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After India
Reflection
Unit: SSK12
Week: 6
Date: 06 October 2009I’ve just got back from India. Almost always just before I leave India I feel ambivalent. I’m always keen to come home to be with friends and family, and also to get back into my normal routine (especially after a long stay), but at the same time I never want to leave India, it is like a second home for me. The time immediately after returning is often punctuated by a longing to return. It’s almost like a part of me is over there and I’m not complete unless I’m back there. These mixed feelings appear to be accentuated by my current studies. The longing is still a powerful emotion, but on this occasion it has had to be tempered by the necessity to study.
This particular trip to India was only two weeks, when I am used to four and five week stays, but two weeks was enough to constitute a massive burden on my studies. Going to India is not a holiday for me and unfortunately there is little time for yourself. On this particular trip I was required to work 6 days per week, starting at 4 am at the office and most of the days were 14 hours long. At first I was keen to be in the books and reading the online tutorials, but very quickly the demands of work started to run me down and before long I was finding it difficult to do anything after work, let alone use my brain. What’s worse is that although I have developed a strategy for not wasting my time reading junk in the Student Café, I have now switched to writing posts in my own online tutorial which I spend a lot of energy on when that energy might be better directed at doing my Learning Skills exercises.
Now I am back in Sydney, but I am two weeks behind, I need to finish my learning log and I haven’t even started my essay. I am very fortunate to have been given an extension by Koral. I felt quite embarrassed to ask for the extension, but I had no choice. I had good intentions for carrying on with my studies while I was away, but intentions are for nothing if you can’t follow through. Anyway, I’m here now and I have to make the most of the time I’ve been given. I have neglected the glossary section of my learning log and I’m rediscovering how time consuming it is to do these glossary entries. Also, I’ve got complete writers block when I attempt to start my essay. I know that once I start, it will come in a flood, but right now, I’ve got nothing. I found the exercise aimed at preparing for an essay very helpful, but I still feel completely unprepared. I believe essay writing was a huge weakness of mine in high school and to be truthful, I’m afraid that it is still a huge weakness.
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Attitude
Glossary
Unit: SSK12
Week: 1-5 (in Week 6)
Date: 06 October 2009Word: attitude n.
Context: Essay preparation: “Using the concept of a ‘world view’, identify some of the beliefs and attitudes….”
Definition: The Australian Oxford Dictionary (2004) puts it as “a settled opinion or way of thinking” and the “behavior reflecting this” opinion or way of thinking. The Blackwell Dictionary of Western Philosophy (2009) elaborates for us by explaining that belief is:A mental state of approval or disapproval, favouring or disfavouring. It is associated with emotion and feeling, but is contrasted to belief. While belief is concerned with fact and is cognitive, attitude is concerned with evaluation and emotional response. People having the same beliefs might have different attitudes, or have the same attitudes although they have different beliefs toward the same object. Hence the distinction between attitude and belief amounts to the distinction between value and fact.
Word in Use: I have a positive attitude toward tertiary education.
The Australian Oxford Dictionary. 2004. 2nd ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Bunnin, N. and J. Yu. eds. 2009. The Blackwell Dictionary of Western Philosophy. West Sussex, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell.
