Listed below are selected learning outcomes in the area of critical
thinking that Western Washington University is actively integrating
into its curriculum. Each learning outcome is listed with its
definition, along with a description of how Edward Vajda's
teaching strategies meet each of these student learning outcome
goals.
| Learning Outcomes |
Definition |
Course Outcomes |
| Identification |
Accurately identifies and interprets
evidence. |
My Eurasian language and culture courses bring a wealth of new facts to my students, much of it gleaned from my own recent field research. |
| Alternative Consideration |
Considers major alternative points
of view. |
Students are shown how prevalent approaches to language structure sometimes fail to account for the more exotic facts about Siberian languages, necessitating the introduction of novel categories. Similarly, culture courses centered on nomadic peoples provide an alternative worldview alongside the more familiar history of sedentary civilizations. |
| Accurate Conclusions |
Draws warranted, judicious, non-fallacious
conclusions. |
Information from studying Inner Asia help foster a deeper and more complete understanding of the complex connections between various Eurasian languages and people. It also broadens student knowledge of how much language structures and cultural categories can vary across the world. |
| Justification |
Justifies key results and procedures,
and explains assumptions and reasons. |
No advance in descriptive and theoretical linguistics can be made without recourse to new language data, such as that available from the less-well studied languages of Inner Asia. Consideration of this data leads to the refinement of general theories. Similarly, offering students a glimpse into the cultural world of Siberian forest nomads provides a distant and unexpected mirror that reflects our own social structures in a new light. |
