The Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research MCLS 6508

1. The Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research MCLS 6508 Selected Topics in Liberal Studies TSANG, Wing Kwong wktsang@cuhk.edu.hk http://www.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/~wktsang/

2. Which Topics?

3. 文滙報 2013年8月30日

5. Is LS Worthy of the Status of Core Subject in NSSC: The Curriculum of the Future 必修? 必考? 必計?

6. MCLS 6508 Selected Topics in Liberal Studies Lecture 1 In Search of the Meanings & Pedagogical Knowledge & Practice for a Curriculum of the Future

7. In Search of the Meanings and Values for LS in NSSC: The Curriculum of the Future Michael Youngin his book The Curriculum of the Future (1998) makes a distinction between curricula of divisive specialization and connective specialization in analyzing the curricular structure of post-compulsory and A-level education in England and Wales

9. In Search of the Meanings and Values for LS in NSSC: The Curriculum of the Future Curriculum of divisive specialization It refers to curriculum in post- compulsory education which corresponds with the mode of production of Fordism, which bears the following features: Rigid insulation between manual and non-manual labor Rigid sectional form of divisive specialization among occupational and professional groups Complex division of labor into mechanical, repetitive and observable motions Separation between conception and execution of work Strict hierarchical structure of delegation of authority and line of commands

10. In Search of the Meanings and Values for LS in NSSC: The Curriculum of the Future Curriculum of divisive specialization In connection to the mode of production of Fordism, the curriculum of in post-compulsory and A-level education is organized in the form of what Young called "divisive specialization" Sharpe separation between academic study and vocational training Sharpe division among curricular streams, such as science, humanities and social study Selective and exclusive rather than participating and inclusive education system Inflexible in movement and transferring between divisions and streams Exaggerate differences between high low prestigious institutions and programs

11. In Search of the Meanings and Values for LS in NSSC: The Curriculum of the Future Curriculum in connective specialization It refers to curriculum, which Young advocates would be advantageous to the labor formation of the economy of the 21st century, which bears the following structural attributes Flexible specialization of production and greatly decrease the division between manual and non-manual labor both in scale and scope Sectional specialization was replaced by corporate specialization, which encouraging vertical integration among different occupational and professional groups within corporations. New information-based technology replacing mechanical and repetitive motions of human labor

12. In Search of the Meanings and Values for LS in NSSC: The Curriculum of the Future Curriculum in connective specialization …..the labor formation of the economy of the 21st century…..the following structural attributes Human-centred organization and flatter management structure Interactively integration between conception and execution of work in models such as quality circles, quality terms, learning community

13. In Search of the Meanings and Values for LS in NSSC: The Curriculum of the Future Curriculum in connective specialization In relation to the mode of production of post-Fordism, Young suggests that school curriculum for the 21st century should be in the form of “connective specialization” Connective specialization “as a curriculum concept it points to the interdependence of the concept, processes, and organization of curriculum. As definition of educational purposes it seeks to transcend the traditional dichotomy of ‘the educated person’ (academic and non-manual) and ‘the competent employee’ (vocational and manual) which define the purposes of the two tracks of a divided curriculum.” (Young, 1998, p. 78)

14. In Search of the Meanings and Values for LS in NSSC: The Curriculum of the Future Curriculum in connective specialization ……school curriculum for the 21st century should be in the form of “connective specialization” It therefore "provides the basis a very different curriculum for the future" which he terms "connective specialization". "Such a curriculum …would need to build on and give specificity to the principles of: breadth and flexibility connections between both core and specialist studies and general (academic) and applied (vocational) studies opportunities for progression and credit transfer a clear sense of the purpose of the curriculum as a whole." (Young, 1998, p. 79)

15. Liberal Studies as connective-specialization curriculum in NSSC in HKSAR Curriculum of the Future: The Nature of LS in NSSC

16. Comparison of the definitive features of Liberal Studies & traditional school subjects Curriculum of the Future: The Nature of LS in NSSC

18. Liberal Education for Informational-Knowledge Age

19. Liberal Education for Informational-Knowledge Age • Problems confronting liberal education in knowledge society: Four trends have changed the problem of liberal education beyond recognition in recent decades: • knowledge is growing so rapidly and uncontrollably that the very idea of an ‘all-round’ (or ‘general’) education is coming to seem unfeasible; • nonetheless, it seems increasingly obvious that knowledge skills of some kind are essential in a society where ‘knowledge work’ has become the most productive and highly remunerated kind of work; • moreover, it seems clear that these knowledge skills, whatever they are, can’t be confined to an elite, but must be imparted to everyone;

20. Liberal Education for Informational-Knowledge Age • Problems confronting liberal education in knowledge society: Four trends have changed the problem of liberal education beyond recognition in recent decades: • ….. • in a pluralist society, the old classical model of learning knowledge skills (illustrated for example by European elite education) is challenged by some groups in society who reject the culture in which such education has been embedded.” (Henderson and Smith, 2002, p. 1)

21. Liberal Education for Informational-Knowledge Age • Carl Bereiter in his book entitled Mind and Education in the Knowledge Age (2002) suggests that there are two conceptions of the mind

22. Liberal Education for Informational-Knowledge Age • Carl Bereiter in his book entitled Mind and Education in the Knowledge Age (2002) suggests that there are two conceptions of the mind • Mind as container: The traditional conception of the mind is metaphorically pictured as a container or a file cabinet, which store all the information and knowledge a person received from her environment. • Mind of connectivity: Bereiter asserts that it is evidenced in cognitive studies that human mind does not simply receive and store information and knowledge. It will make intelligent and understanding connection about them.

