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"The Mind Project Learning Community"
The Mind Project is a learning community including scientists, professional philosophers, education specialists, publishers, students and teachers (grades 6-16) from around the world. The focus is on the scientific study of minds, brains and persons and the philosophical issues that arise from it: metaphysical, moral and social, epistemological, pedagogical, semantic, etc. Come for an introduction to The Mind Project and an open discussion of how its mission can be expanded (to include you!!)
"Teaching Courses On The Nature Of Persons Using AI Software, Television & Films, Immersive Virtual Science Labs, Robots (On-Video, Virtual, And Real), And More"
In this workshop we will share a wide range of resources that we have developed (funded by the NSF and NIH) and that we've found to help teach courses in philosophy of mind, practical ethics (abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering), the nature of personhood, metaphysics (e.g. realism versus relativism), cognitive science, and personal identity. Materials include: interactive online activities, virtual laboratories, AI programs, video clips, and Internet-based student research projects. Come and share your own favorite materials.
"Moral Pluralism, Vulgar Relativism: What's The Difference And How Can We Teach It?"
Many people, including many if not most philosophers, believe all goods things and all right actions must ultimately fit together in a single harmonious scheme of morality. Moral pluralists deny this. So long as individuals and groups enjoy a certain amount of freedom to think and act for themselves, there will be conflicts among good and important moral values and principles that cannot be resolved by reason. Moral pluralism, I argue, is true. But what’s the difference between moral pluralism and vulgar (or subjective or “anything goes”) relativism? And how can we teach the one without seeming to endorse the other?
"The First Day Of Philosophy Class"
Is there any special importance to the first meeting of a philosophy class? Isn’t it reasonable, especially in an introductory course, to take care of routine, housekeeping matters initially and have the real work of the class begin on the second day?
The presenter hopes to illustrate in this workshop a strategy whereby introductory students can be helped to experience the discovery power of philosophy during their very first class period.
"An Open-Source Modular Interactive Critical Thinking Textbook"
The Inquiry system – an online, open-source, modular textbook – offers a solution to the problem facing instructors of Critical Thinking: how to keep examples current while providing the structure of a traditional textbook. Developed under a FIPSE grant, the system is now being opened to the Philosophic community, with the aim of developing a robust collection of web-based modules combining both traditional prose and contemporary multimedia examples of informal reasoning for today's students.
"Teaching Modernity In Appalachia: Unique Challenges, Unique Rewards"
Despite our interests in conceptual schemes, paradigms, styles of reasoning, levels of explanation, and populationist modes of theorizing, many philosophers ignore the fact that instruction occurs in situ. This paper highlights the importance of cultural location by reflecting upon the author’s experience as an instructor of modernity at Marshall University, a regional state institution in Huntington, WV. For many Appalachian students, issues barely tolerated by others (as part of their required history sequence) are uniquely resonant.
"Strategies And Techniques For Teaching Logic"
Symbolic logic, even at the level of propositional logic, can be difficult for students. Students may come from a wide spectrum of majors, may represent a variety of learning styles and may be native speakers of a wide range of foreign languages. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to bring forward difficulties in teaching logic that they have experienced.
"Teaching American Philosophy"
America is one of the few cultures that does not deliberately attempt to pass on its intellectual and philosophical past. Although there are many reasons for this failing, a primary one is that most American philosophers simply do not know their past well enough to offer a sympathetic yet critical presentation to their students. This workshop is designed for teachers interested in acquiring or developing such a critical sympathy. We will examine ways to structure courses in American Philosophy, materials available for classroom use, other materials to assist teachers, and some figures and topics from American Philosophy.
"Teaching the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of the Human Genome Project"
This workshop will explore of the ethical and social implications of the Human Genome Project. In October 1990 the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health formally launched the Human Genome Project. The results of this project are already changing our lives: opening up dramatic new medical therapies but also creating troubling new ethical questions for individuals, families, and society as a whole. We will discuss our experiences team teaching a class HO 310: Ethical and Social Implications of the Human Genome Project.
"Powerful Questions With Which To Innovate"
Participants in this session consider, create, refine, and begin answering provisional “Best Questions” that we all can use to innovate. Each attendee writes a short description of a learning problem some of their students have. I guide a volunteer with a problem of broad appeal through “powerful questions” I have developed through years of leading faculty development seminars in teaching and learning. We conclude by collectively developing a list of “best questions with which to innovate.”
