Teaching and Learning > DISCOURSE
Editorial: Thinking, Believing and Sharing, and Introduction to the Journal by the Director.
Author: David Mossley and George MacDonald Ross
Journal Title: PRS-LTSN Journal
ISSN:
ISSN-L:
Volume: 1
Number: 1
Start page: 3
End page: 3
Return to vol. 1 no. 1 index page
Return to vol. 1 no. 1 index page
This is a new journal for the exploration of ideas and techniques for learning and teaching in the subject areas of philosophy, history of science, philosophy of science, theology and religious studies. We aim to publish peer-reviewed, innovative and original material from all these disciplines to stimulate a lively and respected debate on the scholarship of teaching and on pedagogical research.
George MacDonald Ross, the PRS-LTSN Director, sets out some of the background and objectives for this journal in his introductory piece on pages 4-5, so here is a very short account of two important kinds of scholarship of learning and teaching that will be of interest to all those in HE wanting to find more successful ways of engaging with students and sharing their enthusiasm for ideas and beliefs.
Most of us are aware that much is written about “generic” education methods and techniques. It is hard to avoid mailings from Staff Development Units about important new developments. But what many want to know is, “Can the generic be applied to subjectspecific topics in learning and teaching for my teaching?” For example, articulate and literate philosophy students may baulk at logical symbolism and this specific issue may be not catered for in traditional educational literature and searching for generic solutions is definitely time consuming and often disheartening. But, of course, logicians and philosophers have already successfully dealt with this problem over very many years, sometimes through the application of generic solutions, sometimes in exciting and innovative ways. When looking at learning and teaching we should never forget the vast array of teaching experience and expertise in our communities and that many of us already are innovative teachers who have solved subject-specific problems. Given our existent skill and commitment to the promotion of our ideas and subjects amongst students and the wider public, there is indeed a great deal to “network” about and much for us to share with each other. It is we who are the experts on such subject-specific issues. The articles by Cantor, Cowley and White in this journal show this kind of thinking at work—taking issues of general educational interest and putting them to work in the context of Philosophical and Religious Studies.
But there is another aspect to the scholarship of teaching that may be closer to our research orientated hearts. Anyone seriously engaged with any of the subject areas covered will know that what they teach in itself carries a message about what can be taught, how it can change ideas and outlooks and how it influences the perceptions of students in tackling other topics. For example, a good course in history of science will almost certainly leave a student better able to tackle the rigors of competitive argument for funding for their physics project; and a dynamic teacher in religious studies may help students better understand their own life course and beliefs. These are topics never properly addressed outside our subject communities, and yet they are fundamental parts of the learning experience that arise directly from our being diligent and committed researchers. My colleagues and I sincerely believe we should all take a moment to really explore how we can have a genuine impact on the students’ experience of education. As Bill Campbell’s piece on page 25 illustrates there is more to thinking about teaching theology than just wondering about the content of an end of course questionnaire!
This journal is the best forum for a lively exchange in both these kinds of thinking— and I have no doubt there are other possible avenues as yet unexplored. I hope you enjoy reading the results and are encouraged to participate in this new direction in HE learning and teaching.
David J. Mossley, Editor.
Welcome to the first issue of the PRS-LTSN-Journal. This is an exciting new venture, which marks the beginning of a scholarship of learning and teaching in our disciplines.
The expression ‘scholarship of learning and teaching’ may sound like staff-development jargon—but it is useful jargon, which makes two important points about what the PRS-LTSN aims to achieve.
The first point is that the ultimate measure of our success as teachers must be what our students actually learn. We may give brilliant performances as teachers, but this does not always translate into brilliant performances by our students. We need to find ways of helping our students to become more responsible for their own learning, rather than treating them as passive recipients of what we teach them.
As it happens, I do not believe that anyone in our disciplines regards their students as mere passive recipients. Nevertheless, there has been relatively little public discussion of how to improve student learning in cost-effective ways, other than improving our performance as transmitters of information. One of the functions of the PRS-LTSN will be to promote research into, and discussion of, innovative ways in which student learning can be improved by what we do behind the scenes.
The second point is that we have inherited a culture in which publications count as genuine research only if they refer to previous literature on the subject. Our aim is to raise the status of research into teaching, so that it is on a par with traditional areas of research. This will be possible only if there is a body of literature to which authors can refer. Our website will provide a digest of existing literature, and the PRS-LTSN Journal will supply a growing resource of materials on which future authors can build.
The RAE panels have recognised that pedagogical issues qualify as a legitimate area of research, but publications will not have equal status unless they display scholarship. The PRS-LTSN will fill this gap. W 5 Most of what has been written about the scholarship of learning and teaching has been generic—that is to say, it is restricted to issues which are common to all disciplines. One of the distinctive features of the LTSN is that its focus is subject-specific, which is why there are 24 different subject centres. We believe that teachers in the disciplines covered by the PRS-LTSN will be much more interested in nitty-gritty issues to do with what they actually teach—and this is what we shall concentrate on.
The other distinctive feature of the PRS-LTSN, along with the rest of the network, is that it is bottom-up rather than top-down. That is to say, we are not here to tell you how to teach, but to help you to exchange ideas about common problems, and examples of good practice. The PRS-LTSN Journal is your journal, and the PRS-LTSN website is your website. Please contribute to both, so that we can establish a genuine scholarship of learning and teaching in our disciplines in the UK. Although we are funded only for UK activities, we have an international remit, and anyone is welcome to participate. With your help, we look forward to seeing the PRS-LTSN Journal as the main international resource for the scholarship of learning and teaching in Philosophical and Religious Studies.
Return to vol. 1 no. 1 index page
This page was originally on the website of The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies. It was transfered here following the closure of the Subject Centre at the end of 2011.
