In the field of Education one of the most prominent concepts that shapes our current model of education is that of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Put simply, Bloom proposed that there are “levels” of understanding, with the lowest being mere recall of facts and data and the highest level being that of synthesis, the ability to apply learned material to form new ideas and concepts. By the very nature of interdisciplinarity we function on the highest levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, taking the knowledge and perspective of our disparate areas and synthesizing them to form our own unique outlook and perspective.
In our current world this ability to combine multiple perspectives is invaluable. It’s one of the saddest ironies of the modern age that the internet puts the entirety of human knowledge and experience at our fingertips yet rather than uniting us it has only made it easier for us to separate ourselves into our own private echo chambers: websites skew to even the most obscure and specific of ideologies and outlooks meaning our worldviews never have to be challenged, social networking lets us ignore updates from acquaintances we disagree with, and the comments on news sites and media aggregators mean that content that agrees with the majority of the community rises to the top while everything else is downvoted into obscurity. This insulation is not just on the ideological and intellectual front, creative communities like YouTube generally frown at criticism making it all too easy for aspiring creatives to be unaware of their flaws or ways to improve. A popular art website called DeviantArt even has even instituted a policy that, unless the artist specifically requests it, criticism is not to be given at all. I mention this because this week’s activity is about this exact disconnect, when our own ignorance or incompetence makes us incapable of recognizing that we are ignorant or incompetent. It’s a popular trope that we see all the time in media (Fozzie Bear from The Muppets tells awful jokes because his sense of humor is too terrible to recognize how bad they are, Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory is completely ignorant of basic social conventions and as such fails to recognize when he breaks them) and in real-life (a young person declaring Twilight the greatest book ever written or Transformers the greatest movie of all time because they lack enough experience in literature and film to judge them as part of the entire canon) and there’s a name for it: The Dunning-Kruger Effect.
You will be reading an Errol Morris article about David Dunning and how he came up with the Dunning-Kruger Effect:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/the-anosognosics-dilemma-1
Once you finish the article, please respond to the following points:
- How does your critical thinking relate to being interdisciplinary?
- How can the Errol Morris piece apply to the interdisciplinary model?
- Do you find the conclusions of David Dunning’s paper depressing? or not? Is this why we have self-deception?
- What insights have you gained from this reading?
- How can you apply this to 'real' life situations.?
"All I know is that I know nothing"
-Socrates, The Republic
Once you finish the article, please respond to the following points:
ReplyDeleteHow does your critical thinking relate to being interdisciplinary?
When posing a question or presenting a problem (whether to me personally, or to others), I anticipate answers leading to more questions, until the solution is narrowed down to 2-3 answers. I don’t believe (with exception of finite math), there is only one answer to any problem. And to further complicate matters, it’s never a matter of just one problem. What one might consider to be a solitary problem, is in fact, a combination of several. All that said, if there is more than one problem, and more than one solution, it stands to reason, it takes more than one discipline or world view to come to satisfactory conclusion.
How can the Errol Morris piece apply to the interdisciplinary model?
In some instances, if you don’t know the question, it could simply be an result of ignorance of existing knowledge, that is available to you, but not yet absorbed by you. Example: Your car won’t start, and you don’t know what’s wrong with it. You search the web for solutions. How do you know what to look for, if you don’t know anything about cars? And just because you don’t know what to ask, doesn’t meant your car can’t be fixed. In order to ask the right question, you have to draw on all your formal and informal education, knowledge and experiences, to ask questions. With each question, you discover (previously) unknown information, synthesizing and cross referencing, until a solution is presented
Do you find the conclusions of David Dunning’s paper depressing? or not? Is this why we have self-deception?
No, it’s not depressing. It is impossible for anyone to know everything. It does however, challenge us, especially as Interdisciplinarians, to seek information from subject areas, we might not normally consider.
What insights have you gained from this reading?
This article, reinforces the importance of thinking critically, being cognisant of our potential to be incompetent and to have a realistic perception of (inflated)self confidence.
How can you apply this to 'real' life situations.?
Assess your scope of knowledge and interests. Consider other disciplines or interests that would enhance the current, give an alternate perspective or generate an entirely new interest. Seek out experts, educators, literature or any other means of gathering information of the new disciplines or interests, then find ways to relate them to what you already know.
Sabrina I really liked you example with the car. That was a good one. Made sense to me. You sound so intelligent writting this blog. Made me feel like I had to step my game up. Thanks haha
DeleteYour response to the conclusions of David Dunning's paper highlights a skill of interdisciplinarians that doesn't seem to get as much coverage in our classes but is no less important: humility. Acknowledging the current limitations of our knowledge and accepting the input of people with expertise outside of our own areas or who are more knowledgeable about your own subject is an underrated ability in almost every field.
