(EDU406) Critical Thinking and reflective Practice

Assignment # 2

EDU406

Question # 1: what are the different ways of knowledge generation?          

Ans:

Multiple ways of generating knowledge:

 Experimentation

 Speculation

 Imagination

 Story Circle

 Scientific Method

 Statistical Analysis

 Cycle SECI

 Modeling

 Method Delphi

 Reframing

 Conceptual innovation

Experimentation:

 The main purpose of the activity is to generate positive results (i.e., to make things work.)

• There may be abstraction but it is functional to the effort of design.

• Most of the technological advancement until the 17th century was achieved through experimentation.

Speculation:

When we are trying to think beyond our current knowledge frontier, we are speculating.

• The Theorem is a formal method of speculation developed by the Greeks.

• The core of the theorem is: If A then B; A is a hypothesis and B should be proved.

• Speculation can be very important for generating hypotheses.

Imagination:

Einstein: What would the world look like from the perspective of photon?

• Arthur Clarke: Stationary Satellites

• Julio Verne: Autos fueled by water

• Brainstorming in IDEO: 100 ideas/hour

 Scientific Method:

The purpose of the scientific method is to falsify theoretical Hypotheses through experience.

• It is possibly the single most important cognitive

innovation in History.

 Statistical Analysis:

It is a method for establishing the relation among variables, or verifying a model, based on the observation of samples of an “universe”.

• The data results come from observation of reality without changing it.

• Statistical Analysis is key when it is not possible to experiment with the object of the research, such as human beings.

 Cycle SECI:

The cycle SECI was developed by Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi as a way of generating knowledge by transforming it, from tacit knowledge to explicit and vice versa

 Modeling:

Modeling can be used for two main purposes:

– Theory validation

– Forecasting

• In “New Kind of Science” and “Mathematica” Stephen Wolfram uses modeling for exploring patterns in nature.

• The importance of modeling will increase in the future.

 Reframing:

Reframing is a change in the logic of the description and the analysis of an object.

• The reduction of crime in New York City in the 80s was interpreted by the City’s Mayor and by “Freakonomics” in very different ways.

– For the Mayor it was a question of police strategy

– For Freakonomics it was a consequence of the legalization of abortion (Roe versus Wade)

• Reframing generates very different understandings of the same issues.

 Conceptual innovation:

Multiply XXVII by XXIII or 17 by 23

• The invention of the Scientific Method

• The work of Antoine Lavoisier, the creator of Chemistry as a science

• The idea of tacit dimension of knowledge of Michael Polanyi

• The work of Donald Schön creating the concept of “Reflective Practice”

Question # 2: how can you do Self-evaluation using Jo-hari Window?  

Ans:

Make 3 to 5 copies of the JOHARI Window.

1)      Find 3-5 people you work with that you can trust to give honest yet constructive feedback. With each person, fill out one sheet.  For each quadrant, write words / a short phrase that best describes you. ie: integrity, intelligent, organized or unorganized, empathic, careless, isolated, etc.  Include specific examples if you need clarification.

2)      Make sure you both mutually agree on the Public Self items.

3)      Share your thoughts on your Private Self if you feel comfortable doing so and ask for feedback.

4)      Then ask for items for the Blind Spots. Don’t take offense.  Some of this feedback maybe uncomfortable but remember you asked for honest, constructive feedback.  See this as a genuine contribution towards greater growth!

5)      For the Potential, ask them to share some thoughts about untapped potential you might have that have not yet fully emerged.

6)      When all the interviews are complete, combine all the feedback on to one master form and then list 3 specific actions you can take that addresses the prominent issues raised during the exercise. These actions can be to capitalize upon and develop a strength or address areas of weakness.

7)      Once you have your 3 specific actions, re-visit the people who gave you the initial input and share with them your action plan.  Ask for their opinion on your action plan and make any necessary adjustments based on their feedback. 

8)      Help feedback givers see their input is appreciated by asking them to let you know when they recognize you progressing on your plan.

                                                     

Question # 3: What are the key points of learning to learn?

Ans:

Lifelong learning and the ability to adapt:

The significance placed on “learning to learn” (or indeed, lifelong learning) emerges from an understanding of the current and future employment market as one in which workers increasingly need to be able to adapt to new roles. MEP Isabelle Thomas was the first speaker of many to make this point, telling students that “The job you have at 50 will be very different from the one you have at 25.”

Calls for greater recognition of soft skills:

While conference attendees and panellists were generally in agreement that higher education should prepare students for lifelong learning, there was also a widespread feeling that soft skills are not currently valued highly enough by employers, and in some cases also by education providers.

What does “learning to learn” look like?

Of course it’s easy to say that universities should prepare students for lifelong learning, but what does “learning to learn” really look like in practice?

Throughout the conference, there was some debate about the extent to which this shift from “delivery of knowledge” to “learning to learn” has already been achieved, with significant disparity between institutions and national systems identified.