Creativity and Technical Rationality
Ones view on these two is incredibly important. Creativity is open, whereas Technical Rationality is closed.
Creative people are open to experience, they want to 'know' the world. Technical Rationalists work inside a closed domain, they want to make the world more reliable, they want to make the world more predictable.
In the new millenium the education must keep a balance between these two perspectives on the world. But our world in the UK at least, is skewed heavily towards the predicatble world of what is known and what can be managed by hierachies and bureaucracies. New ideas are often not wanted, they interfere with the smooth running of the institution.
If we say students are free to organise themselves, to be agents in knowledge formation, what do we make of students who choose to move in a safe predictable world grazing on hard facts? Do we recognise they are being 'creative' in making their own choices, or do we feel they are being 'timid' by playing safe? What is our position - do we ask for the design of courses to build in creativity and design, or do we say "this area is known, do you want to know it too?"
Should we allow students to learn in a closed system or in an open system? Is it not the case that in the world anything can happen? If so, why allow students the comfort of a safe harbour when in fact the seas are rough and the currents may be strong? Is the philosophy of the neophyte encouraging us to be over-protective of the learning experience?
Creative people are open to experience, they want to 'know' the world. Technical Rationalists work inside a closed domain, they want to make the world more reliable, they want to make the world more predictable.
In the new millenium the education must keep a balance between these two perspectives on the world. But our world in the UK at least, is skewed heavily towards the predicatble world of what is known and what can be managed by hierachies and bureaucracies. New ideas are often not wanted, they interfere with the smooth running of the institution.
If we say students are free to organise themselves, to be agents in knowledge formation, what do we make of students who choose to move in a safe predictable world grazing on hard facts? Do we recognise they are being 'creative' in making their own choices, or do we feel they are being 'timid' by playing safe? What is our position - do we ask for the design of courses to build in creativity and design, or do we say "this area is known, do you want to know it too?"
Should we allow students to learn in a closed system or in an open system? Is it not the case that in the world anything can happen? If so, why allow students the comfort of a safe harbour when in fact the seas are rough and the currents may be strong? Is the philosophy of the neophyte encouraging us to be over-protective of the learning experience?
posted by Dr Brian Morris at 11:43 am
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