DeleteI agree with Samara, you sound really smart!! I wish I had read your post before writing mine, you said everything I was trying to say much more clearly and concisely :) And that car example was perfect! I agree with you that this isn't depressing, we can't know everything- but with interdisciplinary studies we can at least learn a little about a lot of different things :)
DeleteTrue, there is more than 1 solution to any given problem. The problem is, I think these people under the stigma of the Dunning-Kruger effect think there are too many solutions haha! For example, the guy who drank gasoline. Did he really believe he could quench his thirst with just anything? Unbelievable...
DeleteCritical thinking relates to interdisciplinary studies becuase with three majors you have to know how to weave all of the knowledge you learn in three areas into one major area for a broader understanding of what you truly are learing.
ReplyDeleteThe Errol Morris piece more or less states that the most imcompetant people do not even know of their incredible incompetence. If they did, they would be less incompetant. Basically. This sort of logic is used in interdiciplinary studies because we need to ask the questions we don't know otherwise we'll be incompetant. We ask, we learn, we grow and understand.
The article was not at all depressing. It was almost comical to me. To be so dense that you are not even aware of how incredibly and unbelievably incompetant you are is almost miraculous in a backwards sort of way.
I learned that it is probably better and wiser to ask more questions and better understand things around me that i'm not sure about. I'd rather ask and feel silly for a moment about being unaware of certain knowledge than go months or years not knowing the information. This is a method we should all practice more often on a daily basis. If we're baffled by something, find the answer. Google it. Ask an advisor. Phone a friend. Ask a professional. There is always a way to download new knowledge into our pretty little skulls :)
You’re so funny! I agree, it is better to ask questions than to stay ignorant. If you're too embarrassed to ask, it’s easy enough to look things up. It was a pretty funny article. I wish lemon juice could make me invisible… wow imagine the possibilities!!
DeleteYou are so right! It frustrates me, when someone asks a question, while they're on their Ipad, looking at crap they will never buy, listening to a song they've heard a hundred times, or watching sports... again.... you have the information right at your fingertips! My point is, if you have a question... or even a "I wonder if" scenerio, you can find the answer in literally seconds. One major benefit of looking up answers on google, is you are given alternative ways of asking the question. So, in essence, a google search, is the definition of interdisciplinary.
DeleteHow does your critical thinking relate to being interdisciplinary?
ReplyDeleteCritical thinking relies on the ability to grab knowledge from a variety of experiences and sources much like the idea of interdisciplinary studies. By being interdisciplinary you are expanding your horizons and making connections between fields, giving you the upper hand when it comes to critical thinking issues. By being interdisciplinary you allow your mind to expand into a variety of subjects allowing yourself more knowledge on a wider spectrum then most, therefor progressing your critical thinking skills.
How can the Errol Morris piece apply to the interdisciplinary model?
The Errol Morris piece is a paradox in which the least competent people do not know of their incompetence because if they did they would subsequently be competent. This type of thinking relates to interdisciplinary ideals because one must ask the right questions in order to expand their horizons. The idea of asking about what we do not know is an important factor of higher education and interdisciplinary studies cultivate this through the fact that they bring together fields that may or may not have obvious connections.
Do you find the conclusions of David Dunning’s paper depressing? or not? Is this why we have self-deception?
I find the conclusions of David Dunning’s paper eye-opening. I had never thought of it before but it makes sense to me that if we were left to our own devices we wouldn’t know what is incorrect (for both factual and moral based inquiries). I don’t think this is the cause of self-deception but rather the product of it, we believe what we believe until someone or something comes along to tell us otherwise.
What insights have you gained from this reading?
I have learned that real knowledge doesn’t stem from merely asking questions but rather asking the right questions, questions that fuel the critical thinking process. We need to be enlightened to our own ignorance before we can move forward, accepting reality as it is will only lead to a intellectual wall.
How can you apply this to 'real' life situations.?
This can be applied to real life situations in the idea that we cannot take everything at face-value. There will always be another layer to what you know (or think you know) and it’s a matter of cultivating our knowledge in a cohesive manner that will allow us to make connections between fields. This is done through the process of questioning which is in fact, in question within the article. On a broader scale, establishments like society, religion and science must be enlightened to their own ignorance and short-comings before they can truly progress, accepting reality will only lead to a stand-still and as the saying goes, if you aren’t moving forward your moving backward.
I really liked this excerpt " We need to be enlightened to our own ignorance before we can move forward, accepting reality as it is will only lead to a intellectual wall" However, you do have to acknowledge you may not know everything... and for some people, that is quite a hurdle to overcome!
DeleteI think applying these principles to religion, would solve alot of outlying problems as a result of religious morality and theology, ie. abortion/population, allowing otherer to believe in other religions, without trying to convert or criticize.
