The authors we've read this week, Brown, Collins and Duguid and Lave, describe a particular kind of educational setting. Some might dismiss their views on Situated Cognition and Apprenticeships as impractical or unrealistic when thinking about contemporary schools and educational challenges. For our discussion this week, consider educational environments you've experienced, as a student or teacher where situation cognition might be applicable. What was being learned? What counted as "knowing"? What was the role of the teacher?
In reference to what indeed a theory of learning is or should be & what are its tenets, Lave nails it when she states that:
"The term "learning mechanism" diminishes in importance, in fact it may fall out altogether, as "mechanisms" disappear into practice. Mainly, people are becoming kinds of persons." (p 157, my emphasis)
Of course, yes?! Master tailors create master tailors. Islamic legal scholars mold future Muslim lawyers.
So then, what is school, formal education creating? I suppose for those who embrace what it is, it is creating good teachers & good students. Rather tautological albeit achieving & justifying its continued existence, non?! Our forum is a brilliant example of this truism.
I'll tell you what's not so brilliant. I studied business for my first Masters. None of the professors, although esteemed in the community as consultants & generally nice folks, had founded, been continuously associated or significantly contributed any successful business. Voila! I mastered the Masters of Business Administration, graduating with honors. I have yet to master business, some eleven years later - indeed, my many ventures have been startling failures (failure is fertilizer, yes)! ;)
What was being taught at me was the ability to analyze - in a very decontextualized atmosphere - business formation, management & it's relationship to society. Yes, we had projects that were sort of real-worldy. Did we engage in entrepreneurship? That's just silly. Who would back a bunch of apprentice MBAs? Many of my colleagues went on to executive positions in random corporations around California. I'm curious if they've been able to contribute much to their respective business employers from what they "learned" about business in business school. Did we learn about business in business school? Nope. We learned how to study business in business school.
Our deferred apprenticeships in the practice of business only began after the thick degree - albeit bereft of a true master. Curious.
"Knowing" about business in business school is declarative with a big D! Absolutely nothing procedural or truly metastrategic to it. We "knew" how to analyze business.
The role of the teacher . . . I'm really not negative about the whole experience. I "learned" a lot. I did not "learn" how to create a business - sometimes I think it was actually counter-productive to entrepreneurship. The role of the professors at that lovely school on the Lost Coast of California was to create certified MBAs. Which they did. Bravo.
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