"Teaching Philosophy And Service Learning: The Political Activism Project"
Logic is one of the most difficult philosophical disciplines in which to cultivate student interest and excitement. In this presentation, a provocative approach to the teaching of Logic will be explored. Using a combination of curriculum infusion and service learning, political involvement and voter activism were employed to teach the principles of critical thinking. This proved not only effective in enhancing student learning; it also encouraged them to become more informed and participatory citizens.
"Facilitating The Teaching Of Philosophy In Community Colleges: One Case And Its Implications"
Our objective is to stimulate thinking about teaching Philosophy in community colleges. The presenters include faculty from both a community college and a state university within North Carolina. We will describe our goals of training community college teachers to teach Philosophy and of establishing an Associates degree in Philosophy (the only one of its kind in our State). We will supply some data concerning the teaching of Philosophy within community colleges in our region.
"Reality Education: Teaching Critical Thinking"
The reality is that helping our students be better critical reasoners will be part of our professional lives as teachers of philosophy. Like reality television shows, this reality is fraught with both challenges and opportunities. The workshop leaders will pose several challenging scenarios for analysis and discussion. We will also brainstorm what individuals, graduate programs and the AAPT can do to prepare and support the teaching of critical reasoning.
"Bringing Philosophy Outside The Classroom: Strategies For Deepening And Widening Philosophical Engagement On A Small College Campus"
This workshop will introduce three methods of engaging the philosophy and non-philosophy student alike in philosophical discourse outside the formal classroom, while simultaneously raising the profile of philosophy on campus – deliberative dialogue forums, Socrates Café, and Ethics Bowl. Both the pedagogical and public relations value of these practices will be explored. Workshop participants will have opportunities to directly experience the methods presented, as well as share their own experience with these or similar practices.
"Using Contemporary Commercial Films To Teach Philosophy"
A demonstration/workshop on using to contemporary commercial films to introduce the classical ideas and questions of philosophy by integrating of film segments into a model fourteen-week traditional classroom course in Introduction to Philosophy. The presentation is divided into three sections: Integrating Film Segments into Traditional Classroom Pedagogy; Using Film to Facilitate Discussion in the Classical Philosophical Disciplines; and a Review of Sample Materials and Questions. Classroom materials will be distributed.
"Feminist Learner-Centered Pedagogy"
While our methodology is applicable to a wide range of courses, in this workshop we reflect upon the pedagogy we have enacted in a team taught intra-disciplinary course in Feminist Ethics and Epistemology. We will discuss how to identify learning objectives in light of specific course content and how to develop non-lecturing activities that embody course content. We aim for learning activities that are memorable, concrete, participatory, narrative, and evocative.
“Can (and Should) Learning in Philosophy Be Assessed?”
Teachers of philosophy in higher education across the United States and in countries around the world are grappling with the questions of whether and how learning in philosophy should be assessed. Is learning in philosophy measurable, and if so, what sorts of measurement are appropriate, feasible and effective? In this session, I will describe one approach to assessing student learning in philosophy that is based on the creation of student learning outcomes, and relate this assessment of student learning to program and institutional assessment.
"Appraising Critical Thinking Tests"
Ennis will (1) provide a list of existing critical thinking tests; (2) examine such topics as starting with a defensible and clear conception of critical thinking, taking the test yourself, the tricky term "reliability", the elusive concept test validity, and (assuming an inference to best explanation approach) types of evidence for validity; (3) examine traps in certain types of items; and 4) consider the advantages and disadvantages of essay tests, multiple-choice tests, and tests that use a combination of the two by asking for a written justification of a proposed answer to a multiple-choice item.
"Writing Critical Thinking Test Items for Classroom Use"
This hands-on item-writing workshop will assume familiarity with the presentation at the plenary session, "Appraising Critical Thinking Tests". Participants, if they want to write items about content that they use in their teaching, are invited to bring 20 copies of a one-paragraph (or at most one-page) passage containing an argument or something they want their students to be able to think critically about, preferably something containing an assumption that they might want their students to be able to ascribe to the argument or arguer, and if possible, also something that calls for judging the credibility of a source. The passage should be fairly simple so that we can focus on the item-writing problems. Bringing a passage is not required, but I hope some will do so. Please provide me a copy beforehand so I can think about it in advance (rhennis@uiuc.edu).
