“Teaching is more difficult than learning because what teaching calls for is this: to let learn” Heidegger, M. (1968)
This morning, we read and discussed an article with peers followed by a discussion with another group. We were given twenty minutes for this task.
Unintentionally, we opted for the lengthiest and most interesting article. The article was ‘Improving teaching’ by Gloria Dall’Alba. Having a limited time frame made it exciting and productive.
The premise of the article is a theorised account for university educators to transform and enhance teaching through incorporating knowing, acting and being. In other words, university tutors need to employ the concepts of epistemology and ontology, not just skills for our students.
I felt Dall’Alba was suggesting that using ontology and epistemology can offer a certain standard of theoretical thinking and self-awareness. Barnett argues for the need to prepare students for the globalised world through an “ontological turn”. What it means is – High Education has the responsibility to equip students with the ingredients to critically question and think. Barnett (2004, 2005)
Critical thinking as a concept will support our students to critically analyse an idea or discourse before making a judgement. To question how knowledge has come to instate the truth. This is an important skill for students to have as we are living in an age of post-truth. (Papastephanou & Angeli, 2007).
As SGT it is part of my job to incorporate in-depth critical thinking with my students for their research inquiry. This is especially so with the first years when they are analysing the relationship between subject and object questions and how it can lead to the idea of ontology/epistemology and how this influences their creative outcome. And hopefully, this way of working will be part of their research practice for the rest of their journey at UAL.
References
Barnett *, R. (2004). Learning for an unknown future. Higher Education Research & Development, 23(3), pp.247–260. [online] Available at: doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/0729436042000235382. [Accessed 10 Mar. 2023].
Freire, P. (2017). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Penguin Classics. New York[online] Available at: doi:https://envs.ucsc.edu/internships/internship-readings/freire-pedagogy-of-the-oppressed.pdf [Accessed 12 01. 2023].
Heidegger, M. (1968). What is called thinking? (F. D. Wieck & J. G. Gray, Trans.). New York: Harper & Row.La, T. and Gray, J. (n.d.). CALLED THINKING? [online] Available at: https://ebookppsunp.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/martin_heidegger_j-_glenn_gray_translator_frebookfi-org.pdf. [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023].
https://moodle.arts.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/1538804/mod_resource/content/1/DallAlba%202005.pdf [Accessed 11 Mar. 2023].
Papastephanou, M. & Angeli, C. (2007). Critical thinking beyond skill. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 39(6), 604–620. [online] Available at: https://www.academia.edu/5132575/EPAT_Educational_Philosophy_and_Theory_0013_1857_2007_Philosophy_of_Education_Society_of_Australasia_xxx_Original_Article_Critical_Thinking_Beyond_Skill_Critical_Thinking_Beyond_Skil
[Accessed 12 Mar. 2023].