anthony sinclair, sace, university of liverpool teaching and learning theory
TRANSCRIPT
Anthony Sinclair, Anthony Sinclair,
SACE, University of LiverpoolSACE, University of Liverpool
Cognitive change
the development of key interpretive questions
the nature of key analytical approaches
how to interpret archaeological evidence in a theoretically informed manner
‘Affective / psychomotor’ changes
We want students to ........
Palaeolithic Theory 1985 / 2008
TechnologyDiet & Subsistence
ChronologyHominin AnatomySpecies Change
PalaeoenvironmentsLives and Societies
TechnologyDiet & Subsistence
ChronologyHominin AnatomySpecies Change
PalaeoenvironmentsLives and SocietiesHominin Cognition
The Manufacture & Use of Technology
1985 2007
Tool classification & organisation
TypologiesAssemblage formation
& ‘forms of deliberate deposition’
Manufacture Fracture mechanics& chaine operatoire
agency
Use use-wear studies residue analysis
The Manufacture & Use of Technology
Archaeological assemblage classification core / flake / blade tool type / debitage tool function tool type / debitage type archaeological culture toolkit / gear task tool function tool use life task planning curation and expediency risk scarcity, ............... and another 8 more concepts to be able to think with
Teaching frameworks
The Historical Approach
Antiquarianism
Culture History
The economic approach of Graham Clark
The New Archaeology
Post-Processual Archaeology
Current Themes
gender
landscape and being
agency
evolutionary approaches
The thematic approach how to interpret
‘diet’ ‘trade and exchange’ ‘the organisation of space’ ‘the structure of time’ ‘social relationships’
e.g. ‘ranking’ ‘material culture’
‘multi-vocality’
Teaching Frameworks
the essay and its question
the data set
Forms of Assessment
can sometimes work well
reveals development of thought chains
But, how much do you really like to re-read
Renfrew and Bahn, Hodder, Johnson?
The essay & its question“Monuments are better
understood from the inside in phenomenological terms than from the outside in New Archaeological or Marxist terms. Do you agree with this?”
The Data Set
has some good elements
theory <-------> data
adding the problem of qualitative / quantitative data analysis
“What factors might be relevant for interpreting the % of obsidian at ‘x’
?”
The Data Set
What makes an office?.....desk,
telephone, office chair,
filing cabinet, computer....
“The Office Culture”
‘financial’ reasons (wealth)
‘social’ reasons (social class)
‘functional’ reasons (tasks)
‘environmental’ reasons
‘historical’ reasons
“The Office Culture”
Some Problems
reading about, understanding and digestion of theory takes time
sources:
basic texts or articles
are we clear about what students need to know?
can we be sure that students understand theory?
do we need to think about a ‘curriculum’?
what would a curriculum look like?
Renfrew & Bahn: What shall we explain?
artifacts
what was this tool used for, how was it made?
events
how was Stonehenge made, why was this animal eaten?
classes of events
how did agriculture start, why did people make monumental buildings?
general cultural change
how did societies become more unequal?
The archaeologist at workThe archaeologist at work
The Archaeological ProcessThe Archaeological Process
to understand data sets you need to be clear about the concepts that ‘inform’ data.
classificatory concepts define a grouping
correlational concepts link ‘facts’ - evolution
theoretical concepts entities that cannot be seen some concepts may be
threshold concepts a theory curriculum? doorways to understanding?
The Concept
The Concept Map
The Concept Map