"Teaching Philosophy Through Sport"
In this presentation, I provide justification for why the use of sport, as a site for critical reflection, is advantageous in the philosophy classroom. I will present some strategies and suggestions for successfully incorporating sport into philosophy courses. Participants who attend this workshop will learn about philosophical problems in sport and teaching strategies to approach these problems. Participants will also be provided with a sample syllabus and resource list.
"Arguing With (Not About) Ethics"
In Part One of this presentation, we will argue for teaching undergraduate students not only the logical mechanics of argumentation, but also the ethical skills necessary for good faith arguments which the presenters term "sustainable" by extending charity, dealing with substantial issues, applying diligent scholarship, and weathering expected conflicts. In Part Two of the presentation, we will describe a unique assignment, designed to utilize, practice, and evaluate the skills of ethical argumentation.
"Using The Insider In Teaching Introduction To Ethics Or Professional Ethics"
Two of the great challenges that face the teacher of introductory ethics are the choice of materials and topics. The choice of topics and materials should be based primarily on an understanding of the questions that students are facing. The moral problem of Whistle-blowing presents the conflict of self-interest versus duty to others. This workshop will consist of viewing selections the film The Insider and discussing their use in teaching ethics.
"Assessment: What Is It? When Should We Welcome It? When Should We Fear It?"
I think it is fair to say that the assessment model of educational planning has dominated K-12 education for at least a decade, and is now working its way through higher education. (For example, many organizations that regulate the accreditation of institutions of higher education are now using this model.) In this presentation we will learn the basic concepts of assessment, so we can think about how this model can help or hinder our teaching of philosophy.
"Let's Not Re-Invent The Wheel: Accessing Pedagogical Resources Outside Philosophy"
One of the great advantages of the AAPT conference is the chance to learn about successful pedagogical techniques from our peers in other philosophy departments. In this workshop I want to extend this conversation by sharing some of the resources from outside of philosophy departments that have been valuable in improving my teaching. I will focus on some helpful tools for planning courses, teaching reading or writing, grading, assessing, managing small groups, and designing rubrics. Bring your own recommendations to share as well.
"Using Argument Diagramming Software In The Classroom"
An argument diagram is a visual representation of inferential connections between premises and conclusions. Students who can construct argument diagrams significantly increase their critical thinking skills over the course of a semester-long college-level course. Interest in computer-supported argument visualization has lead to us to design and build a program for constructing and demonstrating argument diagrams. I will discuss theory and practice of argument diagramming, my research findings, the current version of this software and future directions.
"Doing (Teaching?) Philosophy Through Campus-Wide Discussion Groups"
This workshop/discussion will examine how an interdisciplinary, ethics-based, campus-wide discussion series can be organized and implemented. The specific case/example was prompted by the creation of an endowed professorship in applied ethics at Bloomfield College, but other models can be explored. We will seek to clarify the value of such a project, understand how it has the capacity to enhance intellectual community, and explore just how the doing and teaching of philosophy can be alternatively pursued through activities that complement what happens in the classroom and in research endeavors.
"Community Learning In Academic Games And Introduction To Philosophy"
This presentation will address the value and feasibility of academic games for introductory philosophy courses. I will describe the pedagogy, and some specific examples of published games. I will describe my efforts to use an academic game dealing with Religion and Science in my Intro course. The purpose is to put students into a fictional role, so that there is something other than a grade motivating them to study and debate ideas and texts.
"Using Debates To Teach Philosophy"
In this workshop, I will discuss the pedagogical and philosophical benefits of using debates to teach philosophy and will offer suggestions for incorporating debates into philosophy courses. More specifically, I will discuss how to prepare students to participate in debates, how to structure class debates, and how to actively include other students in the class who are not direct participants in the debate. Handouts covering debate preparation, structure and evaluation will be provided.
