2. My core Phil Sci teaching portfolio
BA > 3rd year Philosophy of Science
MA > Philosophy of the Social Sciences ; Philosophy of Techno-Science
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3. Who sits in my class? (Zoom!)
BA > philosophy students; natural sci /medicine students
MA > philosophy students; social science, art (history), law, history students
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4. The challenge
Offering a methodological and interdisciplinary perspective to students that
Have very different backgrounds and motivations
Often have not been exposed to Phil Sci before
Have been exposed only to critical approaches to science
Know close to nothing about scientific practice
…
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5. Any standard course won’t do
A wide range of textbooks in Phil Sci, Phil Tech, Phil Social Sci is available
BUT:
Mainly about Anglo-American literature
Largely within tradition of Analytic philosophy
Present topics / authors as The Canon, ignoring other traditions
Do not problematize contextual and relative character knowledge production
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6. My strategy: give options
Options may concern:
Available approaches in Phil Sci, e.g.
Analytic Phil Sci, History & Philosophy of Sci, Phil Sci in Practice, Historical Epistemology,
Feminist & Postcolonial Approaches, …
Topics
Provide refs for a range of topics that are not addressed in the course; freedom in
choosing a topic for a presentation
Assessment form
A flexible portfolio to work on continuously during the course
Make space and time to develop their own interest
Plan individual study sessions; can choose ‘jolly’ topics for the portfolio
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7. Actionable options?
Options
1. Available approaches
2. Topics
3. Assessment form
4. Make space and time to develop
their own interest
Actions triggered
1. Decide autonomously what kind of
Phil Sci they want to learn about
and write about
2. Select topics / problems /
questions relevant to them
3. Decide how to engage with the
whole course, develop their own
take on Phil Sci.
4. Take responsibility for their own
study time and topics
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8. Actions, beyond the course
Students reported to me that they were able to:
Make better methodological decisions in the context of their scientific training
Defend more cogently their own approach
Decide what kind of involvement they wanted to have in e.g. science & society,
fighting gender imbalance, …
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9. “What is the take-away lesson from my
presentation with regard to the Actionability
of Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning?”
What leaning environment for my students?
Open for discussion about
Workload, study-life balance
Time management and respect for others’ commitments
Competitiveness vs cooperativeness in class
We continuously link our environment to the outside world:
Why making ‘the class’ a ’safe space’?
How to change other environments we belong to?
How is our conceptualization of the world (philosophy!) related to / influenced by /
influencing the world itself?
…
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10. Actionability in the time of Corona
Online does not replace in-person. But we do are “Onlife”!
Whence the relevance of Phil Techno-Science
Be open about opportunities, limitations, risks of online teaching
E.g.: combine asynchronous/synchronous activities; online group dynamic is very
different; privacy
Use online class time to help socializing, discussing, supporting each other
Online activites don’t replace in-class ones, but I try to create a sense of online
community around the course
Foster and exercise patience, tolerance, and mutual help in handling/using online
tools
Teachers had to quickly set up online teaching; Students had to adapt to no interaction;
Wifi not always stable; We are all connected from private, possibly shared spaces …
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11. Thanks for your attention and
for the opportunity to discuss
Diversifying
Phil Sci Teaching
Federica Russo
Philosophy & ILLC | University of Amsterdam
russofederica.wordpress.com |@federicarusso