HOME PAGEAs an educator practicing in Narrm (Melbourne) I acknowledge that my practice takes place on stolen land, and, as such, I would like to respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land - the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nations. I also acknowledge the traditions and richness of indigenous pedagogies. I have much to learn, but I am eager to do so.
I am currently Senior Lecturer in Higher Education at the University of Melbourne, and have worked in Higher Education for over 20 years. I have a passion for critical and creative pedagogy. These descriptors come with a lot of baggage due to the misrepresentation of both criticality and creativity in education.
To be noted: I employ the term ‘aesthetic learning’ with cautious determination. Let me explain...
Aesthetic Learning Experience was first coined by John Dewey, and has found its expression in many pedagogical domains, not least ‘experiential learning’.
I choose to reframe aesthetics in terms of aisthesis as I believe it is in the interests of decolonisation to do so. Claire Bishop is another author who has embraced this impulse. And, while Shustermann’s classification of somaesthetics is helpful in the shift from concept to (pedagogical) form, I believe indigenous Australians offer the most expansive demonstration of this in their relationship to country (something I can only aspire to). No doubt other First Nations cultures have similarly relationships with place that express deep somaesthetic connection and associated pedagogies.
Something I have come to realise is that in the context of teaching and learning, there are two general categories of aesthetics (there are nuances, combinations and variations, but one step at a time):
1. pedagogical aesthetics
2. environmental aesthetics
I have also developed a simple taxonomy of aesthetic learning experience:
1. Essential or integral
2. Augmenting or complementing
3. Transformative
I have developed a card-sorting game to support the development of knowledge and capabilities to teach with these in mind.
Below, you’ll see the Miro board prototype of the game.
As an educator practicing in Narrm (Melbourne) I acknowledge that my practice takes place on stolen land, and, as such, I would like to respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land - the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nations. I also acknowledge the traditions and richness of indigenous pedagogies. I have much to learn, but I am eager to do so.
I am currently Senior Lecturer in Higher Education at the University of Melbourne, and have worked in Higher Education for over 20 years. I have a passion for critical and creative pedagogy. These descriptors come with a lot of baggage due to the misrepresentation of both criticality and creativity in education.
To be noted: I employ the term ‘aesthetic learning’ with cautious determination. Let me explain...
Aesthetic Learning Experience was first coined by John Dewey, and has found its expression in many pedagogical domains, not least ‘experiential learning’.
I choose to reframe aesthetics in terms of aisthesis as I believe it is in the interests of decolonisation to do so. Claire Bishop is another author who has embraced this impulse. And, while Shustermann’s classification of somaesthetics is helpful in the shift from concept to (pedagogical) form, I believe indigenous Australians offer the most expansive demonstration of this in their relationship to country (something I can only aspire to). No doubt other First Nations cultures have similarly relationships with place that express deep somaesthetic connection and associated pedagogies.
I am currently Senior Lecturer in Higher Education at the University of Melbourne, and have worked in Higher Education for over 20 years. I have a passion for critical and creative pedagogy. These descriptors come with a lot of baggage due to the misrepresentation of both criticality and creativity in education.
To be noted: I employ the term ‘aesthetic learning’ with cautious determination. Let me explain...
Aesthetic Learning Experience was first coined by John Dewey, and has found its expression in many pedagogical domains, not least ‘experiential learning’.
I choose to reframe aesthetics in terms of aisthesis as I believe it is in the interests of decolonisation to do so. Claire Bishop is another author who has embraced this impulse. And, while Shustermann’s classification of somaesthetics is helpful in the shift from concept to (pedagogical) form, I believe indigenous Australians offer the most expansive demonstration of this in their relationship to country (something I can only aspire to). No doubt other First Nations cultures have similarly relationships with place that express deep somaesthetic connection and associated pedagogies.
Something I have come to realise is that in the context of teaching and learning, there are two general categories of aesthetics (there are nuances, combinations and variations, but one step at a time):
1. pedagogical aesthetics
2. environmental aesthetics
I have also developed a simple taxonomy of aesthetic learning experience:
1. Essential or integral
2. Augmenting or complementing
3. Transformative
I have developed a card-sorting game to support the development of knowledge and capabilities to teach with these in mind.
Below, you’ll see the Miro board prototype of the game.
1. pedagogical aesthetics
2. environmental aesthetics
I have also developed a simple taxonomy of aesthetic learning experience:
1. Essential or integral
2. Augmenting or complementing
3. Transformative
I have developed a card-sorting game to support the development of knowledge and capabilities to teach with these in mind.
Below, you’ll see the Miro board prototype of the game.