"Assessing Moral Reasoning Development Through Engaged Teaching And Learning Practices"
This workshop will involve participants in collaborative learning activities designed to promote and assess moral reasoning development. Participants will receive sample surveys, case studies, directed reading assignments and electronic poster instructions developed for my Contemporary Moral Problems course. We will also consider some benefits, problems and techniques for imbedding formative and summative assessment activities within courses. Participants will play cooperative moral reasoning games, receive reference materials and be provided with links for creating various games.
"Evolution and Philosophy of Science: Effective Pedagogy in Light of Evolving Intelligent Design Controversies"
I teach Philosophy of Science and Ethics and Technology, in the context of training future teachers for the secondary schools where the evolution debate affects practice. I have had to develop a variety of strategies to maintain effective classroom discussions. Testimony from the recent Dover, Pennsylvania school board trial will be used. This presentation illustrates concrete points of discussion regarding the future of science education. Participants will receive a variety of materials.
"Using The Short Stories Of Orson Scott Card To Facilitate Small Group Discussion In An Issues In Ethics Course"
One challenge in ethics courses is finding textured, detailed examples showing implications of and problems with ethical theories. Card's science-fiction and fantasy stories provide memorable situations students can use to discuss these concepts. In "The Best Day," for example, a young mother chooses to continually relive the best day of her life until she dies in old age. Her life is subjectively one of happiness and pleasure; yet, none of her neighbors envy her.
"Formal Logic And Reasoning"
Empirical evidence suggests that the standard formal logic course is of little benefit for improving students’ reasoning skills. This presentation will engage participants in a discussion of the value of teaching formal logic in relation to improving students’ reasoning skills and how to best teach formal logic when this is our goal.
"Assessment In The Philosophy Classroom And Across The Philosophy Curriculum"
This workshop explains our approach to assessing student learning in philosophy. We will engage the participants in conceptual analysis of our goals and learning outcomes and work to develop reliable assessment tools. Our approach to assessment is a version of “Primary Trait Analysis” which is a technique for breaking learning outcomes down into measurable traits. Our use of this technique is summarized in our Philosophy Majors Handbook that provides the overall educational goals of the department and relates these to our specific learning outcomes.
"Philosophy For Children With Educators"
Philosophy for Children (P4C) is a worldwide program that uses texts and pedagogy of Community of Inquiry (CI) while addressing contemporary educational challenges and exploring philosophical concepts. As such P4C facilitates genuine thinking and an empowered membership in the social matrix. In a circle of sharing and exploring experiences and views this workshop approaches philosophy as a method of inquiry and a way of life. I invite participants to enter the room with a beginner's mind.
"Using The Wit Of Wit: Encountering Morality Through Readers' Theater"
How do we get students to connect the often abstract ethical concepts encountered in a philosophy classroom with the moral dilemmas in their lives? One way of addressing this enduring question is by approaching ethics as a practice. Specifically, in bridging the familiar yet worrying gap between theory and practice, we introduce Margaret Edson’s play Wit as readers’ theater. We offer the workshop participants a chance to discuss and participate in the readers’ theater experience.
"National Critical Thinking Standards?"
The Bush administration is considering creating a national system of standardized tests at the college level, prompting much criticism from educators. I argue that in at least one area, critical thinking, a well-executed national system of standardized tests would be a good thing. While there is plenty of reason to be skeptical of any proposal coming from the administration that gave us the No Child Left Behind Act, a national standardized test is perfectly consistent with current norms for teaching critical thinking and may even be demanded by those norms.
"Teaching Question Asking Skills In Philosophy Classes"
The ability to ask a good question is prior, both chronologically and logically, to all other critical thinking skills. In this session, I first outline some assignments and exercises I use to get students to both ask questions and to learn to ask good questions, including a daily question card exercise, a “quescussion session”, and handouts and small group exercises from educational psychologist Alison King for generating, classifying, and evaluating questions.
"Dealing Effectively With Plagiarism: A "Role Reversal" Writing Exercise"
Arguments discouraging plagiarism typically focus on the ethical basis for crediting authorship, or the risk. But students are often unimpressed, especially when the stakes are high. The problem with most such arguments is their implicit or explicit affirmation of plagiarism itself: they acknowledge that it is an effective tactic. This workshop will present a class exercise intended to reframe students’ conceptions of writing evaluation, revealing plagiarism as an ineffective tool, rather than a risky-but-effective one.
"Should Philosophy Teachers Be Objective In The Classroom?"