It is true, knew knowledge is "enlightening"
Critical thinking is crucial to being interdisciplinary. How else are you supposed to combine three different seemingly unrelated areas into something cohesive? Errol Morris’s article implies that when we combine different areas of thought, we are more likely to discover solutions to problems that would have been otherwise overlooked. This directly applies to the interdisciplinary model.
ReplyDeleteI’m so glad you linked to this article! I was just thinking a few days back about how there must be a lot of really great things in the world that I will never, and could never know about… There are musicians that I would love if I heard, but that I will never hear, and there are beautiful beaches hidden away in places that I will never see, and there are people who I could be close friends with that I will never meet, and so on, and there is nothing I can do about any of it! Because I don’t know where to even begin looking, or what to ask. Like the unknown unknowns in the article, the questions needed to find these things are unknown. At first, I found all this and the conclusions of David Dunning’s paper depressing. I must be ignorant about so many things that I don’t even know I’m ignorant about! While I would rather not be an idiot about certain things, like Dunning said, there isn’t much we can really do about unknown unknowns. So why stress about it? I’d rather be happy and ignorant than unhappy and ignorant, since either way I’m going to be ignorant. Until somebody finds a way to discover the unknown unknowns, I’m not going to sweat it. So, no, I don’t find the conclusions depressing. Thank you for a very interesting article!
Katie, I found this really interesting too. As I was reading I went "I know people at Cornell!!! And this guy is their professor? How cool!" It's great that such an obscure (to me) article can be used in class to broaden my knowledge of things I've often wondered about such as the incompitence (and their dismissal of it) of others. I really liked this project!
DeleteKatie Katie
ReplyDeleteYou and your music haha Such a curious little bug you are. If I were not so light skinned I'd be more likely to say lets head out to a beach you've never been to. I'll help you broaden that horizon at least :) Ask more quetions and go to more places! Just have funnnn!
FYI... I was listening to WJRR yesterday morning and they were discussing the EXACT same concept and theory! They were applying the concept to a situation where a man drank gasoline.... and believe it or not... Died!.. the question was... is he just that stupid... or did he think he was just that smart!
ReplyDeleteSabrina, that's crazy! I often wonder this about people around me from the truly stupid to the just downright cocky. My brother for example (in the latter category) will use words from my father's vocabulary and has no idea what he's saying but is just pretentious enough to use them. He often creates arguments that he believes in the end he wins. And maybe in his own mind he does. Although the other person, often me, leaves confused and in disbelief to what was just said, he is comfortable with the fight he put up. It's truly insane. I guess some people are just like that.
DeleteCritical thinking goes hand in hand with being interdisciplinary because you’re constantly trying to relate one thing to each area of your major. By juggling multiple disciplines one can come to believe that because they know a little about a lot of things that they are "smart." They may even come to the conclusion that they are experts in the field. The Errol Morris piece shows how some people are so incompitent that they don't even know they aren't educated in whatever field they claim knowledge to. I don't however find it depressing that people are living in their own little lala worlds. Perhaps because I know some of these people and they are truly entertaining. To be honest a perfect example of this unreal reality is a cartoon character on South Park name Eric Cartman. He truly believes things to the point that his mind does mental gymnastics to make these things true, to him. I would totally call this self-deception. In real life situations I would just have to deal with patientce which thank God is something that I have been blessed with.
ReplyDeleteYour example of Eric Cartman is superb. He truly believes the world is at his grasp and anything he wants should become his. He gets a reality check in a couple episodes, but it doesn't waiver his relentless stupidity, greed, and crudeness.
DeleteIn Bloom's taxonomy, one of the skills required to be a critical thinker is the implementation of synthesis. Coincidentally, being interdisciplinary requires the synthesis of 2 or more studies to form a unique one. Meaning, critical thinking is literally a necessity in becoming a successful interdisciplinarian.
ReplyDeleteMorris explained that a 5'6 very heavyweight man robbed a bank with lemon juice on his face believing ir provided invisibility to cameras. First of all, in order to successfully rob a bank you might want to be in good shape and...well...not be completely ignorant. You have to be in decent shape to run away successfully, effective at time-management (police arrival time and being quick as possible), posses the ability to shoot a gun well, and be successful in disguises. To clarify, I'm no robber but it's these traits that the successful ones utilize. My point is, a robber has potential to be an interdisciplinarian.
More like annoyed. I've heard time and time again people claiming this new wave of hip-hop and rap is the greatest music of all time. Really? ever heard of The Beatles and Elvis Presley? They produced an empire that has reigned supreme since the 50's and 60's and not even Michael Jackson could scratch their surface. I'm not a big fan of Elvis or the Beatles, but it's proven that they were far more successful than any musician or band today. It practically is self-deception. Theyre just robbing themselves of knowledge but are to stupid to even know they are.
I knew that there had to be a phenomena for people who are stupid but do not think it. Now I know it's called the Dunning Kruger effect. I'll be sure to utilize this word into my vocabulary and pass it on to those who suffer from this effect.