Tag Archives: Education

The Past-Age of the Essay

Posted on by under Life, Networked Media

Essay time. Photo: Serdar Kilic

For an interesting look into the history of the essay and how it went so wrong in public education. Perhaps if more people thought like this, the essay would not have such a negative stigma surrounding it? As Courtney points out, highlighting a new method of thought, or set of beliefs regarding a subject is much more exciting than rehashing information about Charles Dickens or Hamlet. Equally important, she also acknowledges that certain subjects require facts and evidence (such as history) for points to be made. This is also perfectly true, however as Adrian pointed out, there are plenty of great essays that use evidence and facts. I think it is more to do with the fact that essays don’t need evidence to be good. We have been brought up to be very wary of information (eg; Don’t use wikipedia as a source, it can’t be trusted– While some of these are marginally valid points, this article in general screams insecure rubbish), everything must have a source, surely we can’t actually come up with our own ideas or thought patterns – or more importantly – trust them?

I also think that the quote she pulled out from Graham’s article really hones in on a sound and integral point.

In a real essay, you don’t take a position and defend it. You notice a door that’s ajar, and you open it and walk in to see what’s inside.

Perhaps if schools taught writing using this stance, we would have generations of much more confident and creative individuals? I’m serious, if we were taught this in school, the world would be so revolutionarily different I can’t even explain it. For instance: How many kids out there are there who fail at english and fall apart because they simply can’t get their head around the rigid and unobliging structure that is forced down our throats in Secondary school? People would be more open to learning, they’d be more confident at it, not only that but they would be more creative about it. This sort of standpoint encourages people to express their own unique thoughts and ideas; but not to persuade through bullying. The idea is to present and speculate, pose new questions and answer it.  It encourages you to show what you know and think, to speculate, to explore and ponder the universe. Wouldn’t that be much more beneficial then learning the art of rehashing, re-mixing and defending yourself?

Your view point is not right, you can’t even give someone else’s statement to back it up. You should be able to back up your ideas with other people’s previous developed thoughts. Oh, but you’re not allowed to use other people’s ideas anyway. That’s stealing. Sound familiar? The best part about abiding by the methodology that Graham suggests, as Georgina points out:

you can start out with nothing- just a pencil, a piece of paper and your thoughts- and result in an answer to something neither you nor the reader had previously known. That’s the way to progress, to evolve.

Creativty. Speculation. Exploration. Recurring themes. They’re all the outcomes of “Model II” style activities and behaviour. The form of “essay” that we learn in school is definitely a “Model I” sort of action. Its all about insecurity, being defensive and not allowing speculation and creativity.

 

Design Fiction

Posted on by under Networked Media, Theories, Theories and Philosophy

Startling Stories from the land of fiction. Photo: G. Crombrugg

Design Fiction has an important role to play in learning and enhancing our mind’s ability to adapt and create in the present and future. It can best be described, as Bruce Sterling said in this interview with Slate.com, as: “the deliberate use of diegetic prototypes to suspend disbelief about change”.

While this idea has been around for a while and has played a major role in the Sci-Fi genre over the years (Think 2001: A Space Oddyssey), the idea of incorporating design fiction in a pedagogical (educational) sense is something that is relatively new. There seems to be many arguments for utilising this sort of design in education. It teaches students the fundamentals concepts behind design, rather than teaching them the skills required to design. With these concepts, students are capable of designing and constructing medias and ideas well into the future. This is a perfect example of equipping individuals with the ability to adapt to change and any skills or disciplines they wish to partake in, rather than simply teaching them a skill-set that must be advanced when it expires, or is replaced by new technology.

Networked media at RMIT seems to allign very closely to the goals and reasoning behind design fiction. It’s obviously something that Adrian has looked into and watched closely.

After reading Matthew Ward’s, “Design Fiction as a Pedagogic Practice“, there was one point I took away that really stuck with me. I think it’s something that is important in all aspects of life if one is to be creatively free and possess freedom:

“1. All design is ideological

The social, cultural and political basis of those ideologies need to be exposed, interpreted and explored. In DF the ideological drive is laid bare for all to see. Deconstructing the economic and political underpinning of design is an essential skill to develop.”

The deconstruction and analysis of ideologies allows a proper understanding of why people act the way they do and why the world operates in the way it does. Understanding this allows you to break free of these boundaries and the shackles that are chained to your wrists and feet as a prisoner of society, and with this comes extraordinary creative freedom and possibility. That is not to say that ideologies are not important parts of society. They are. It is impossible to live without ideology. But it is important to understand and explore the possibilities that ideology presents.

Adrian Miles and Networked media aren’t the only things heading in this direction though. In my second semester (1st Year) at RMIT I have already been exposed to this idea of exploring and interpreting ideologies through the class Communication Histories and Technologies.

Aside from this idea, the other message that I am absorbing is to freely experiment and speculate. There’s no way to be innovative and creative without the freedom to speculate or explore new and untested ideas. There is a certain element of risk that needs to be accepted if one is to be creative.