Philosophy teachers cannot help but stray from complete objectivity, and in many instances there are good pedagogical reasons for doing so. In this interactive workshop, I will define “fully objective presentation” and describe my presentations that both fail to fit the definition and nonetheless seem to be pedagogically acceptable. The goal of the workshop is to offer teachers the chance to openly examine whether objectivity is always required in the classroom.
" 'Assessment' Isn't A Four Letter Word"
In this workshop participants will (1) discuss how important it is for us to clearly set out our objectives for our courses, and (2) produce and evaluate examples of clear (and muddy) objectives as well as ways to "objectively" assess our assignment. We will explore, share, and create different "rubrics" for assessing participation, papers, group work, and general knowledge in a course as well as general knowledge in a program (i.e. our majors).
"Teaching Philosophy Through Film And Fiction"
It may be that students gain a better understanding of philosophical issues by experiencing the issues through film. Here we will illustrate and discuss different ways that contemporary mediums can be used in philosophy classes (either in the classrooms or as outside assignments) to increase students' understanding and appreciation of philosophy. We will take the typical philosophical problems and identify and discuss films, television shows, or fictional readings that could help increase student interest, participation, and learning.
"Using 'Law And Order' To Introduce The Divine Command Theory And Natural Law Theory"
Before examining the question, "Is morality grounded in religion?" I show a dramatic and controversial episode of the NBC series "Law and Order." I have found that this is an excellent way to introduce the Divine Command Theory and then contrast it with the Natural Law Theory. The workshop will include the showing of the episode, distribution of the handouts that accompany the topic and a discussion of its application.
"The Case Is The Point: Using Case Studies In Biomedical Ethics Courses"
Drawing on three specific case-based assignments in my Health and Biomedical Ethics course, I will compare student learning in biomedical ethics courses using case studies to student learning using more traditional pedagogical methods. I will solicit audience participation concerning experiences with case-based teaching methods. We will conclude by considering the role, value, and limitations of case studies in applied ethics, generally, and in biomedical ethics in particular.
"Developing Philosophy-Oriented Learning Communities"
Learning communities are creative and engaging options for introducing students to philosophy and helping students make interdisciplinary connections. This workshop will help participants understand the nature and value of learning communities, examine some philosophy-oriented learning communities, and provide opportunities for planning to develop learning communities with colleagues from other disciplines. At the end of the workshop, participants will share plans and ideas so everyone will (ideally) leave with several options to explore.
"Using The Causality Lab To Teach Causal Reasoning"
The Causality Lab facilitates causal discovery. Within the Causality Lab students use causal graphs, Causal Bayes Nets, to discover the causal structure underlying a set of data. In this computer workshop, I demonstrate how the Causality Lab facilitates causal discovery and how to create your own data set for exploration within the Causality Lab. Everyone is then divided into groups to create a causal mystery, a causal data set, for other teams to discover.
"Implementing A Service Learning Course In Philosophy"
Empty is the argument of the philosopher which does not relieve any human suffering.
– Epicurus (341-270 BCE)
In this session we will explore the various sorts of service learning opportunities that may be incorporated in a philosophy course. Topics to be examined include course structure, formalities of the service component, types of service activity and location, and readings. Time permitting, we may also examine some of the theoretical underpinnings of experiential and service learning.
"How Not To Teach Philosophy"
Most of us have a pretty clear idea what good teachers of philosophy do. Among others things, good philosophy teachers explain complex ideas clearly, they use active learning, provide prompt feedback, and they are fair graders. However, what is often overlooked is that good teachers of philosophy also avoid certain “classic” mistakes. This workshop is an attempt to highlight and categorize some classic mistakes in the teaching of philosophy. The workshop will focus on the teaching of introductory philosophy classes.
"Philosophy As A Life Skill: Teaching Philosophy To Seventh And Eighth Graders In A Discussion-Based Setting Without Formal Texts"
We run a text-free, discussion-only philosophy elective for public middle-schoolers. Students in units on ethics, philosophy of religion, meaning of life, metaphysics and ontology, and social-political philosophy use basic logic and argumentation. We present our experience and a workshop during which participants collaborate to create a discussion-only, age-appropriate unit on a subject of their choice. Discussion-only units may be useful for other age groups, including adult laypersons and undergraduates, with appropriate adaptation.
