基于论证训练理念的教学法探索--以麻省理工学院开放课程《心灵与机器》为例

Argumentation-based Teaching Approach in MIT Open Course "Minds and Machines"

培养学生的论证能力是大学教育重要的目标,探寻基于该理念的大学课程之教学法,具有十分重要的实践意义。MIT《心灵与机器》开放课程的成功实践表明,论证训练理念对课堂教学(包括课程内容设计)、课前预读材料的选择和成绩评定等方面都提出了特殊的要求:就课堂教学而言,它要求以问题为导向来设计课程内容,教学方式既要有以重构论证——分析论证为脉络的专题讲座,也要有以小班为单位、形式多样的复习式教学;在课前预读材料的选择上,它要求最好既有难度较大的"源"论证性的经典文献,也有比较容易的简化和重构论证的导论性文献,但以前者为主,在选择某一论题的经典文献时,既要有立论性文献,也要有批判性文献;就成绩评定而言,它要求构建一种兼具反馈功能与测量功能的成绩评定体系。

Cultivating students' reasoning power is the most important objective of university education.As a successful MIT open course,'Minds and Machines' introduces major innovations in the design of lesson plan,preparation of reading materials and evaluation of learning outcomes,which are conducive to the development of sound logical reasoning.The course is problem-oriented and argumentation-based,integrating placement tests with diagnostic evaluation,large lecture classes on specific topics with small-class revision sessions of various forms,involving reading assignments of both arguments and counterarguments of certain view point,both original classical documents and simplified introductory textbooks.