Cultural dimensions of learning

How, what, when and where we learn is frequently discussed, as are content versus process, or right brain versus left brain learning. What is usually missing is the cultural dimension. This is not an easy concept to define, but various aspects can be identified. The World Decade for Cultural Development emphasizes the need for a counterbalance to a quantitative, economic approach. In the last century poets also warned against brutalizing materialism, and Sorokin and others have described culture more recently in terms of cohesive basic values expressed through aesthetics and institutions. Bloom's taxonomy incorporates the category of affective learning, which internalizes values. If cultural learning goes beyond knowledge acquisition, perhaps the surest way of understanding the cultural dimension of learning is to examine the aesthetic experience. This can use myths, metaphors and symbols, and to teach and learn by using these can help to unlock the human potential for vision and creativity.

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Zusammenfassung Wie, was, wann und wo wir lernen wird häufig diskutiert, ebenso Inhalt gegen Methode oder Lernen mit linker Hirnhälfte gegenüber Lernen mit rechter Hirnhälfte. Im allgemeinen fehlt jedoch die kulturelle Dimension. Dies ist kein leicht zu definierender Begriff, aber es lassen sich verschiedene Aspekte feststellen. Die Weltdekade für kulturelle Entwicklung betont die Notwendigkeit eines Gegengewichts zu einer quantitativen wirtschaftlichen Annäherung. Im letzten Jahrhundert haben auch Dichter vor einem verrohendem Materialismus gewarnt, und in jüngerer Zeit haben Sorokin und andere Kultur als zusammenhängende, durch Ästhetik und Institutionen zum Ausdruck kommende, Grundwerte beschrieben. Blooms Taxonomie beinhaltet die Kategorie affektiven Lernens, das Wertvorstellungen innerlich aufnehmen läß. Wenn kulturelles Lernen über den Erwerb von Wissen hinausgeht, ist vielleicht der sicherste Weg zum Verständnis der kulturellen Lerndimension eine Untersuchung der ästhetischen Erfahrung. Dazu können Mythen, Methaphern und Symbole verwendet werden, und mit diesen zu lehren und zu lernen kann dazu beitragen, das menschliche Potential an Vorstellungsvermögen und Kreativität'zu erschließen.

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Résumé On discute fréquemment de la manière dont on apprend, de ce que l'on apprend, quand et où, de la même façon qu'on discute du contenu et du processus, ou bien de l'apprentissage de l'hémisphère droit et de l'hémisphère gauche. La dimension culturelle fait souvent défaut dans cette discussion. Ce concept n'est pas aisé à définir, mais on peut en identifier plusieurs aspects. La Décennie mondiale du développement culturel souligne qu'il est nécessaire d'apporter un contrepoids à l'approche économique et quantitative. Au siècle dernier, les poètes aussi ont mis en garde contre le matérialisme brutal, et, plus récemment, Sorokin a décrit avec d'autres la culture en termes de valeurs fondamentales cohérentes exprimées par l'esthétique et les institutions. La taxonomie de Bloom inclut la catégorie de l'apprentissage affectif, qui assimile les valeurs. Si l'apprentissage culturel transcende la simple acquisition de connaissances, le moyen le plus sûr de comprendre la dimension culturelle de l'apprentissage est peut-être d'examiner l'expérience esthétique. Celle-ci peut faire appel aux mythes, aux métaphores et aux symboles, et il se peut que l'enseignement et l'apprentissage fondés sur ces derniers contribuent à libérer le potentiel humain de vision et de créativité.

     

Cognitive behavioral counselling with isolated university students

Social isolation is a concern for many university students. Methods for counsellors to help these shy and lonely clients have evolved, starting with behavior modification techniques popular in the 1960's. Recent developments in helping techniques have taken the form of structured approaches which implement behavioral as well as cognitive techniques. However, none of these has achieved the goal of a well-integrated model. The author presents one such attempt, based on Meichenbaum's Stress Innoculation Training and Fremouw's Integrated Behavioral Treatment. The model includes Cognitive Structuring, Stress Reduction and Skill Development components which overlap and interlock into a comprehensive therapy approach. Examples for each component are described. Finally, a summary statement is made in which the author describes the value of the model.     

