Specifically, the concept of American university education has several basic principles: first, pragmatism. Second, cultivate education. Third, skills education. This paper first talks about the pragmatic education concept of American universities.
Pragmatism is the most basic and core educational concept of American universities, and it is also the fundamental sign that American universities are different from European universities and universities in other regions. It should be said that more than 2,500 universities in the United States are the birthplace and the largest practice base of pragmatic education ideas.
Speaking of pragmatism, everyone seems to understand it, that is, pay attention to it? Is learning useful? Doctrine is a doctrine based on actual effect. Although this kind of understanding is good, it is too superficial and fails to understand the essence of pragmatic education concept. Under this understanding, it is easy to think that the educational purpose of American universities is to cultivate practical talents, and the employment rate of college students after graduation is the fundamental standard for American universities to measure their own quality. In fact, it is difficult for us to find their employment rate on the official website of American universities. Almost all American universities have their own departments to help students find jobs. American universities attach importance to students' employment, but not to the employment rate. The reason is that American universities pay more attention to the indicators of students' employability than abstract statistical data. Students have excellent employability, so finding a job is naturally not a problem, and the employment rate is naturally not a problem. This is the real meaning of the pragmatic education concept. (On the other hand, in the current domestic higher education, universities publish their own employment rate data every year. Many students and parents choose universities and attach great importance to the employment rate data. But it is not difficult for discerning people to see that the employment rate data of Chinese universities are mostly? It looks beautiful? Its authenticity and the specific employment quality of its students are hard to compliment. )
Pragmatic educational thought is embodied in all aspects of teaching organization activities in American universities. For example, everyone has heard that there are few college classes in the United States? A word? , but mostly in the form of group discussion classes. We found that students who returned from studying in American universities were often deeply impressed by the discussion classes in American universities, and generally believed that? Is it worth learning? I have gained a lot. At present, there are many such classroom organization methods in domestic universities, but the actual effect is very limited. In China? Discussion class? Of course it was eliminated? A word? , but some became? The silent hall? The teacher is discussing in class? Disappeared, more become? Nonsense? , deviating from the knowledge and ability requirements related to the course. Most students studying in the United States think they will come back for discussion classes at domestic universities? Not worthy of the name? . That is to say, at present, domestic universities only imitate the classroom teaching organization of American universities in form, but do not master American universities? Discussion style? The essence of teaching.
American universities? Discussion class? It clearly embodies his pragmatic teaching philosophy. The purpose of organizing students to participate in the discussion class is to let each student understand and explain the basic knowledge by himself, clearly convey the relevant knowledge and his own views to others in his own words, listen to other people's different views on the same issue, find out the fundamental difference between contradictory views, and finally convince the other party or reach a certain consensus with his own ability. In such a classroom, from the teacher's point of view, on the one hand, the teacher strictly tests the students' mastery of basic knowledge, on the other hand, the teacher can intuitively discover the thinking characteristics and specialties of different students, which is conducive to teaching students in accordance with their aptitude. For students, to participate in the discussion, students must do a lot of preparatory work before class and digest the basic knowledge through self-study and group discussion. This is the cultivation of students' self-study ability. In the discussion, the process of students expressing their views is not only the process of knowledge expression, but also the training process of language expression ability, and it is also the training process of students expressing confidence. On the one hand, it trains students to listen to different opinions rationally and tolerantly, on the other hand, it trains students to react quickly, find out the causes of problems quickly and organize their own thinking and language rationally.
You can say, together? Discussion class? Just one? Practical exercises? , a specific scene in the future work? Preview? . In this class, students will learn how to face a large number of unexpected situations and rationally control their emotional fluctuations, how to use knowledge flexibly, how to work as a team, how to deal with different opinions and reach a consensus through rational arguments. The discussion class in American universities has realized the combination of ability and knowledge, which is an important goal of pragmatic education concept.
The educational concept of pragmatism in American universities is rooted in the advanced modern knowledge view. According to the modern view of knowledge, any knowledge can be called knowledge not only because it conforms to the theory of strict logic, but also because it can play a role in the real world, but because the two can be closely combined to form the so-called knowledge? True knowledge? . Only profound theories can't play a role in real life, can they? True knowledge? , can only be called? Hypothetically? . Can play a role in real life, but can't find the fundamental reason to play a role, right? True knowledge? , can only be called? Experience? . And pragmatic American universities are to cultivate proficiency? True knowledge? People, in the words of Hu Shi, former president of Peking University, can? Bold assumptions, careful verification? People. And Hu Shi's tutor at Columbia University is American pragmatist John? Dewey.