The future of media and communication professionals seems to be pointing in a direction based around this sort of education and schools of thought. The people of the media will have a greater mental capacity for creativity and design that has never been experienced in such force. I’m excited to be part of this movement.

 

 

 

Education Systems

Posted on by under Theories and Philosophy

Sir Ken Robinson at the Creative Company Conference. Photo: Sebastiaan ter Burg

Earlier this year, Ashley Perry, co-ordinator of Communications and Social Relations at RMIT introduced me to Ken Robinson’s theories of education and creativity, through this RSA animated lecture video.

Not only do I think what the RSA have done with this lecture and a number of other lectures by academics and experts around the world is a great method of communication, but the topic of this lecture by Ken Robinson in particular is also very relevant and powerful in relation to my life and the lives of others I know.

To start off, Sir Ken Robinson is a world renowned expert in education, creativity and innovation, he has been involved in numerous international education projects and a number of organisations over the years.

 

Here’s some more detail if you’re interested in Robinson himself:

Sir Ken Robinson’s bio: http://sirkenrobinson.com/?page_id=10

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Robinson_(educationalist)

 

I’ve followed Robinson on numerous social media sites and have watched a number of his talks and presentations since seeing this video clip, and his theories and ideas make more sense each time.

Personally, creativity is something that I used to have redundant amounts of. After going through high school, that creativity was greatly diminished and replaced with superfluous amounts of knowledge that could be memorised and called on if needed in an assessment. While I’m not saying I learnt nothing from school (this is not true at all), I am positive that my own creativity and problem solving ability was stemmed as a result of the public education system.

It is interesting to conceptualise a public school running differently, using alternative methods of teaching, introducing the kinds of concepts that Robinson talks about frequently. Sure it would take a lot of work and it would be a difficult project to get up off the ground rapidly (our current education system has been built into our genes and culture for years), it could definitely work. The only way that this is going to happen however, is through action.

Upon entering my Bachelor of Communication (Media) at RMIT, I didn’t really know what to expect from Networked Media. Now that I understand how it operates, I am thrilled to have a chance and opportunity to take advantage of a method of education that is less about inequality between student and teacher and more about promoting creativity and knowledge. It’s an exciting prospect to think that this sort of education could eventually become wide spread, and while it’s not a complete reform to traditional tertiary education, it is definitely a step in the right direction.

Robinson also takes part in TED talks, a concept developed by the organisation TED. They publish all their organised presentations and talks online and promote discussion and critique of the content through online forms.

 

Here are two of his talks which are well worth a watch if you’re interested in creativity and education in any way:

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the Learning Revolution!

and

Sir Ken Robinson: How to Escape Education’s Death Valley

 

 

Double-Loop Learning and Relationships

Posted on by under Theories

I guess it’s sort of a link.. Photo: Pernilla Rydmark

Chris Argyris’ theories on Single-Loop and Double-Loop learning and his Model I and Model II are consistent with a number of ideas and thoughts which I have been exploring as of late. While these theories are conceptually designed to suit organisations, they are also entirely relevant to human relationships. Getting stuck in the habit of single-loop learning and using theories-in-use aligned with Model I has had a significant impact on the way in which I can creatively and emotionally grow and develop as a person, as I am sure it has for many people.

What caught me the most was the consequences noted for a Model I theory-in-use:

  • Defensive relationships
  • Low Freedom of Choice

After reading this, I felt a strong association between this theory and my own life and personality. The values that govern this model (win, do not lose and suppress negative feelings) are clear  indicators of an unhealthy method of solving problems and working through conflict and ones that I can relate to very much.

By actively attempting to take an approach to problem solving more consistent with the values from Model II, I hope to improve my creative and professional capabilities as well as my personal and emotional success in life.

The (un)Lecture?

Posted on by under The Unlectures

Building 80. Somewhat related. Photo: Pat M

What a strange concept and idea. A Lecture, that’s not a lecture. Why don’t we just stay home? Well, Adrian is a very convincing man, he’s got me. I’m very convinced. I am someone who has done well in the current education format in Australia, but I am also someone who hasn’t performed to their potential. Adrian has opened more doors for me that have been previously only left a-jar by distant dreams of changing education paradigms and education reforms.

I am glad that there are more people than I thought actively involved in advocating and pushing for alternative styles of learning. Employers wants employees who are fast thinking and creative, who can solve problems with ease and possess a range of skills. The problem is the current education system is not exactly accepting of this kind of person. Public education systems suppress creative and try and teach you what is right and what is wrong. They put the student at the bidding of their master (the lecturer, teacher or whatever trained educational drill-sergeant it happens to be) and create a power imbalance that is counteractive to creativity and motivation for the students.

I didn’t have a question to write down at today’s unlecture. Why didn’t I? Perhaps I was scared of what to say, perhaps I didn’t know what the question was meant to be about. The point is that I didn’t ask one, and what Adrian said is right. You should be able to come up with a simple (or complex) question to ask at the unlecture. There’s no way to learn if you are afraid of being wrong or if you are afraid to ask questions. I like the idea of the unlecture and look forward to more speculative discussions and question answering.

Disclaimer | Background image: Emma Gawen
Skip to toolbar