How can we know? How can we attain justified belief? These traditional questions in epistemology have inspired philosophers for centuries. Now, in this exceptional work, Alvin Goldman, distinguished scholar and leader in the fields of epistemology and mind, approaches such inquiries as legitimate methods or "pathways" to knowledge. He examines the notion of private and public knowledge, arguing for the epistemic legitimacy of private and introspective methods of gaining knowledge, yet acknowledging the equal importance of social and public mechanisms in the quest for truth. Throughout, he addresses this opposition but proposes a rigorous framework that resolves such tensions, making this collection of papers one of the most important contributions to the theory of knowledge in recent years.
Most learning on the job is informal. This book offers advice on how to support, nurture, and leverage informal learning and helps trainers to go beyond their typical classes and programs in order to widen and deepen heir reach. The author reminds us that we live in a new, radically different, constantly changing, and often distracting workplace. He guides us through the plethora of digital learning tools that workers are now accessing through their computers, PDAs, and cell phones.
The transition from whole numbers to rational numbers and the associated mastery of the multiplicative conceptual field constitute an important development in lower secondary schooling. This study draws primarily on the theory of conceptual fields as a framework that is mathematical and enables a cognitive perspective by identifying the concepts- and theorems-in-action that lead to underlying concepts and theorems. Application of the Rasch model configures the location of both item difficulty and learner proficiency on one scale. Diagnostics explore the validity of the instrument for measurement. The ordering of items enables the analysis of hierarchical conceptual strands and additional insights into the mastery of concepts by subsets of learners at particular levels. The resulting matrix, of interactions of learner proficiency and item complexity, provides an overview of the concepts attained and not yet mastered. These insights permit teacher interventions specific to each learner subset at a shared common current zone of proximal development along the scale. Caroline Long has received her doctorate in Mathematics Education from the University of Cape Town in 2011 and is Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria, where she is responsible for teaching mathematics education courses, and modules on assessment. She is also Deputy Director at the Centre for Evaluation and Assessment. Her primary research foci are mathematics education, professional development, teacher agency and assessment. Current work relies on collaboration with researchers at other South African institutions, and in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Scotland and the USA.
This book provides educators and facilitators with a comprehensive overview of the historical underpinnings and philosophical orientations of adult education and adult learning while attending to the various roles individuals play both within and beyond the formal constraints of the classroom. Positioning learners' and instructors' educational narratives as central to the theories that inform adult education, Pathways of Adult Learning opens up a dialogue among students, educators, community members, scholars, and working professionals about the many possible avenues toward knowledge sharing. Employing a personal, accessible tone, Janet Groen and Colleen Kawalilak take up a relational approach that encourages readers to reflect upon their own experiences as learners within the broadening context of adult education. Conscious of the power imbalances that can emerge in both institutional and professional work and learning environments, this text explores specific teaching and facilitation strategies that effectively generate ideas and accommodate adult learners of varying gender orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and ethnicities. Through their collaborative analysis of a diverse collection of first-person narratives, provided by both students and scholars working in the field, the authors construct a multi-faceted portrait of the status of adult learning today. Integrating a critical lens to explore how social, cultural, and economic factors influence and shape individual and collective pathways toward lifelong learning, this text is an indispensible guide for anyone studying or facilitating educational programming for adults in diverse work and learning contexts.
First Published in 1998. Parents and teachers of girls with Rett Syndrome will welcome this book which offers accessible advice on the special educational needs of these girls. It will assist teachers in developing a working knowledge of the syndrome and suggests particular strategies in planning a curriculum which may overcome the specific difficulties within the diagnosis.
The future of education centers empowered students in a global learning ecosystem. Despite decades of reform, the traditional borders of education—graduation, curriculum, classrooms, schools—have failed to deliver on the goals of excellence and equity. Despite massive societal changes, education remains controlled by an old mindset. It is time to change that limiting mindset and, more importantly, the ineffective practices in education. To truly serve all learners, future classrooms must remove the boundaries of learning and become student-centered, culturally responsive, and personalized—supportive and equitable environments where each student can direct their own learning and seek multiple pathways to skills and knowledge in a global learning ecosystem. This compelling call for transformative change offers all involved in education Evidence-based arguments that reveal the need to break the traditional borders that limit learning Strategies to personalize learning and remove the confinement of traditional pathways Examples from around the world to create equitable and student-centric learning environments Resources for creating a school learning environment that expands opportunities for personalized learning into the global learning ecosystem It is time to now imagine a different kind of learning, without borders, and to begin the shifts in practice that will result in personalized learning for all students.
The philosophy of lifelong learning is not a new concept, and for many decades governments, worldwide, have debated what form a policy and resourcing framework should take that would help people raise their skill levels to meet the challenges presented to society entering the 21st century. New Zealand is no different. The introduction of the Tertiary Education Strategy in 2002 sought to create that framework by developing six strategic priorities that would raise skill levels, improve quality of provision, cater for the more disadvantaged and provide New Zealand with strong economic and social outcomes. In 2005, at the mid-way point of the Strategy s implementation, this thesis seeks to determine if the Strategy is, in fact, creating a framework that will achieve a prosperous and confident knowledge society . The focus of this study was the implementation process of the first part of Objective 17: Improved linkages between secondary and tertiary education as a key indicator of Strategy Three: Raising Foundation Skills so that all people can participate in our knowledge society. The methodology chosen for this research was a qualitative methodology, using an inductive and interpretivist approach. This approach allows patterns, themes and categories of analysis to emerge from the data and allows researchers to remain open to the unexpected, and to change the direction or focus of a research project. Research essentially fulfils three roles: it explores the issues - discovering if something exists; it defines and differentiates the object of the study; and explains it contextually. The research for this thesis involved three secondary schools, three tertiary providers, three government agencies and a document review. The three main data collection methods used were interviews, document analysis and written questions. Data analysis was completed using evaluative research techniques. The thesis is descriptive in presentation. The results indicated that the application of Objective 17 has improved linkages between tertiary and secondary education, pathways are being created and there is a growing awareness of the necessity for lifelong learning. Nevertheless, the development of a culture of lifelong learning and the knowledge society are still someway in the future. Three major themes were identified that could impede the success of the Strategy, however, the vision of a prosperous and confident knowledge society is achievable.
Pathways to Transformation: Learning in Relationship is an edited collection that synthesizes current research on transformative learning and expands the current knowledge-base. This book is timely and significant as it provides a synthesis of some of the most exciting research in two fields: adult education and human services. The objectives of this themed edited collection, Pathways to Transformation: Learning in Relationship, are threefold. First, this collection serves as a space to synthesize current research on transformative learning. Through an extensive literature review, the editors have discerned several important strands of research in the area of transformative learning and solicited chapters dealing with these topics. The second objective of the collection is to expand the current knowledge-base in the area of transformative learning by creating a space for dialog on the subject and bringing together diverse voices. The third objective of the collection is to transcend the field of adult education, with a specific goal to reach an audience in human services (psychology, counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy).
