Meeting the Challenges of Large Scale Educational Reform: SENCER and the Problem of 'Knowledge Inequality'

摘要

Knowledge inequality should concern us. The gaps between "knowledge haves" and "knowledge have-nots" are growing despite greater access to higher education. This chapter describes a proven strategy to improve STEM learning and increase the capacity of students to engage with some of the great civic challenges of our times. Following a brief description of the SENCER approach, the limitations of even extraordinary single courses are identified. To achieve transformative, durable learning, the author argues that larger-scale auricular and post-curricular reforms are required. These approaches should be designed to enable students to: (1) stick with hard things longer, (2) pursue answers, not be persuaded to adopt a particular answer, (3) imagine, make, interrogate, and explore new connections, and (4) do more than one thing at once. In addition to offering strategies for increasing knowledge and capacity for effective participation in a modern democracy, the author offers a mini-guide to this volume, identifying where readers can find more detailed treatments of the issues raised and topics discussed here.