23. Liberal Education for Informational-Knowledge Age • Berieter asserts that the connectivist conception of the mind is essential to the education in the knowledge age. IT is because • In knowledge age, information and knowledge increase so rapidly in both quality and quantity that it is unrealistic to expect a human mind to store this ever growing volume of knowledge. • In knowledge society and attention economy, the most productive work has been attributed to the “knowledge work”, which in essence means exactly the capacity to make creative, intelligent and relevant connectivity about seemingly diversified information and knolwegde. • Berieter also suggests that in cognitive studies of deep understanding and mastery of sophisticate skill, it is found that the mechanism working behind these high-level sense making is the capacity to make intelligent and relevant connectivity about the seemingly complicated situation.

24. Liberal Education for Informational-Knowledge Age • Conception of knowledgeability • Karl Popper’s conception of World 3: Berieter makes reference with Karl Poper’s conception of three world of knowledge • World 1: It refers to knowledge about the physical world, which could be created by “all animals whose nervous systems have some requisite degree of complexity. • World 2: It refers to knowledge about the subjective and mental world, which could mind mainly be created by human species. • World 3: It refers to knowledge about ideas and what Berieter call conceptual artefacts.

25. Liberal Education for Informational-Knowledge Age • Conception of knowledgeability • Carl Bereiter depict his conception of conceptual artifact as follow. “Such as conceptual artifact is the kitchen recipe. Recipes have a life outside the minds of people who know them and outside the embodiments in printed form. We speak of recipes being handed down from generation to generation, undergoing modification, splitting into various versions.” (Berieter, 2002, P.3)

26. Liberal Education for Informational-Knowledge Age • Conception of knowledgeability • Carl Berieter’s concept of knowledgeablity: With reference to Berieter’s conectivist concept of mind and coneptaul artifact (i.e. Popper’s concept of World 3) Berieter coins the concept of knowledgeability. It refer to the capacity of the human mind in making intelligent and creative connections with knowledge and in making use of conceptual artefacts in handling ideas, propositions, hypotheses, and various forms of abstract thinking about the World 3.

27. Liberal Education for Informational-Knowledge Age • Conception of knowledgeability • Accordingly, Berieter suggests that education for the knowledge age is the effort to enculturation human mind into world 3 and the community of knowledge workers, who are working skillfully with conceptual artefacts in a respective field and/or discipline, and can creatively and intelligently make connectivity about informations, ideas, concepts, theories, perspectives, or any other kinds of conceptual artefacts. Berieter summarize his approach of education in juxtaposition with traditional approach of education as follow

29. In Search of Pedagogical Knowledge & Practice of LS • Pamela Grossman’s conception of teacher knowledge (1990) • Subject matter knowledge • General pedagogical knowledge • Knowledge of context • Pedagogical content knowledge

31. In Search of Pedagogical Knowledge & Practice of LS • Lee S. Shulman’s conception of categories of knowledge base (1987) • Content knowledge (or subject matter knowledge) • General pedagogical knowledge • Curriculum knowledge • Pedagogical content knowledge • Knowledge of learners and their characteristics • Knowledge of educational contexts • Knowledge of educational ends, purposed and values, and their philosophical and historical grounds

33. In Search of Pedagogical Knowledge & Practice of LS • Morine-Dershimer and Kent’s conception of teachers’ pedagogical knowledge • Pedagogical content knowledge

34. Assessment Procedures, Evaluation of Outcomes Educational Ends, Goals, Purposes and Values Pedagogical Knowledge Curriculum Knowledge Knowledge of Learners & Learning Content Knowledge Pedagogical Content Knowledge Knowledge of Specific Contexts Knowledge of General Educational Contexts

35. In Search of Pedagogical Knowledge • Morine-Dershimer and Kent’s conception of teachers’ pedagogical knowledge • Pedagogical content knowledge • Teachers’ reflections on pedagogical knowledge

36. Instructional Models and Strategies Classroom Management and Organization Classroom Communication and Discourse General Pedagogical Knowledge Context Specific Pedagogical Knowledge Reflection Personal Pedagogical Knowledge Personal Practical Experiences Personal Beliefs/ Perceptions

37. Continuous & non-standardized assessment Aim at nurturing Critical Thinking Assessment Procedures, Evaluation of Outcomes Educational Ends, Goals, Purposes and Values Modularized, issue-based, connective & integrative structure, and Inquiry-oriented Issue inquiry approach with hyper-texts Pedagogical Knowledge Curriculum Knowledge Learners habitualized in banking-oriented education Knowledge of Learners & Learning Interdisciplinary knowledge of weak classification Content Knowledge ? Pedagogical Content Knowledge Examination-oriented classroom and school contexts Knowledge of Specific Contexts Liberal & general education in knowledge Society Knowledge of General Educational Contexts

38. Which Topics? • The Curriculum of the future: The Meanings and values of LS for the future citizens of HKSAR • Issue Enquiry Approach (IEA): The political essence in the curriculum & pedagogy of LS • Critical Thinking (CT): The radical interest in the curriculum & pedagogy of LS • Independent Enquiry Study (IES): …….

39. MCLS 6508 Lecture 1 In Search of the Meanings and Pedagogical Knowledge & Practice for a Curriculum of the Future END