Critical Theories of Learning

3.00 credits · Undergraduate

Prereq: 3 credits from CENL at the 1000 level; 3 credits from CENL at the 2000 level; or permission of the Department This course introduces students to the fields of critical pedagogy and social justice education. It asks if knowledge serves to liberate people from oppression, what, then, is the role of pedagogy, teachers and educational institutions? The course aims to interpret educational systems and investigate innovative models for learning. Via a range of influential critical pedagogy theorists, it examines how class, race, religion, gender and disability inform power relations and impact accessibility within the educational system. The notion of learning and the learner form a central part of this critical work, with key examples from a range of contexts that serve to challenge conventional Western practices and open up more just ways of engaging. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)