[lit-ideas] Re: Mark Edmundson strikes again
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- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 08:51:55 +0200
On 20-Aug-13, at 2:48 AM, David Ritchie wrote:
The academic world is changing, no doubt about it. Many of the
things Straker and I used to complain about to one another-- for
example the notion that the outcomes of learning must be declared,
predicted, achieved--have taken over my own small island and many
islands of my ken. Meandering conversations that characterized the
discursive form of inquiry and teaching we had learned are now
looked upon by many as too vague, incapable of addressing the wide
variety of "learning styles," outdated.
One of the first nails in the coffin of my academic career:
Once I had passed my 'prelims' and candidacy exam I posted at the door
to my office a two-paragraph précis of my Ph.D. thesis proposal under
the title 'What I'm up to', and invited questions, comments and
discussion. One of my fellow Ph.D. candidates responded with a 'This
is great - maybe we should all do something like that!' And then she
paused ('sober second thought'?) and continued, 'But then we'd all
just stand around talking and not get any work done.'
Chris Bruce,
still muttering to himself, in
Kiel, Germany
P.S. The only other response I got to my 'What I'm up to' posting was
from another Ph.D. candidate, asking if it was some sort of political
statement (critical of the department - i.e., not an offer and call
for inquiry, discussion and debate at all). -B.
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