"Interactive Workshop On Contemplative Practices In Philosophy Class"
Participants in this workshop will experience two guided meditations that may be integrated into philosophy courses, a sample philosophical writing assignment, and a group discussion. We will also discuss a variety of contemplative practices, assignments, and philosophical topics that interface with meditative experience. Participants will receive handouts of meditation instructions, articles on contemplative learning, a bibliography, and a list of organizations offering instruction on meditation.
"Interactive Workshop On The Use Of Students' Own Philosophical Beliefs"
This workshop examines the rationale and mechanics of a first assignment for philosophy students that targets their philosophical beliefs. Students write a sentence describing some philosophical belief of theirs, reasons for and against it, and why they still believe it. Most of what goes on in the world of “doing philosophy” may evolve from this assignment. We will discuss ways to implement this assignment and integrate it into the curriculum.
"Workshop On The Use Of Multiple Choice Quizzes In Philosophy"
This workshop explores the double use of multiple choice reading quizzes; these may be graded electronically, so they are fairly low-labor. The first quiz grades for having read the assignment once, and motivates reading before class discussion. The second is given at the end of the unit, and motivates rereading. The question types on each quiz are importantly different. Sample quizzes will be examined.
"Teaching Buddhism To Bull-Riders: Some Advantages And Challenges Of Teaching Eastern Philosophy In The Introductory Course"
This presentation considers the many benefits of teaching non-Western philosophy in the introductory course. There will be special focus on the value of using Eastern views to illustrate the presuppositions of Western views on happiness, the nature of our cognitive capacities and the worth of philosophy itself. Later sections will discuss some peculiar challenges of integrating non-Western theories and the presentation ends with a look at some useful textbooks, translations and secondary source articles.
"Approaches To Teaching Applied Ethics"
There are many ways to teach applied ethics courses. They can reflect the broad methodological or scholarly interests of instructors, be pitched to different audiences, and have different intended outcomes or aims. We illustrate these planes of variation and ask participants to identify other potential planes, distinctions within the planes, and analogs to particular courses in other areas of applied ethics. Participants develop a taxonomy of approaches.
"Religious Perspectives And Arguments In Value Theory Classes"
How should philosophers teaching philosophical value theory deal with students who offer explicitly religious premises to support their individual moral perspectives? We explore this issue in a workshop centered on the evaluation of sample arguments, with an eye toward finding reasons for thinking that religious premises are either acceptable or unacceptable in a philosophy class.
"The Evocative Intro Course"
This workshop explores options for an Introduction to Philosophy course built around readings selected not simply to present philosophical ideas, but to evoke the natural philosophical tendencies and intuitions of students. Such a course is motivated by a desire to find solutions to difficulties experienced by students with reading, understanding and writing philosophy. Several sample readings will be provided, and participants are encouraged to bring their own “evocative” readings for group discussion.
"Marking Assignments Efficiently"
Comments on assignments need to be provided quickly if they are to improve student learning. I shall offer some suggestions for making the process as quick and efficient as possible, and for maximizing the usefulness of the comments. There will be an opportunity to discuss national and institutional differences affecting assessment procedures, and for participants to contribute suggestions of their own.
"Philosophy And The Scholarship Of Teaching"
The scholarship of teaching done by philosophers is very different from mainstream educational research, because it uses philosophical rather than social science research methods. It is difficult to obtain funding for such research, because proposals are judged by educationalists, not by philosophers. The purpose of this session is to articulate ways in which philosophical research methods can produce valid results, and also improve the quality of generic pedagogical research (e.g. through conceptual analysis).
"Introductory Philosophy and New Media: The Possibilities of Peripatetic Pedagogy in Cyberspace"
How do the components of a successful introductory philosophy course translate into “new media”? This presentation will present instructors with a model for this process. Primarily, we will discuss designing and delivering an introductory philosophy course within the structure of a campus course management system (such as BlackBoard or WebCT). However, we will also demonstrate methods for delivering a course using free tools that are currently available to all instructors with an Internet connection.
"On Student Note-Taking In Introduction To Philosophy: How Can We Teach Students To Get The Most Out Of This Underutilized Skill?"
