Subject: Sages and/or Guides
From: Cathy Burke (cathy@windses.free-online.co.uk)
Date: Sat 29 Jan 2000 - 19:10:58 MET
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2000 18:10:58 +0000 From: Cathy Burke <cathy@windses.free-online.co.uk> Subject: Sages and/or Guides
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I do agree with the overall point made by Chris Jones in response to my
musings on Authorship and Authority.
He commented
The sage was on the stage, the guide is said to be on the side, yet
both determine
what is taught and what counts as enough, they are both authority
figures.
Online education does not escape the authority constraints that are part
of the
educational systems technologies of accountability.
This is true - I have been most aware of the power I have exercised in
introducing online features of an existing course, against the grain.
Given a choice, the overwhelming majority of the particular bunch of
students I worked with would have opted for lecture - seminar face to
face format - play it safe / less risk. And Chris is right, learning is
perceived as of secondary importance to getting the degree / making the
grade.
Nevertheless, the act of stepping to the side - and I agree with Ania,
that this can be achieved without computer involvement - at least
confronts the issue of authority and encourages risk.
What I am hoping for is that the students themselves tackle face on the
question - is this enough ? Is this relevant ? Is this learning ? And
in negotiating the answer, take more responsibility for that learning.
At the moment, because learning on line is NEW it has the effect of
throwing the light on these questions. This will probably change.
The way in which we teach in computer supported environments, mirrors
who we are and I think that online teaching and learning reflects the
principles, philosophies, values and associated pedagogy which we
operate with in face to face settings. For years I have sought to be
the guide on the side in community and adult education settings ...
coming back later in life to H.E., I felt the weight of assignment led
teaching with in the main passive learners straight from school to be
at odds with what I considered to be a good learning environment. Online
learning attracted me precisely because I think it allowed
experimentation, reflection, encouraged student evaluation of the
learning process and allowed me to encourage students to think not just
about what they were learning but how they were learning.
Chris is right - the system is safe ... protective...does not encourage
risk taking by teachers and learners.
In 1969, Edward Blishen edited a wonderful book, 'The School that I'd
Like' - a collection of writings by secondary school children in Britain
. In summary Blishen said, "Standing out above everything else is the
children's desire to teach themselves, rather than be the passive
targets of teaching...they long to be excited, to be amazed by learning,
since amazement seems to be a proper response to life...They want to
learn to govern themselves. They want to take risks - lord, how anxious
they are to be at risk, intellectually and emotionally, and how shameful
it is that so many of them should find their teachers, the whole system
of education, lacking in every kind of courage! They want to break down
the walls of the school, to admit the wider world".
I suppose 30 years on, these children include ourselves who grew up!
It's risky sending thoughts down the line on this list - too.
Cathy
--Catherine Burke 7 The Windses Grindleford Hope Valley S 32 2HY Tel: 01433 631907
Dr. Catherine Burke Lecturer in Education: Child & Family Studies, Bretton Hall College West Bretton WF4 4LG 01924 830261
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