Researching new areas and providing hitherto unknown insight
(Post-graduate)
The above are
what students need to develop as they evolve ever forwards in their drive towards
higher education. In simplistic terms, students first need to develop their
knowledge. Once they have a background in a particular area they will then need
to look deeper into the ideas and concepts which lay the foundation for that
knowledge. If they can do this, then they have moved forward in the educational
sense. If they merely learn more and more knowledge, no matter how much they
think they know, they will not be moving forwards. Once ideas and concepts are
understood from different angles, students will then be able to begin to
critique the pros and cons of each. Again, understanding underlying ideas and
concepts is but yet another step and not an end in itself. If the student
progresses s/he will eventually move into research and, hopefully, discover
things that the next generation will learn and debate.
