Philosophy of Education in a Poor Historical Moment: A Personal Account

Under the post-metaphysical sky “old” humanistic-oriented education is possible solely at the cost of its transformation into its negative, into a power that is determined to diminish human potentials for self-exaltation. Nothing less than total metamorphosis is needed to rescue the core of humanistic genesis: the quest for edifying Life and resistance to the call for “home-returning” into the total harmony that is promised to us within nothingness.     

自然数码奇象记忆法记忆复杂数字的神经机制

本研究采用学习-再认范式和复杂数字记忆材料,考察自然数码奇象记忆法相对于机械记忆法在记忆提取上的优势及神经机制。行为结果表明,自然数码奇象记忆法比机械记忆法的再认准确率更高。事件相关电位分析结果显示,再认提取阶段奇象记忆条件下诱发的N400和N700波幅显著更低,这说明奇象记忆提取更容易。在自然数码奇象记忆条件下,正确再认旧数字诱发的前额区、左顶枕叶区及中顶枕叶区N700成分与使用自然数码奇象记忆有关。本研究表明,采用自然数码奇象记忆可以减少或跨越语义加工,从而提高个体对材料的记忆效率。     

佛教逻辑学的论辩解释与认知解释——陈那、法称与因明

佛教逻辑有别于西方形式逻辑的一项重要特征,在于对论证前提为真的强调,并在此基础上提出了著名的"因三相"理论。论证前提的真,在陈那著作中又被理解为辩论主体将该前提确定为真。这种"确定"体现为文献中对"极成"(prasiddha)、"成"(siddha)、"决定"(ni?cita)、"见"(d???a)、"已知"(vidita)的强调。这些表达辩论者认知状态的词汇,皆可概括为佛教逻辑中的"认知算子"(epistemic operator)。本文通过研究东亚因明与法称两个传统对陈那《正理门论》中"决定同许"的理论设定的不同解释,说明因明传统在陈那奠定的方向上,进一步采取了"论辩解释"(dialectic interpretation),将"确定为真"解释为在辩论的情境中为辩论的双方承认为真(共许、同许)。法称《释量论自注》对陈那"决定同许"的解释,则表明由他开启的传统在陈那的基础上,进一步采取了"认知解释"(epistemic interpretation),将"确定为真"解释为在认识论的意义上得到确定(ni?cita/ni?caya,决定),即为有效认知的手段(量)所证成。这是因明传统与法称传统的一项根本差异。因明传统对辩论术的关注,极有可能反映了法称以前印度学界对陈那思想的诠释路径。     

Integrated learning communities as a peer support initiative for first year university students

Peer Mentoring schemes tend to be developed as retention strategies, however, they can also serve other purposes (psychosocial or career-related). However, evidence of the effectiveness of these presents mixed results and less is known about the horizontal peer support schemes which may help students capitalize on existing peer relationships. We developed an integrated learning communities (ILC) peer support scheme, building on the theoretical principles of social identity theory, which we embedded within our existing teaching framework and designed functional activities. Collective activities were undertaken to promote the processes of social identity with the intention that these may foster social and academic integration experiences. This intervention was undertaken with an entire cohort of first year undergraduate psychology students. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a self-selected sample of these students (N = 17). Thematic analysis revealed two main themes, each with two sub-themes. These were: “Divergent Experiences” with the sub-themes of “dependent on people” and “types of support”, and “Good idea in principle” with the sub-themes of “Theory ≠ Practice” and “Dependent on student engagement”. Although identifying with a peer group was not transparent in the interviews, the existence of a peer support scheme was perceived positively by students which might explain the success of the newly developed student-led Psychology Society. Indeed, this Psychology Society can provide a lasting framework for further amplification of the student voice. We conclude that our embedded ILC was both feasible and potentially valuable, but it is crucial for the peer support approach to have transactional significance.