A Personal Perspective on Knowledge, Learning, & Teaching
Course: Principles of Learning
Final Paper, Literature Review: A Personal Perspective on Knowledge, Learning, & Teaching
This artifact was selected as one of the first literature reviews written in a domain of study that was completely foreign from my background in Fine Art. As well, this paper has shown me the progression I have made from my humble beginnings to a more articulate way of writing and thinking. Additionally this literature review marks the point in which I first began to think about the nature of knowledge, and to examine my teaching practice and learning processes with these new understandings. The course in Principles of Learning also introduced me to Ernst Von Glasersfeld and his writings on Radical Constructivism - A Way of Knowing and Learning. These writings were critical in helping me understand what constitutes knowledge and how that knowledge is acquired. As well, my research on radical constructivism led me back to the world of art, where I could filter these new understandings through a domain I was familiar with.
What is radical constructivism? "It is an unconventional approach to the problems of knowledge and knowing. It starts from the assumption that knowledge, no matter how it is defined, is in the heads of persons, and that the thinking subject has no alternative but to construct what he or she knows on the basis of his or her own experience" (Glasersfeld, 1995). Constructivism began as an artistic and architectural movement that originated in Russia from 1919 onward, that rejected the idea of "art for art's sake" in favour of art as a practice directed towards social purposes. This idea helped me to understand that in the above excerpt Von Glasersfeld was saying that a group of people could all be learning or listening to the same thing, but their understanding of it will differ depending on the experiences they bring into it. Basically no two people are going to experience the same thing the same way, which emulates the experiences one feels when viewing artworks; both are very subjective and are based on what we know or think we know.
Finally, these first courses in my studies (The Principles of Learning and Research Methods in Education) provided me with instruction in essential skills that were applicable to each of my courses thereafter. Although my writing has improved immensely since beginning my graduate studies, it is still an area I struggle with and requires a great deal of my time. So this paper and others like it serve to remind me of the progression my learning has taken and the achievements made along the way. As well, the knowledge I have gained over this past year has given me greater insight into my own style of learning and the optimum environment required for success.
Final Paper, Literature Review: A Personal Perspective on Knowledge, Learning, & Teaching
This artifact was selected as one of the first literature reviews written in a domain of study that was completely foreign from my background in Fine Art. As well, this paper has shown me the progression I have made from my humble beginnings to a more articulate way of writing and thinking. Additionally this literature review marks the point in which I first began to think about the nature of knowledge, and to examine my teaching practice and learning processes with these new understandings. The course in Principles of Learning also introduced me to Ernst Von Glasersfeld and his writings on Radical Constructivism - A Way of Knowing and Learning. These writings were critical in helping me understand what constitutes knowledge and how that knowledge is acquired. As well, my research on radical constructivism led me back to the world of art, where I could filter these new understandings through a domain I was familiar with.
What is radical constructivism? "It is an unconventional approach to the problems of knowledge and knowing. It starts from the assumption that knowledge, no matter how it is defined, is in the heads of persons, and that the thinking subject has no alternative but to construct what he or she knows on the basis of his or her own experience" (Glasersfeld, 1995). Constructivism began as an artistic and architectural movement that originated in Russia from 1919 onward, that rejected the idea of "art for art's sake" in favour of art as a practice directed towards social purposes. This idea helped me to understand that in the above excerpt Von Glasersfeld was saying that a group of people could all be learning or listening to the same thing, but their understanding of it will differ depending on the experiences they bring into it. Basically no two people are going to experience the same thing the same way, which emulates the experiences one feels when viewing artworks; both are very subjective and are based on what we know or think we know.
Finally, these first courses in my studies (The Principles of Learning and Research Methods in Education) provided me with instruction in essential skills that were applicable to each of my courses thereafter. Although my writing has improved immensely since beginning my graduate studies, it is still an area I struggle with and requires a great deal of my time. So this paper and others like it serve to remind me of the progression my learning has taken and the achievements made along the way. As well, the knowledge I have gained over this past year has given me greater insight into my own style of learning and the optimum environment required for success.
Below is the link to the PDF of a personal perspective on knowledge, learning, & teaching, literature review.
a_personal__perspective_on_knowledge_learning_teaching.pdf | |
File Size: | 168 kb |
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