RESEARCH - NEW DISCOVERY FROM TRADITIONAL COURSE

Updated 20/02/2003

HUMAN LEARNING - NEW DISCOVERY FROM TRADITIONAL COURSE
Interview with S. Tobias (2002) Philosophy and Physics
The Science Show Australia. 11 Nov.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/stories/s726956.htm

US researcher tested adult learning theories in the hard sciences by employing Arts students to study Physics. Traditional student selection procedures have been found to be narrow and are excluding a large group of students who otherwise can perform very well in the subject, providing further insight into human learning.
Her findings are expounded in her book, 'They're not Dumb, They're Different: Issues of Inclusiveness in Science and Mathematics Education.' The College Board publication.

'They were motivated much to the surprise of the physics community... they did exceedingly well, they were mature, they were good students... conveying to the physics community (that) maybe there's a large group of students out there you're missing because you have such a narrow gauge as to what you're looking for.'

The critical finding is from the feedback given by the Arts students - physics department teaching methodologies 'discourage intellectually-able students.'

Less focus should be on technique and much greater emphasis should be on providing clear overviews of any course. In particular, they strongly recommended...

'... a general discussion of the history of physics or mathematics, where it's been, where it's going, what the unanswered questions are, what we'll be doing in the course, what we won't be doing in the course.'

'Typically the science course begins immediately by teaching students the technique that they're going to use the next week in the laboratory... all the while leaving out of the audience students who are saying, "What is physics anyway ?...What's the point ?".... And more profoundly, if we have one nature, why do we have three or four or five different sciences ? And those questions are considered either obvious,or not worth the time, or not interesting... and so we lose the interesting original multi-talented student whom the science and the country really doesn't want to lose.'

Tobias sees from course coordinators an unhealthy bias towards traditional student background profiles that simply excludes what could otherwise be crucial advocates for science years after their science degree.

- DEBRIEF -

These Arts students not only performed well in physics but they declared they could have performed better with a better grounding and encouragement into the evolution and the future of the discipline ! Fascinating.

Some learners are conceptual thinkers.... macro-viewers. Without the origins and purpose of the subject they are less motivated with the details, with the myriad of facts. Tobias clearly believes that society has lost many potential 'science professors' and strong science advocates in general industry because of this traditionally blinkered view of what the learning of science should be. She affirms and upholds this unrecognised type of learner.

Knowledge management implications....

When setting up Communities of Practice with online backup budget for tactical, practical knowledge (tips registry) but also strategic knowledge (conceptual debates and generation). Find and engage those who can contribute the macro-view of the discipline. They will likely become your community key facilitators. They will provide the much needed fire and controversy needed to sustain the life of the community. With newer business processes like KM it takes macro-viewers with good communication skills to drag the work practice into the mainstream of the workplace.

It is just not physics departments that need to reconsider their type of instructional content but also Training and KM departments in organisations as well !... anyone leading the way in knowledge exchange and generation.

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