of course, It is excellent that the School rector and professor of economics Lars Strannegård attention to the need that higher education must contribute to the human formation and critical thinking (DN 20/1). Especially in this time of rising populism, ”alternative facts” and questioning of the research and science.
the Headmaster’s well-known ambition, that by the arts and humanities in the School of education overcome these tendencies, is commendable. But when it comes to their konkretiseringar I am more hesitant. For example, as was mentioned in the autumn, start the literary reading groups, where researchers from the stockholm school of Economics, and representatives from McKinsey & Co and leads litteraturdiskussioner with the students and after the completion of the activity, a certificate of the school and the company, seem odd. Nothing wrong to cooperate with the business sector, but what this american consulting company has qualifications in the literary context is in any case for me unknown.
the formation and critical thinking must instead be sought at the source’s origin. The business of the substance remarkable growth and contemporary importance can hardly be underestimated: having been introduced at the school of Economics at the beginning of the last century, it has spread to become the largest in the entire university – the higher education sector and affect nowadays, all sectors of society, not just business. Still have the stockholm school of Economics a central role in real terms as well as symbolically for the status and significance.
the Principal should, therefore, first and foremost, turn your gaze towards his own subject and his own institution. So even I, who has been teaching in the business administration and have supervised students at all educational levels in over 35 years at three different universities. Based on my practical experience, I can observe some worrying conditions.
the first is the need for all the students in business administration in any greater extent, read the books, at least not of the more classic and serious nature in the social science literature. Quiet reading is a solitary activity that requires time and reflection, and the lack of time for real reading course has an influence on the students ‘ independent and critical thinking negatively, in addition to the possibility of the formation that is lost.
only to a minor extent their own, independent work. Most of it takes place in a group. When students write memos and essays, which is very common in business, means grupparbetena that they learn to cooperate, organize, and lead projects. Group work and ”peer-learning” in all its glory, this may not encourage ”free-riding” and other forms of social tricksande. The pedagogical idea may not be that co-authorship is an end in itself. Not that you stop developing their individual skills.
third, a ”positive thinking”, and not seldom mutual praise, has increasingly come to permeate the seminariekulturen in the subject. Factual criticism, not always appreciated by the students. On the contrary, it seems that more and more students today are eagerly requires feedback, but when they get it, they experience often the criticism as provocative, something that limits their level of activity and ambition. Not trained in high enough degree to respond to criticism.
For the fourth is expected teachers to be entertaining and ”cool”. Nothing wrong with this if it is exercised within reasonable limits and, in particular, provided that the teaching staff do not need to give up on to be demanding and act like they kunskapsbastioner they hopefully are.
There is no risk that the Internet will replace the traditional ”face to face”-the teaching that time and again proves that it is the most efficient and effective method. The problem is rather how this excellent means of communication used among the students. Namely, not as a basis for information, reflection and further deepening, but as an instrument for convenient and fast solutions as regards the reading of literature and to carry out data collections, often with lax and superficial analyses as a result.
together these negative examples far away from the knowledge basis and critical thinking that all university education should strive towards. It can not a few reading groups with the private sector remedy.
Read more: The classic bildningstanken needs to be brought out
