•MON FRASER UNIVERSITY
Spring Semester 2002
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EDUC 230 -3
?
Dr. Heesoon B a i
Introduction to Philosophy of Education
Office: EDB 8666
Phone: 291-5443
Thursday 14:30-16:20 in C 9000
?
D01.00 ?
E-mail: hbai@sfu.ca
plus tutorial
PREREQUISITE
None.
DESCRIPTION
Philosophy of Education is currently at an intersection of incredibly rich and diverse visions and
arguments concerning aims, values, methods, and assumptions underlying education. This course
introduces students to a broad range of diverse philosophical viewpoints, for example, the feminist,
ecologist, spiritualist, multiculturalist, critical pedagogist, and so on. Through the lens of these
diverse viewpoints, we will explore and examine the conceptions of education (what should our aims
be in education?), curriculum (What shall students study?), pedagogy (what does it mean to be a
teacher and to teach?), knowledge (what is knowledge and what is it for?), and ethics (what morals
and values shall we teach our young?). It is the intent of this course that our students come away
from the course with a comprehensive picture of the kinds of philosophical debates waged in
education around the above themes. Moreover, we intend that our students become perspectival
thinkers who are able to think, question, and interpret any educational issue from multiple
perspectives. And lastly, we promote that the students emerge from the course with a strong but
informed personal voice and stance, capable of entering into dialogue and debate with confidence.
OBJECTIVES
The coursework aims at cultivating in the students:
• the ability to read texts self-reflectively;
• the ability to employ philosophical vocabulary;
• the ability to examine practices in the light of theories, and vice versa;
• the ability to compose carefully conceptualized and reasoned arguments;
• the ability to engage in productive dialogues in a community of inquiry.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Reading journal; one paper; one collaborative writing project. No exams.
Details to follow on the first day.
TEXT
Custom Courseware.
THIS COURSE MAY BE APPLIED TOWARD THE CERTIFICATE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Centre for Distance Educa•
?
Faculty of Education
Simon Fraser University
W1'4C 1300 291-3524
EDUCATION 230-3
?
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF
?
EDUCATION
This course provides prospective teachers as well as others interested in
education an opportunity to examine a variety of educational problems from a
philosophical perspective. The central concern of the course is to elucidate the
nature of education as a phenomenon distinct from such activities as training,
schooling, and socialization.
This course is divided into five units, as follows:
1.
Conceptions of education - What should be our aims of education?
2.
Curriculum - What shall we teach? What shall students study?
3.
Pedagogy - What does it mean to be a teacher and to teach?
4.
Knowledge - What is knowledge for?
5.
Ethics - What morals and values shall we teach our young?
PREREQUISITE:
None.
REQUIRED TEXTS: None.
COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS: This course is delivered online using a computer
conferencing system called FirstClass Intranet Client. Access
ID a
compñter and modem is required. Please see reverse for details.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Assignment la & b.
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10%
Assignment 2
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20%
Assignment 3.
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20%
Assignment 4
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20%
Assignment 5
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15%
Participation in on-line discussions 15%
SUPPLEMENTARY FEES:
Course Materials & Service Fee
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$30
Deposit for Additional Materials
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$20
06/19/01
oi3
Centre for Distance Education
Simon Fraser University
WMC 1300
291-3524 or 1-800-663-1411 (within BC)
Computer Requirements
This course requires active participation over the internet. Students must have access to a computer and the
internet. Students wishing to connect to the internet from home computers are responsible for connecting to
either SFU or an external Internet Service Provider (ISP). Information on connecting to SFU through modem
dialup lines is available at the Academic Computing Services (ACS) web site:
<http:llwww.sfu.ca/acs>
Phone numbers for ACS are 291-3234 (Burnaby) or 291-5030 (Harbour Centre).
2. On-campus computer facilities are available. If you are using your own computer,
Minimum Computer
Requirements
are:
Hardware
• Macintosh running System 7.1 or
higher
OR
PC with Windows
95/98/NT
• 16MBRAM
• 10 MB free disk space
• 28.8 baud modem
• Internet Connection
• CD-ROM drive
Software
• Email (e.g. Eudora, Outlook Express or equivalent)
• Internet Browser (e.g. Netscape or Internet Explorer)
• FirstCiass Conferencing System (available free of
charge to students registered in this course)*
*Described in course materials
General
• Prior computer knowledge is expected (i.e. ability to save flies, install programs and maintain your
computer).
• Familiarity with the internet and related applications is highly recommended.
3.
Please Note:
• Support for general computer problems such as operating system difficulties and hardware problems is
not available.
• If you are having problems getting started with FirstClass, you may drop in to Teaching and Learning
Technologies (WMC 1340) from 9:00
AM
to 3:00
PM during the first week of classes. Students enrolled
in Distance Education courses and unable to access the Burnaby campus may email
<help@flrstclass
.
sfu
.
ca >
for assistance.
• The subsidized modem hours allotted to students each semester are not normally sufficient to complete
the required course work.
• A voucher system has been implemented to allow students to pay for continued modem access on
291-4721 (after your subsidized access is used up). Vouchers may be purchased from the campus
bookstores and are sold in increments of $20. At 60 cents/hour, each voucher is good for
approximately 33 hours. Instructions are included with the voucher.
• For complete information on SFU's Modem Access Policy, check the ACS web site above.
•
Out of town students only:
It is recommended that students residing outside the Lower Mainland
contact a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) since using SFU dialup services will result in
additional long-distance charges. Check your local yellow pages under "Internet" for listings.
For further information about computer requirements, contact Teaching and Learning Technologies by email
at
<help@firstclass.sfu.ca >
Revised February 7, 2001
?
FC
Centre for Distance Educa
?
Faculty of Education
Simon Fraser University
WMC 1300 291-3524
EDUCATION 230-3
?
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF
?
EDUCATION
This course is intended to provide prospective teachers, as well as students
with a general interest in education, an opportunity to examine critically a variety
of philosophical issues in contemporary education. It also aims to provide
students with an understanding of the philosophical method of inquiry into
educational questions. The central concern of the course is to elucidate the nature
of education as a phenomenon distinct from such activities as training, schooling,
and socialization.
This course is divided into five units, as follows:
1.
Philosophizing about Education
2. Education
3. Knowledge and the Curriculum
4.
Philosophy and the Teacher
5.
Ethics and Education
PREREQUISiTE: None.