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Transferring learning strengths…
Learning Skills Exercise
Unit: SSK12
Week: 1 (in Week 6)
Date: 06 October 2009
Exercise: Exercise 2 – Transferring learning strengths into university studyActivity 1: Previous learning experiences
I spend approximately 1/3 of my day at work so it should not be surprising that a lot of my learning is as a consequence of my employment. Since I started in I.T. and more recently in Project Management I have learnt a great deal. When I worked in Application Delivery (which is a team that repackages software for the company’s desktops) I developed the skill of fault diagnosis and resolution. This has given me a strong problem solving ability. My ability to be analytical and my attention to detail nicely to my work as a project consultant. In project management I have learnt how to plan, how to manage people and the situation at hand. I need to take information in; process it; determine the objectives and deliverables; set milestones; and establish any risks, their mitigants, and finally call out any risks to those who need to know.Activity 2: Conditions that enhance your learning
My personal experience is that I learn best in a positive environment where guidance is provided and I am surrounded by intelligent and experienced people to draw knowledge from.Activity 3: Your learning strengths
<Activity 3 summary goes here>
Activity 4: Gaps in your learning
Activity 5: Lifelong learning
Activity 6: Transferring reading skills
Reflection
It was good to do the quick preview exercise at the start of this exercise. It reinforced to me the importance of previewing text, especially in the context of tertiary study. Although it is not uncommon for me to preview my books by reading the back cover and index, I am reminded of the value of thoroughly reading the introduction in order to get a big picture understanding to the book.I never was a strong reader and even now, although I tend to read a lot of books, I don’t read them very fast. One of my biggest challenges is going to be whether I am able to improve my reading ability, especially in the area of reading rate variation. I may find it difficult to learn to read at any other rate than the snail’s pace I am used to.
<Write more…>
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Worldviews II
Reflection
Unit: SSK12
Week: 4
Date: 23 September 2009I wrote the attached file in response to some discussion regarding worldviews, but decided not to post it thinking that it might seem pretentious. Besides it was a bit late to add anything of value to the discussion.
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Worldviews
Reflection (Do not use for the Learning Log)
Unit: SSK12
Week: 2 (in Week 3)
Date: 15 September 2009Like a few here I am lagging a little, I’ve only just listened to the Week2 lecture given by Julia Hobson (2007) in the last two days. During the second part of the lecture Hobson makes a distinction between her understanding of a worldview and what she refers to as personal belief systems. I don’t completely agree with Hobson’s definition of a worldview in this respect. I find this definition limited. I understand that the university lecturer may need to be careful not to stray too far into spirituality so as not to cross from philosophy into religious education, but my belief (as framed by my worldview) is that these two concepts are inseparable. I believe what Hobson defines as personal belief systems are a fundamental and integral part of one’s worldview.
As a side note, this is an important illustration of the necessity to contextualise the context or read/listen worldviewishly, for as Sire (2004, 121) says, “the very concept of a worldview is itself worldview dependent.” Each proponent of a given worldview will have their own understanding of what a worldview is. Clearly mine is different to Hobson’s.
James Sire is one of my favourite authors, author of such books as The Universe Next Door and Naming the Elephant. His definition of a worldview is my favourite, it is concise yet comprehensive, and I doubt I could define it any better. Sire (2004, 122) writes:
“A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being.”
For me the key to unlocking the concept of worldviews is the word presupposition. The foundation of any worldview is its presuppositions. So believing in a God, believing in many gods or not believing in god at all is fundamental to one’s worldview and by extension, one’s understanding of the self.
When Nietzsche (1882, 125) writes, “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.” This is a massive shift from previously held notions. Even those of a modern thinker such as John Locke who believed in “our ‘Inalienable Rights’, which are ordained by God.” (Osborne, 2007, 89) This is further demonstrated in that the Kamikaze pilot’s sense of self is very different to that of the Secular humanist’s, or that of a Jain, who values all life.
I think we can say with some confidence that today’s Christian worldview is a modern one, as I’m sure the Western Sunni Muslim worldview or the Reformed Jewish one is. I would go as far to say that many Christians worldwide manifest a syncretism between Christianity and postmodernism. My point is that there is a Modern Christian worldview, as much as there was a Mediæval Christian worldview, which are both distinct from secular modernism and each one will see the world and the concept of self differently through different lenses of understanding.
In my case, I am not a Christian, but I cannot deny the influence of Christianity on the Western worldview and mine in particular.
In conclusion, it is my belief that peoples’ belief systems have played a major role in philosophy throughout history, Christianity in particular plays a significant role in the evolution of western philosophy. I know Hobson doesn’t limit the definition of worldviews to Greek, Mediæval, Modern or mechanistic and Postmodern, but I think it is important to point out that there are many worldviews, held by many people and they are multifaceted. I hope I have satisfactorily argued a case for the inseparability of personal belief systems (as defined by Hobson) and one’s worldview.
