futureteach

n this scenario, the professional “insiders” to the academic discipline under study are authority figures, and the instructor is one such insider. The instructor is also a clear designer because she poses the problem, thus creating constraints that define the learning environment.

f the “professional consensus” is presented in a way that suggests the students are either right or wrong, that they either win or lose, then this expression of authority undermines the potential emergence from the small group discussions. But if the professional consensus is presented in a way that encourages the students to reflect upon and refine their own group’s consensus, or to develop critical arguments against the professional consensus, then emergence is supported and the authority of the professionals becomes a positive tool in the learning process.