COURSE TITLE: The Classroom as a Discourse Space
COURSE CODE: LING6405
LEVEL: Graduate
NO. OF CREDITS: 4
CONTACT HOURS: 52
PRE-REQUISITE(S): Completion of qualifying courses
LECTURER: Kathryn Shields Brodber, PhD
COURSE RATIONALE
Classrooms are the centre of educational institutions, but often retain the teacher-centred structure of tradition, which leads to under-motivation of students, and their inability to process knowledge at higher cognitive levels.. This course introduces students to the benefits of discourse-oriented classrooms, and their centrality to effective educational practice.
Traditional classroom practices, with their focus on teachers' delivery of content and students' passing of examinations at all levels, have often not recognised the importance of the communicative context in which students, through their acceptance of agency, are involved in their educational success. This course explores some of the ways in which the application of a discourse lens may positively affect the philosophy, organisation and outcomes of classrooms.