References
Hobson, J. 2007. Lecture: Concepts of the Self. Audio Recording. Murdoch: Murdoch University. 06 August 2007.Sire, James W. 2004. Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept. Downers Grove, U.S.A.: InterVarsity Press.
Nietzsche, F. 1882. “The Madman”, The Gay Science 125, in The Portable Nietzsche, trans. Walter Kaufmann, 1954. New York: Viking. Reprinted in The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog. 4th ed. p. 211. Downers Grove, U.S.A.: InterVarsity Press.
Osborne, R. 2007. Philosophy: For Beginners. New Delhi: Orient Longman.
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Modernity
Glossary (Do not use for learning log)
Unit: SSK12
Week: 2
Date: 13 September 2009Word: modernity n.
Context: Modernity appears in different parts of the unit reader both as a period of societal development and as a framework of understanding the world that surrounds us (i.e. a worldview).
Definition: Modernity in the context of philosophy is broadly considered to date back to the Enlightenment of 17th and 18th century Europe, and is typically understood to have begun with Descartes (of “I think therefore I am” fame). The main feature of modernity is its emphasis on rationality and as the excerpt from the Conceptual Dictionary in the Unit Reader says, the “privileging of science over traditional thought and action”. (Conceptual Dictionary, 1994) The modernist believes that through the supremacy afforded to rationality and science over traditional thought it is possible to improve upon and progress human society. There is some disagreement as to whether the period of modernity has ended or not, and whether we are still in it, particularly from proponents of postmodernism.
Word in Use: The objectives and hopes of modernity as purported by the philosophers of the Enlightenment was the continued improvement and ultimate perfection of human society.Bullock, A. and S. Trombley. eds. 2000. The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought. 3rd ed. London: Harper Collins.
Bunnin, N., and J. Yu. eds. 2009. The Blackwell Dictionary of Western Philosophy. West Sussex, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell.
Craig, A.P. et al. 1994. Conceptual Dictionary. Kenwyn, South Africa: Juta, University of Natal.
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Goals
Assignment
Unit: SSK12
Week: 2
Date: 12 September 2009
Assignment: QSK Worksheet -
Metacognitive
Glossary
Unit: SSK12
Week: 2 (updated in Week 6)
Date: 07 October 2009 (Updated: 09 October 2009)Word: metacognitive adj.
Context: Metacognitive is mentioned by Lorraine Marshall in the ‘Read this first’ introduction of A Guide to learning independently.
Definition: The Australian Oxford Dictionary simply defines metacognition as “awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes”. This might be more simply put as thinking about your own thinking and recognising what factors might influence our thinking (Encarta, 2009). A Dictionary of Psychology informs us that “Writings on metacognition can be traced back at least as far as De Anima and the Parva Naturalia of the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BC), and the phenomenon was brought to prominence during the 1970s largely by the US psychologist John H(urley) Flavell (born 1928)…” In an influential article presented by psychologists, R.E. Nisbett and T.D. Wilson they “summarized a range of evidence suggesting that people are often unaware of the factors influencing their own choices, evaluations, and behaviour….” (A Dictionary of Psychology, 2009).
Word in Use: As she became more metacognitive in her approach to her choices, she became more aware of what was influencing her behaviour.Marshall, L., and F. Rowland. 2006. A Guide To Learning Independently. 4th ed. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Education Australia.
The Australian Oxford Dictionary. 2004. 2nd ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Encarta® World English Dictionary. 2009. Metacognition.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?search=metacognitive
(accessed September 07, 2009)“metacognition n.” A Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Murdoch University. <http://0-www.oxfordreference.com.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t87.e5014>
(accessed September 07, 2009) -
Meta-
Reflection
Unit: SSK12
Week: 1
Date: 07 September 2009Lorraine Marshall references the text in the Unit Reader as follows:
Hobson, J. 1996. Concepts of the self: Different ways of knowing about the self. SSK12 lecture transcript. ed. Marshall, L. Perth: Murdoch UniversityAt the risk of looking silly, I’m wondering if the following full reference is also valid, if not more so:
Hobson, J. 1996. Concepts of the self: Different ways of knowing about the self. SSK12 lecture transcript. ed. Marshall, L. Reprinted in SSK12 Introduction to University Learning Reader 2008, 27-36. Perth: Murdoch UniversityWhen did we find the lovely word ‘metacognition’ and where is the Glossary thread? Have I missed something?
