Replying to LO26887 --
"AM de Lange" <amdelange@gold.up.ac.za> wrote:
> LJ Stevens <maverick@pinn.net> writes
>
> >With absolutely no offense meant to AT or anyone
> >else, I learned long ago that what fascinates me on
> >the speculative/philosophical level almost never preaches
> >on Sunday. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way.
> >Seems I bored more than one congregation with DPhil
> >candidate lectures in contemporary, philosophical
> >theology that my Oxford supervisor would have loved,
> >but which literally put the congregation to sleep... for
> >extended periods of time. (I was both boring and
> >long-winded in those days. ...)
> >Again, no offense meant to anyone, but the
> >illustration "preaches" to my target audience
> >better than speculative debate. Ergo, despite
> >being fully aware of its limitations, I use the
> >illustration anyway.
LJ, you raise an important issue. I'm leaving At's header, as I suspect
he may have some ideas.
I recognize that stories are powerful teaching/learning/information
transferral agents. Look at US TV: 20-20, Dateline, ..., ..., ... (all TV
"magazines"). They exist because they have an audience.
Yet, having studied science and engineering (and liberal arts) in the
university and beyond, I recognize stories--anecdotes--have significant
limitations for determining "truth" (i.e., what that next level of turtle
looks like as we peel back the layers of the onion to mix as many
metaphors as I can in hopes that the chaos inspires creative thought).
So, if the story is the tool of demagogues (a bit exaggerated, you say?
okay, a lot exaggerated?), and theory is the replacement for sleeping
pills, then how do we convey important information _and_ make it subject
to open, honest examination?
I've heard Edward Tufte say that a good way to lecture is PGP: start with
a Particular (a story) to capture attention, proceed to the General case
for a solid foundation, and finish with the Particular (another story) to
make the concepts memorable. It's worked when I've tried it.
Are there other approaches which gain the soundness of theory and
stickiness of stories?
Bill
--Bill Harris 3217 102nd Place SE Facilitated Systems Everett, WA 98208 USA http://facilitatedsystems.com/ phone: +1 425 337-5541
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