Neuroscience, enactivism, simplexity: new perspectives for education?
Edited by
Prof. Pier Cesare Rivoltella, Prof. Maurizio Sibilio, Prof. Pier Giuseppe Rossi
A cultural paradigm seems to be arising in the last decade. It’s developing from the solution of epistemological, social and political problems inherited by the post modernism and constructivism, but it seems that is not radically taking the direction of the objectivism and it doesn’t want to completely cut the constructivist roots. The neo realistic and externalistic approaches are surely strongly present, but the most significant core seems to be the one that starts from the continuity brain-body-artifact-world/environment in which the subject is being seen interacting, in his/her neural-corporeal concreteness , with a world that develops in the interaction itself. A world that is not external to the subject activity and immutable, but dialogues with him/her in a way the axiologic dimension flanks to the ontologic and epistemologic ones.
The paradigm was born from the contamination of different study areas. In the neuroscientific field various researches and, specifically, the ones related to the group of Parma, show how the mirror neurons are active in the observation of an action and in the development of the action as well. In the same way the researches made by Varela and the most recent studies about the enactivism highlight the centrality of the action as synthesis between building and knowing the world, overcoming the computationalist models.
The researches by Berthoz and the ones related to wide sectors in the motor area , then, propose an approach to act in the complex situations, the simplixity, and highlight, in the studies about decision, how the action is not the execution of a cognitive plan decided only by the brain.
Also in the extended mind, embodied mind, internet of thinks, augmented reality approaches technologies are elements of a expanded mind, connected to the body, but not reproposing the analogy brain-computer.
What impact could this new paradigm have on pedagogy and didactics?
Surely there is the need to consider the most recent researches without falling in the deterministic temptations, that is without thinking that the researches in the other fields can represent an answer to the educational problems.
The issue is not to apply the results presents in other contexts but to, on one hand, start from the paradigmatic aspects to build an interpretative framework, and, on the other hand, to activate research paths consistent with the paradigm itself and scientifically meaningful to let validate/elaborate the perspectives themselves.
The relation between building and learning is transversal to the studies previously presented so the contribution of the pedagogical sciences is not secondary at all.
The critics to the ideographic approaches cannot bring us back to the nomothetic models not consistent with the paradigmatic perspectives. Even if this temptation is present.
The present call is meant to gather contributions that highlight an articulation between the described paradigm and the researches in the educational field.
The successful contributions will focus, also with a critical accent, on the articulation of the new paradigm, mostly if they will integrate experimental paths that can support the analysis themselves.
A wide space will be given to researches in the International context.
Topics:
- Assessment of the learning process and/or educational practices;
- Methods, techniques and tools;
- Epistemology, epistemologies and co-disciplinarity;
- Models and theories;
- Environments and settings.
Deadline: 30 November 2012.
Referee: All proposed articles will undergo a double/blind review process. Feedback of the referee process by 20 december 2012.
Pubblication: Spring 2013.
For info: ess@unimc.it
Submitters must follow the formatting norms available in the website.
For the editorial staff
The director
Michele Corsi
ISSN: 2319-7323