Glossary

(This Page is a Work in Progress)

Academia: a collective term for the community of scholars and students engaged in higher education research; origin is “akademeia” – referring to Plato’s center of learning, a gymnasium just outside Athens, which was dedicated to the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena

collegium: In ancient Rome, a collegium (plural: collegia, “joined by the law”) was any association with a legal personality.

core curriculum: In Higher Education, see examples of Columbia College at Columbia University and the University of Chicago – both are designed to foster critical skills in a broad range of academic disciplines. Some selective institutions have largely done away with core curriculums (for examples, see Brown University and Cornell University).

curriculum: a set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university; {origin is Latin; stems from Latin word for “race course” – referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults} *The first textbook on the subject was published in 1918 by John Franklin Bobbitt. Bobbitt defined the curriculum as the ideal and suggested that scientific experts would be best suited to design curricula, based on their knowledge of what qualities are desirable in adult members of society, and what experiences would generate these qualities; Bobbitt suggested that the curriculum should define the deeds-experiences that the student ought to have to become the adult he or she ought to become.

empiricism:  In philosophy, this describes a theory of knowledge which asserts that knowledge arises from sense experience

Enlightment (The Age of Enlightenment): A time in Western philosophy and cultural life, centered upon the 18th century, in which reason is viewed as the primary source for legitimacy and authority. More a set of values than a set of ideas, as it critically questioned traditional morals, institutions, and customs.

Locke, John: English philosopher (1632-1704); one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment and a “classical republican”;  Noted for his influence on on modern day liberalism and the idea of “tabula rasa” in his “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding.” (Tabula rasa refers to an “empty” mind shaped by experience). His essay Some Thoughts Concerning Human Understanding outlines his view on how to best educate the mind; note his theory of “Associationism.” His political theory is founded on social contract theory. He defines property as a natural right, and argues it can be viewed in a broad sense, as human aspirations, and more narrowly, as material goods.

metacognition: thinking about the process of knowing; refers to higher order thinking which involves active control over the cognitive processes engaged in learning; involves (1) knowledge, or awareness of your own thought process and learning styles, and the knowledge of strategies that might be used for different learning tasks, and (2) control or self-regulation, keeping track of your thinking processes, regulating them, and evaluating them

monograph: a work of writing concerning a single subject, usually also by a single author; may be in the form of a book or journal article; by definition, this is a single document that forms a single text in and of itself; a reader may define their own work as constructed with the intent to be a monograph and a critic may also define another’s work to be a monograph; normally used to describe a work intended to be a complete and detailed exposition of a single subject at a level more advance than a textbook

pedagogy: {pronounced PED-uh-goh-jee} (1) the function or work of a teacher; teaching *the term usually refers to the whole context of instruction, learning, and the process within (2) the art or science of being a teacher; the art or science of teaching/education/instructional methods; the scienc eor theory of educating *the term generally refers to a style of instruction, (3) the study of teaching methods, including the aims of education and the ways in which such goals may be achieved *this field relies heavily on educational psychology and theories about the way learning takes place; {word comes from the Greek term paidagōgeō, which literally means “to lead the child” – in ancient Greece a paidagōgeō was a slave employed by a master to take the young son to and from school, and looking after him (girls were not publicly educated at the time)}

précis: {pronounced prey-SEE or PREY-see} (n) a concise summary – précis

Veritas: In Roman mythology, Veritas was the goddess of truth. It was believed that she lived hidden in the bottom of a holy well, she was so elusive. Her image is that of a young virgin dressed in white. Veritas is also the name of the Roman virtue of truthfulness.

veritas: Latin word for truth.