workplace learning. Whilst a common theme for student learning it has not previously been demonstrated that it is useful for analysing teacher learning as well. We have sought to show that it is possible to use portfolios to both enhance teacher engagement with learning and also as a source of research data on that learning. We have also sought to show that teachers and researchers can work closely together in collaborative and creative ways to document and reflect upon professional knowledge through portfolios. Whilst we recognise that there are some barriers to this in current education practices there are also some good reasons to pursue it as a way of enhancing teacher learning for the ultimate benefit of students in our schools.     

Interrupting the discourse: a response to Reid and Valle

Reid and Valle (in this issue) illustrate how discourse within the field of learning disabilities (LD) determines what can and cannot be said and shapes what counts as knowledge or truth. Because basic assumptions about disability often remain unquestioned, Reid and Valle ask us to focus on the epistemological foundations of the field of LD. They demonstrate how discourse, far from being simply an academic or abstract theoretical pursuit, has direct material consequences for people labeled as having LD. In this response, I highlight some of the ways that the discourse in the LD field is getting in the way of truly transforming education for all learners and impeding our ability to ask the hard questions about our own complicity in issues such as the overrepresentation of students of color and the inaccessibility of general education learning environments.     

Students’ silence and identity in small group interactions

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been increasingly employed as a teaching and learning approach in many disciplines in higher education. In English medium of instruction (EMI) universities in Asia, PBL can further enhance knowledge construction as well as development of disciplinary language and communicative skills. It is necessary to explore how learners participate in PBL, especially considering PBL requires high level of both domain knowledge and language skills. The issue of silence in small group collaborative learning such as PBL tutorials has received very limited attention. More factors such as identity need to be considered in fully exploring small group interactions in higher education. Thus, this study aims to investigate undergraduate students’ silence and identity in small group interactions for PBL in EMI universities in Asia. Eight PBL tutorials in the Faculty of Dentistry were video recorded. Three extracts of PBL interactions and the accompanying stimulated recall interviews were selected for case analysis. The analysis provides in-depth insights into the significant instances of students’ silence and identity construction in the learning process. Such a study offers opportunities to rethink the issue of silence and provides facilitators and curriculum developers with useful information about small group collaborative learning in higher education.     

Service-Learning Programs and the Knowledge Economy: Exploring the Tensions

Community service-learning (CSL) programs are proliferating in Canadian higher education. University programs promote students’ experiential learning in community as part of a course; students most often engage in unpaid work in not-for-profit organizations and reflect on that experience in relation to their classroom learning. However, programs tend to occupy an ambivalent position in higher education—they are seen as important, but at the same time are often under-resourced and treated as marginal to universities’ core activities. This paper argues that the contradictory position of service-learning is partly related to the bifurcated view of theoretical and practical knowledge perpetuated in knowledge economy discourse. Drawing on interviews with service-learning program leaders, it explores their responses to knowledge economy discourse. Findings suggest varying levels of resistance; some leaders comply with university pressures to engage in transactional approaches to service-learning, while others seek to integrate theoretical and practical knowledge through the creation of hybrid learning networks. This paper outlines the reasons for and implications of different responses and suggests that socio-cultural learning theories can inform pedagogical approaches within programs.     

Early Care and Education Matters: A Conceptual Model for Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Integrating the Key Constructs of Knowledge,Reflection, and Practice

There has been a great deal of discourse in the field of early care and education concerning the experiences, skills, competencies, and education level needed by early childhood teachers to ensure that quality teaching and learning take place in the early years. The purpose of this article is to describe an early childhood teacher preparation program developed by a Child and Family Development Department at a large, urban, state-funded university in the hopes that we can further the discourse on how the field can ensure quality teaching and learning in both ECE and university classrooms. We propose a conceptual model that is built around three key constructs: knowledge, reflection, and practice and describe our approach to preparing early childhood educators. Using qualitative data from student reflections and course syllabi and quantitative data on the experiences and perceptions of graduating seniors, we hope to present promising practices in early childhood teacher education and provide support for our contention that the quality of early childhood teacher education matters.     

The Development of Autonomous Learners in a University Setting

This article explores the possibilities for the development of autonomous learners within the confines of an institutional education setting. Student participation in setting curriculum, in collaborative learning, and self‐ and peer‐assessment are discussed as fundamental aspects of learner‐controlled learning. They are reviewed in the context of a university research methodology unit aimed at developing autonomous researchers/learners. Outcomes for the students taking the unit included increased motivation; excitement; confidence; in‐depth learning; an appreciation of new ways of learning; respect for their peers as co‐learners and experiences of self‐reflection and self‐assessment. The study indicates that if autonomous learning is to be encouraged in universities, staff need to develop new conceptions of teaching and learning and new skills, as they move from the role of knowledge expert to that of resource person and facilitator. Students need to develop new learning strategies, as they move from being passive learners to becoming autonomous learners.     

Community‐Based Art Education in China: Practices,Issues and Challenges

Art educators have been promoting Community‐Based Art Education (CBAE) in schools in order to enhance students’ sense of socio‐cultural identity and contextual learning about local art and culture. It cannot only bridge the gap between the students’ daily lives and the communities and art, but can also enhance their inquiry, discovery and meaning‐making abilities. In China, the community‐based approach plays a significant role in the National Standards for Visual Arts, and Chinese art educators have been applying CBAE in school art education for decades. However, Western art educators are still unfamiliar with the issues, practices and challenges related to CBAE in China owing to language constraints. In light of the above, this article aims to initiate a dialogue between Western and Chinese CBAE researchers through discourse and discussions on the main issues related to CBAE in Chinese art education. It outlines current practices of, and issues related to, CBAE from the perspective of Chinese art education. It also discusses the three major challenges to the implementation of CBAE in China, namely the conflict between indigenous knowledge and official knowledge in the school art curriculum, lack of motivation among teachers, and neglect of context in the practice of local art in schools. It is hoped that this article it will enrich our overall knowledge of CBAE and contribute to the understanding of CBAE from a global perspective.     

从认知语用角度分析现场采访中的话轮沉默

话轮沉默是会话语篇中常见的现象,有丰富且深刻的含意,其意义产生于它所依赖的话轮及其会话含意。以＂现场采访＂语篇中的话轮沉默为研究对象,结合日常会话沉默的理论体系来研究＂现场采访＂过程中出现的沉默。在此基础上,利用关联理论及认知语境来探讨沉默在这种特殊语境下丰富含义的生成和理解机制。