A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend Cardinal Roundtable with campus administrators, faculty and student leaders to share ideas on the current review process for the university's core curriculum.
During the course of our discussion, the concept and application of learning arose. Some felt students were no longer true learners who were simply unable and unwilling to grasp and apply information across disciplines.
Rather, they crammed information for the grade while ignoring the content. Others stated there was no need to "waste" brain space and time with information they deemed irrelevant to their life and future goals.
Yet, a few expressed their frustrations with a teaching system, which made it almost impossible for all students to learn -- especially since no proven method existed to measure learning.
As I absorbed all of the discussion, I was most challenged by one administrator's comments on the topic. He asserted that learning was not simply discovering the answer to the question, instead true learning was, in turn, questioning the answer. Therein, one could gain a better understanding and appreciation for the answer and question.
My internal light bulb immediately turned on and I realized that I could acquire knowledge by challenging what I am learning, and learning more about what I challenged.
Last week's UniverCity granted me a medium to begin learning in a "new way." I was thrilled to be privileged to listen and engage with world-class scholars and invited guests who imparted knowledge from their own experiences and learning.
Most notably, I will never forget my encounter with philosopher Cornel West, who reiterated the need for fundamental learning through self-questioning and self-scrutiny. To him, these introspections genuinely sensitized us towards others and our world. From Dr. West, I recognized that I would only begin to understand other people and universal concepts after mastering who I truly was.
It's unbelievable to accept that after 16 years of education I now realize the meaning of learning, which is not limited to "the act or process of acquiring knowledge" (according to Webster's Dictionary).
True learning entails aggressively seeking information, challenging the answers and applying that knowledge to oneself. Learning is a lifelong process which excludes set directions or instructions; one simply learns from self-scrutiny, experiences, relationships and dialogue.
As college students, our aim should not solely be to graduate from Ball State with our respective degrees in four or five years. Rather, we should aspire to leave our university with a newfound desire and passion to pursue life-long learning.
Write to Tolu at taolowomeye@bsu.edu
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