Goals for Liberal Learning

Transcription

1 Goals for Liberal Learning The Learning Goals of this proposal should be understood as a means to an end, as a means of educating our students to embrace and embody those values and habits of mind that are foundational for leading lives of intellectual, physical, and spiritual well-being. They are a means of helping students discover not only what potentials they possess, but how those potentials may be realized. Ultimately, the Learning Goals are intended to help them discover meaning and purpose for their actions, a philosophy of life, and a wisdom that comes only through the power of love and a curiosity born of an awareness of the essential mystery of all things. In addition to the above, the Learning Goals are meant to engender in students the following: first, an understanding of the value and purpose of a liberal education as it was understood by Luther as a means of freeing oneself from ignorance and prejudice in order to give freely of one s knowledge and wisdom to benefit others, guided at all times by both an intellectual and spiritual understanding of justice and compassion; second, an understanding of the value of questioning, of debate and dialogue, of critically assessing the truth claims of a variety of perspectives and the values and assumptions they represent; third, an understanding of who they are as individuals and, as members of communities both large and small, the roles they may play as leaders and facilitators in the empowerment of others; and fourth, a passion for excellence not as a static ideal, but as a call to do better and be better. The Learning Goals, then, achieve distinction by being grounded in a religious tradition that emphasizes the ethical, moral, and spiritual dimensions of learning and knowing, the profound relationship of belief and action, and the continual need to test the validity of one s understanding to leave no potential source of knowledge and truth unexamined. Concordia s Statement of Purpose shows a clear dedication to educating whole persons to lead lives that are both mindful and intentional. The Learning Goals are intended to be central to achieving that end, both in the Core and Major. They are also intended to facilitate learning in a variety of contexts, both academic and experiential in nature. Finally, they are meant to help our students become humbly self-confident in mind, spirit, and body, aware of the gifts they possess, and of the need to share these gifts with their neighbor and the world. Goal 1: Love of Learning A love of learning is not only foundational for achieving the Goals for Liberal Learning, but it is also, paradoxically, a natural outcome of the realization of those goals. A love of learning is an essential habit of mind for discerning and, ultimately, embracing those values that define Concordia s mission. To love learning is to delight in being thoughtful and informed to delight in searching, in discovering, in questioning and dialogue, and in excellence of effort and achievement. To love learning is also to desire more than learning for its own sake, but to use one s knowledge to influence the affairs of the world, guided by the spirit of Christian love and responsibility. 1

2 Ideally, a love of learning inspires a desire to learn throughout one s life. It engenders a passion for discovery, for self-defining challenge, and for finding meaning in mystery. A college degree is a beginning, not an end. A liberal education empowers graduates to learn on their own, to transform thought and belief into action, and to find meaning, purpose, and wisdom in their lives. Beginning in the first year, the following attributes should be nurtured at every stage of a student s development, and in every educational context. In this light, a liberally educated person examines the conditions, assumptions, and values that shape one s identity (private, public, and professional), and philosophy of life, is self-disciplined and self-directed, learns independently, teaches others, acknowledges her/his own limited knowledge and personal bias, takes chances that challenge his/her intellectual and creative abilities, recognizes ambiguity and understands its role in decision making, changes her/his attitude and perspective when necessary, Goal 2: Foundational skills and transferable intellectual capacities Liberal education involves the acquisition of foundational skills, which in turn leads to the development of transferable intellectual capacities. Foundational skills allow a person to do something; intellectual capacities enable a person to know when to do something, how to adapt it, and when to do it in a new way. Intellectual capacities not only provide the educated person with personal satisfaction; they also equip the self to deal constructively with the wider world. These capacities can increase career opportunities. They provide a person with the intellectual elasticity to confront the unexpected in personal and workplace life and to be productive participants in civic and cultural life. Creative integration of the following skills and capacities allows the educated person to have a deeper self-knowledge and to take fresh perspectives and approaches to involvements and commitments. In short, a person of intellectual skills and capacities is empowered to live well. In a world where communication occurs frequently and instantaneously, the educated person must express thoughts and ideas effectively through written and oral communication in formal and informal situations. A liberally educated person organizes ideas clearly, develops ideas thoroughly, respects and adapts to diverse audiences and contexts, constructs, tests and articulates arguments, grasps how communication clarifies thought, achieves a level of linguistic proficiency in a language other than their own. With the continued growth of both electronic and printed materials, the average person 2