Kinematic and kinetic comparisons between American and Korean professional baseball pitchers

The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare kinematic, temporal, and kinetic characteristics of American and Korean professional pitchers in order to investigate differences in pitching mechanics, performance, and injury risks among two different cultures and populations of baseball pitchers. Eleven American and eight Korean healthy professional baseball pitchers threw multiple fastball pitches off an indoor throwing mound positioned at regulation distance from home plate. A Motion Analysis three-dimensional automatic digitizing system was used to collect 200 Hz video data from four electronically synchronized cameras. Twenty kinematic, six temporal, and 11 kinetic variables were analyzed at lead foot contact, during the arm cocking and arm acceleration phases, at ball release, and during the arm deceleration phase. A radar gun was used to quantify ball velocity. At lead foot contact, the American pitchers had significantly greater horizontal abduction of the throwing shoulder, while Korean pitchers exhibited significantly greater abduction and external rotation of the throwing shoulder. During arm cocking, the American pitchers displayed significantly greater maximum shoulder external rotation and maximum pelvis angular velocity. At the instant of ball release, the American pitchers had significantly greater forward trunk tilt and ball velocity and significantly less knee flexion, which help explain why the American pitchers had 10% greater ball velocity compared to the Korean pitchers. The American pitchers had significantly greater maximum shoulder internal rotation torque and maximum elbow varus torque during arm cocking, significantly greater elbow flexion torque during arm acceleration, and significantly greater shoulder and elbow proximal forces during arm deceleration. While greater shoulder and elbow forces and torques generated in the American pitchers helped generate greater ball velocity for the American group, these greater kinetics may predispose this group to a higher risk of shoulder and elbow injuries.     

Unpacking ‘lessons learned’: investigating failures and considering alternative solutions

One of the most common ways to share project knowledge is to capture the positive and negative aspects of projects in the form of lessons learned (LL). If effectively used, this process can assist project managers in reusing project knowledge and preventing future projects from repeating mistakes. Nevertheless, the process of capturing, storing, reviewing and reusing LL often remains suboptimal. Despite the potential for rich knowledge capture, lessons are often documented as simple, line-item statements devoid of context. Findings from an empirical investigation across four cases revealed a range of reasons related to the perceived quality, process and visibility of LL that lead to their limited use and application. Drawn from the cross-case analysis, this paper investigates an integrated approach to LL involving the use of a collaborative Web-based tool, which is easily accessible, intelligible and user-friendly, allowing more effective sharing of project knowledge and overcoming existing problems with LL.     

Drawing on the Artist Outside: Towards 1999

This paper gives a summary of a presentation made by Glen Coutts and an exhibition organised by Mark Dawes at the InSEA conference held in Glasgow during July 1997. It concerns recent developments and initiatives using artists, designers and students in Scottish schools. The presentation at InSEA was supported by slides of the students’ work and an outline of the processes used in each of the workshop sessions. During the presentation the conference had the opportunity to view the results of collaboration between artists, students and school children aged between 10 and 14 years. These projects took place over a period of five to six months, and have resulted in an ambitious project which will be completed during 1999, Glasgow’s year as UK City of Architecture and Design. The projects used visual artists to expand and enhance the art activities normally taking place in the schools. This paper reports on the following areas: developments in Art & Design Education in Scotland – the context for artists in schools, Artists and Education – two case studies and future developments – towards 1999.     

The Rhythms of a Teacher Research Group

This paper presents an inside look at the rhythms of a year-long teacher research group by highlighting the experiences of four alternatively certified urban middle school teachers of color as they engaged in practitioner research about issues of gender equity, racial identity, and culturally relevant teaching. Using examples from “data dilemma” discussions about research issues and examples from their research, the article illustrates three distinct types of dilemmas that occurred over time and shows how the collective worked to solve research problems and improve the teaching practices of the participants in the group. Suggestions for creating and sustaining teacher research groups that examine issues related to diversity are included.     

Partnerships in Social Work Education

Historically, society has associated a visit from a child protection worker with the removal of children. In Canada in the 1960s, Aboriginal children were removed from their communities in alarming numbers and were referred to as the “sixties scoop.” This may in part explain the difficulty in recruiting Aboriginal social workers into child welfare practice. This reality prompted the development of a post–bachelor degree certificate aimed at increasing the number of Aboriginal child welfare social workers in northern British Columbia. The results discussed in this article stem from three certificate cohorts and highlight the development of new partnerships and students’ experiences. Two years following the completion of the third cohort, nearly 80% of the students recruited were still employed in the North.