知識社會與通識教育的理想設計

Issues of General Education Design in a Knowledge-based Society

台灣高等教育發展潮流下的結構性因素，例如大專聯考及提早分流的教育制度，已使得專業取向下的高等教育，不僅造成了美國學者史諾(C. P. Snow) 所稱的「兩種文化」對立，更培養出單視野(one-dimensional)的受教者，包括考試人、生物人、文明的野蠻人、破碎的人、有IQ沒有 EQ及識字的文盲等怪異現象。在痛定思痛之餘，大家無不引頸企盼、將希望寄託於「新通識」時代的來臨。 我國大學院校中「通識教育」的課程設計，主要源於美國，而美國大學的通識教育課程，隨著時代思潮的轉變，而有所不同。因此，如何令「通識教育」課程與社會變動、科技發展、世局演變一起同步，達成個人與社會一致，使人文關懷與科技發展、國際交流與本土合作融為一體，達成現代「全人」教育的理想，此正是目前台灣「通識教育」所面臨的最大挑戰。本文擬追源溯本，從主導美國通識教育的理論基礎出發，並輔以美國華盛頓大學教育評估辦公室對大學生及畢業校友所必須具備的各項能力調查報告為例，來探討二十一世紀「通識教育」所應具備的內容。最後再以美國學院暨大學協會所認可的「通識教育」模式，與台灣教育部所公布的「通識教育」版本做一比較，用來說明美國通識教育最新的發展概念與趨勢，作為關心通識教育理念及有志於從事通識教育課程設計與教學者的參考。

Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has worked intensively on the issue of general education reform since the early 1980s. Most general education initiatives aim to ensure that every undergraduate student experiences a relevant and challenging general education curriculum. The mission of general education has focused on advancing and strengthening liberal education for all college students, regardless of their intended careers. While the term is used in multiple ways, AAC&U sees liberal education as philosophy of education that empowers individuals, liberates the mind from ignorance, and cultivates social responsibility. Characterized by challenging encounters with important issues, and more a way of studying than a specific course or field of study, a liberal education can be achieved at all types of colleges and universities. This paper traces and contrasts three major general education philosophies to justify the current trend and developments in the field, and based on the thorough review of literature, proposed an ideal model and good practices for us to rethink our general education program in Taiwan. The author puts forward the following ideas about the Taiwanese general education programs: optimize curricula structure, carry out general education; construct curricular platform; strengthen teacher training program; increase time for teaching practice; and stress the construction of teaching practice bases.