Current Session Details

Thirty Years Adrift, Landing on the Island of the Affective Domain. Content vs Feeling?

Facilitator: 

Alan Lester, PhD., Geological Sciences and Continuing Education, University of Colorado, Boulder

Description: 

After three decades and numerous teaching modalities (on-campus and online), I’ve come to realize that how students feel about a subject is probably more important than what is learned.  It’s reminiscent of an old Carl Sagan quote, more appropriate than ever in a world credulously enamored with whatever someone with a bit of influence wants to post or tweet―“The method of science, as stodgy and grumpy as it may seem, is far more important than the findings of science.”―The Demon-Haunted World.
Taking Carl’s admonition a step further, I share pedagogical research that supports targeting the often neglected “affective domain”—the realm of feelings and attitudes, where a discipline or topic becomes more than just knowledge, but potentially something exciting and alluring. 

Beyond rocks and fossils, my goal is for students to feel that science is capable of casting a trustable light on big issues like resource consumption, climate change, and vaccines; and, ultimately, a societal tool worth voting for and spending on.

We’ll talk about the challenges of addressing student attitudes, particularly in the online mode. Come share your thoughts, ideas, and approaches!

Date: Friday, November 17, 2023

Time: 12:30pm, MST

Zoom Link: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/99073895198