Embodiment and aesthetics in teaching and examinations

Abstract

In a democratic society, knowledge and research grounding play central roles. To support students' learning, it is necessary for teachers to be able to motivate and create challenging and stimulating learning opportunities. Questions regarding academic literacy often lack embodied and aesthetic perspectives (Carlgren, 2015), leading to challenges in bridging the gap between knowledge and teaching. Studies have shown that traditionally academic teaching methods and dualistic conceptions of learning can be identified within certain higher education contexts (Pastorek et al., 2021; Østern et al., 2021). The aim of this paper is to highlight and discuss the potential of embodiment and aesthetics in teaching and examinations in higher education. To enhance student engagement, a more holistic approach to education is required, where individuals are touched and given space in various ways (Østern, et al., 2019). By paying attention to students' bodily communication, contact, and presence, the quality of the learning processes can improve (Winther, 2018). Based on research in preschool teacher education (Pastorek et al., 2021), a picture emerges where academic values, such as writing and speaking, take up a significant space in content, goals, and assessments at the expense of aesthetic and bodily perspectives. Instead, embodiment and aesthetic perspectives on knowledge and knowledge production in higher education can be a contribution to varied forms of teaching and examinations and a way to further develop in the discussion around Artificial Intelligence (AI).