3 has access to many sources of information. As a result, competent research requires new and critical knowledge of where to find sources and how to evaluate them. Information literacy skills of discovery and assessment are essential components of a liberal education. A liberally educated person locates appropriate research materials by identifying and searching databases and other sources of information, applies an appropriate research methodology, evaluates information and its sources critically. Many careers and life situations require quantitative analysis and mathematical reasoning, which allow an educated person to have a clear grasp of the world and flexibility of mind. A liberally educated person formulates and tests hypotheses, performs higher mathematical analysis, interprets statistics and graphs accurately, understands the implications of the results, and generates new questions based on those results. Opportunities to develop capacities for critical analysis, creative thinking, and problem solving are present in all courses and should be integral to a liberal education. These capacities take time, attention, and guidance to develop, but once developed, these are permanent powers and can be shared with others. A liberally educated person reads, observes, and listens critically, makes decisions and solves problems through creative thinking and critical analysis, collaborates effectively and builds consensus in groups, including those of diverse composition, adapts effectively to change. Over the last twenty years, computer technology has come to play an increasingly large role in daily life at home and at work. A liberally educated person uses various forms of computer technology adeptly, both hardware and software, employs computer technology wisely and ethically. Goal 3: Understanding and integration of multiple perspectives Liberal education communicates human knowledge and teaches students to participate in knowledge. While truth is absolute, our understanding of truth is often limited by context and perspective. All learning proceeds from a base of assumptions. Critical liberal education will integrate that fact into its curriculum in a way that provides students with opportunities to evaluate those assumptions in their own lives, investigate their role in the lives of others, and forge a new assumptive base as a result. It is essential that a 3

4 curriculum provide disciplinary, interdisciplinary and intercultural analysis of perspective assumptions. Thus, a liberally educated person demonstrates expertise in his/her discipline, sees disciplines as tools for problem solving, recognizes and critically evaluates multiple perspectives of a discipline, develops a personal perspective that is informed by the professional ethics of a discipline. Further, a liberally educated person recognizes that disciplinary boundaries are politically and socially fluid, understands that problems are not always confined within these boundaries, and that problem solving often involves the use of many disciplinary perspectives And finally, a liberally educated person understands, appreciates, and respects the diversity of human experiences both within the US and globally, considers social and political forces that shape people s experiences on the basis of race, class, gender, ethnicity and sexuality, extends her/his perspective to include a language and culture not their own, integrates experiential learning into his/her academic program. Goal 4: Examined cultural, ethical, and spiritual self-understanding Liberal education addresses fundamental and continuing questions about the human condition. Over thousands of years, humans, as individuals and as groups, have wondered about who they are, how they ought to live, and what makes life meaningful. Liberal learning, in its conversation with various traditions of conviction, practice, and analysis, helps students to know themselves and to be reflective about their identities. Further, students learn from the wisdom of the past as they search for authentic responses to life s ultimate questions. A liberally educated person understands the personal, interpersonal, and social factors that contribute to individual identity, character, and growth, understands the historical development of Western and Christian civilizations and the philosophical meanings and values that inform liberal learning at Concordia, appreciates and understands the visual, literary, musical, and performing arts as modes for individual expression, and as vehicles for service in the search for truth and meaning. embraces and articulates spiritual convictions and ethical values and relates these convictions and values to other worldviews, faiths, and ways of life. Goal 5: Responsible participation in local, national, and global communities Liberal education expands possibilities to be fully human in relation to others. The self lives in interdependent relations with wider communities. As creative agents, humans 4

5 cooperate with others and contribute to these communities in diverse and consequential ways. These involvements require working knowledge and skill, both general and expert. They require moral insight and concern. Liberal learning cultivates understanding, ability, and sensitivity for thoughtful, informed, and active participation in the world. In a world of unequal power and unjust inequalities, responsible participation requires special attention to the implications and consequences of ideas, decisions, and actions. A liberally educated person recognizes connections between academic learning and public issues, understands the multiple social roles and relations that constitute human identities and societies, understands the condition of individuals and groups separated from a dominant culture by race, gender, class and/or religion, interacts competently and ethically in workplaces and voluntary associations, recognizes the potential for misunderstandings due to the complexity of language and cultural systems shows respect for the identities, interests, and needs of others through a commitment to public leadership and citizenship, makes critical, principled decisions for the well being of others and oneself, practices habits of thought and action that support a sustainable global community, maintains an understanding of important world affairs and global issues. 5