The Oxford Dictionary of English (2005) defines ‘meta-‘ a combining form (or prefix) 1. denoting a change of position or condition: metamorphosis, 2. denoting position behind, after, or beyond: metacarpus, 3. denoting something of a higher or second-order kind: metalanguage.
Upon cross-referencing ‘metalanguage’ from the definition above you find it is “a form of language or set of terms used for the description or analysis of another language” (Oxford Dictionary of English, 2005) and if you were to look up ‘metacognition’ you would find that it is an “awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes” (Oxford Dictionary of English, 2005).
In both these cases (and many others pertaining to philosophy and psychology) when we apply the prefix ‘Meta-‘ to the original subject or word stem, the new word represents a subject or topic about the original subject. In other words, metalanguage is a language used to describe language and metacognition is thinking about thinking or in Hobson’s (1996) case, “contextualis[ing] the context”.
In summary, to answer Koral’s question, in this case I believe ‘meta’ to mean something above and beyond the subject we are applying it to in order to better understand that subject. (I hope that made sense) 🙂
More on the context that defines me and the questions that may raise after I’ve actually read the text. 🙂
References
“meta- combining form” The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Murdoch University. 6 September 2009 <http://0-www.oxfordreference.com.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e47936>“metalanguage noun” The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Murdoch University. 6 September 2009 <http://0-www.oxfordreference.com.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e47953>
“metacognition noun” The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Murdoch University. 6 September 2009 <http://0-www.oxfordreference.com.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e47945>
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Previewing a book
Learning Skills Exercise
Unit: SSK12
Week: 1
Date: 06 September 2009
Exercise: Exercise 15 – Previewing a bookActivity 1: Finding out what books are about
A Guide to Learning Independently
This book is design to help the student adjust to university learning. It gives technique that the student can you to be a successful independent leaner. Skills such as: reading; writing, including essay writing, learning by evaluation; etc…. The authors claim that the book isn’t just a collection of techniques, but rather the book helps the student discover who they are as a learner and encourages the readers to learn how the techniques can work for them.Marshall, L. & F. Rowland. 2006. A Guide To Learning Independently. 4th ed. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Education Australia
A Learning Companion
A Learning Companion is a learning guide design to help the student develop effective and efficient learning skills. It is a collection of exercises that the student can complete in order to foster life long learning skills that can hopefully used for the duration of their studies. Exercises cover such topics as: Learning how to learn; reading; and writing essays, amongst others. The book’s hope is to be a learners’ companion.Marshall, L. 2006. A Learning Companion: Your Guide To Practising Independent Learning. 4th ed. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Education Australia
In my attempt to get to know the two unit texts I read the back cover first, then I overviewed the table of contents, before quickly reading over the Preface or the Introduction. I found the back cover to summarise the book’s contents clearly and concisely. The table of contents also gives an excellent overall understanding of the information covered. If I had more time than 5 minutes to preview the books, the introduction would be the best part of the book to find the most information.
Activity 2: Previewing a book
No written entry required
Activity 3:
<Activity 3 summary goes here>
Activity 4: Reflection
It was good to do the quick preview exercise at the start of this exercise. It reinforced to me the importance of previewing text, especially in the context of tertiary study. Although it is not uncommon for me to preview my books by reading the back cover and index, I am reminded of the value of thoroughly reading the introduction in order to get a big picture understanding to the book.I never was a strong reader and even now, although I tend to read a lot of books, I don’t read them very fast. One of my biggest challenges is going to be whether I am able to improve my reading ability, especially in the area of reading rate variation. I may find it difficult to learn to read at any other rate than the snail’s pace I am used to.
<Write more…>
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