The goal of my demonstration, discussion and workshop is to facilitate a discussion of how students take notes and how to teach them to take notes more effectively. We will begin by examining how students actually take notes and then I will show the method I have invented, based on the research of Stockdale and Williams, as a way to begin a discussion of how we can most effectively to teach students to take notes.
"Introducing Philosophy From Afar: Evaluating Student Learning And Attitudes In A Distance Course"
In an ongoing study, I compare (1) anticipated learning outcomes, (2) anticipated course satisfaction, (3) perceived learning outcomes, (4) perceived student satisfaction, (5) actual learning outcomes, and (6) knowledge retention between two sections of Introduction to Philosophy-one section that is wholly "traditional" and one section that wholly distance. In this demonstration/presentation, I share (1) the overall structure of the distance course, (2) the elements of the study, and (3) the study's preliminary results.
"Why The Educator Cannot Teach Critical Thinking"
A standardized program of instruction usually demands common syllabi, texts, and tests. Since teaching under this type of program is seen as stimulus (or cause) and learning as response (or effect), much stress is placed on the effectiveness of the classroom teacher. This effectiveness is usually gauged by the technical skills of the instructor to meet the demands of common syllabi, texts, and tests. And yet, in applying other than the administration matters most approach to teaching (e.g., the student matters most approach or the content matters most approach), the educator seeking to teach critical thinking will be at odds with the standardized educational goals and practices of the administration.
"The Wisdom Of Our Elders"
I will discuss two writing assignments used to get students involved in philosophy. The first requires them to interview an elderly person to share their wisdom about life. The second requires them to visit a cemetery and reflect on what they observe. I will go over the directions given to the students. I will cover some practical considerations, some of the pitfalls to be avoided and cautions to be observed. Next, I will quote some passages from students’ papers.
"First Steps: Connecting Philosophy To Theatre, History Psychology, Sociology, Writing, Speech, And Literature"
Drawing on over 30 years experience in "learning communities," this session will help participants work through the "first steps" in connecting philosophy courses to other disciplines. We will work together on how to connect content of philosophy to other courses, and how to deal with the practical issues--how to schedule the classes, how to promote them, how to make best use of faculty members' time, and how to deal with common "start-up" problems.
"Making Philosophy 'Interdisciplinary' Without Losing The 'Discipline' Of Philosophy"
Interdisciplinary courses sometimes turn out to be undisciplined—that is, without grounding in particular approaches to knowledge gained by hard work in individual disciplines. Often students leave interdisciplinary courses or learning communities without a sense of the individual disciplines involved. This session will help participants create connections of philosophy to other disciplines in a way that respects the "discipline" of each, yet is still "interdisciplinary" in a richer, more academically grounded sense.
"The Aesthetics Of Contemplation: Teaching Philosophy As A Performance Art"
Since the time of Kant’s famous “Copernican Revolution,” we have come to recognize that reality is not so much a given, but rather that we are intimately involved in its creation. This fundamental philosophical truth reveals the natural kinship between philosophy and aesthetics, and opens the door to philosophical knowledge through the development of artistic, creative, and performance-related skills. This presentation will emphasize the benefits of a pedagogical approach that treats Philosophy itself as a unique medium of artistic expression, including discussion of the most useful connections between performance arts and philosophy, and the creation of assignments that foster these skills in both the teacher and the student.
"Teaching And Learning About Suicide In Undergraduate Philosophy Courses"
My purpose is to provide a review of themes, questions, essays, and exercises, which can be used in college philosophy courses for reflection and education on the topic of suicide, especially in the form of a 1-2 week module in Intro., “Philosophy or Death and Dying.” My review will consist of three parts: "Socrates and Analytical Issues"; "Camus and Existential Issues"; "Applying Existentialism: Cobain versus Beethoven". I will demonstrate which and how Internet materials can be used, along with philosophical and pedagogical goals.
"The Importance Of The Facts In Ethics"
Theoretical and applied ethics classes tend to be about values. Should they also be about non-moral facts? This workshop will be a conversation about the importance of facts in ethics. We will begin by looking at how facts are often discussed in ethics classes. Second, we will have an open discussion of if and when facts are important in teaching ethics. Finally, I will share assignments that I have used to evaluate and improve skills concerning the facts.