180134 SE MEi:CogSci Topic-Seminar (2014S)

In this seminar we will investigate the implications of an embodied and situated approach to cognition for our understanding of learning processes. In our daily language we metaphorically conceive of knowledge as a kind of object which can be acquired, transmitted and lost (forgotten) and which is of a different nature as skills.
Together we will explore the potentials and limits of a theoretical stance which looks at the learner as an agent who is embedded in and interacting with a physical, social and cultural environment.

The following perspectives will serve as an overall structure to our seminar sessions. Within these participants will be encouraged to specify and follow their own scientific questions for going into depths.

1.) More than a "learning brain" 1
Traditionally we conceptualise learning as a cognitive process which is happening in the brain/mind of an individual. This perspective neglects the physical dimension of a body behaving over time in a three-dimensional highly structured environment.
Relevant questions are: Which role does the body play in various learning settings? What is the relation between movement and learning processes? What role do artefacts play, which possibilities for interaction do they provide?

2.) More than a "learning brain" 2
Embodied agents do not only live in a physical world, but are also socially and culturally embedded.
Relevant questions are: Is there a difference between learning alone or together with another person? What role can another person play in an individual's learning process and how does it affect the learning experience? Can we even consider learning processes without considering the cultural nature of human development?

3.) Learning spaces
This last perspective can be seen as a transversal to the two previous ones, since the focus is lying on an educational setting. This can be a particular competence, method, approach, etc.
If we conceive of them as learning spaces relevant questions are: What kind of structures/constraints do learning processes need? What is the role of movement for learning? What happens when we write? What can we learn from dance/movement therapeutic settings and mindfulness practices involving movement?