一種學習方法：銜接古代中國的教育哲學和當代的學習評估與學習組織

A Way of Learning: Bridging Ancient Chinese Philosophy of Education with Contemporary Learning Assessment and Learning rganizations

教育和學習發生的過程是什麼？為什麼有些個人和團體似乎比較能從教育中獲益，為什麼他們的學習能力似乎比其他人更好？將近兩千年，籠統地說是東亞，具體地說是中國的王朝體系，一直是靠士大夫支撐。對菁英而言，教育是從家裡開始的。窮人在村子裡開學堂，希望有村民能通過科舉考試，務求得到一官半職和取得資源的管道。從家庭和村裡的學堂，到國家的官僚體系，衡量士大夫成功與否的標準，在於他們有沒有能力締造寶貴的成果。士大夫成員官僚體系的成員，主宰自然和人為資源及國家力量的供應。這些士大夫大多會自我監控，並且採取目標導向的作法。士大夫的身分非同小可。一旦他們失敗，有人就失去了生計，有時失去性命，在極端的情況下，連朝代都會滅亡。這些士大夫多半是成功的，也有值得我們學習的地方。筆者主張，當代有關學生學習成果的問題和處理方法，不妨參考古代中國激勵和成就學生求學的方式。筆者認為帝制中國擁有自己的「自由派教育」，同時當代美國的自由派教育可以藉由分析、整合和重視其他的學習和教育形式，來強化其全球性、多元文化及世界公民的概念、理想、價值觀和信念。

What are the processes by which education and learning occur? Why do some individuals and groups appear to benefit more from education and why do they appear to be more proficient learners than others? For nearly 2000 years the imperial dynastic systems of China, in particular, and East Asia, in general, were supported by an educated bureaucracy. For the elite, education began in the home. The least well-off formed village schools in an attempt to have a village member pass the civil service examination, ensuring an appointment and access to resources. From the family and village school to the state bureaucracy, the success of these groups was measured by their ability to produce valued outcomes. The educated became members of the bureaucracy, controlling the supply of natural and human resources and state power. These learning groups were for the most part self-monitored and goal orientated. The stakes were high. When these learning groups failed, people lost their livelihood, sometimes their lives, and in extreme cases the dynasty collapsed. More often than not, these learning groups were successful, and we should be able to learn from them. In this paper I argue that ancient Chinese approaches to activate and achieve student learning can inform contemporary concerns and approaches toward student learning outcomes. I argue that imperial China had its own form of 'liberal education,' and that contemporary American liberal education could enhance its global, multicultural, and world citizen concepts, ideals, values and beliefs by analyzing, integrating, and valuing other forms of learning and education.