Knowledge and the university curriculum

Abstract

What are students learning in university? Can this learning be measured? We do not at this time possess a conceptual framework for understanding what and how knowledge is acquired in different university disciplines. A framework for the acquisition of knowledge would have to account for the manner in which forms of knowledge differ. Disciplinary differences could be expected to occur at four levels: in the nature of the concepts used; in the logical structure of the discipline; in the truth criteria used; and in the methods employed in the discipline. In this article, such a framework is tested on university courses representative of different disciplines. At the most basic level, characteristics of the most important concepts used in courses across disciplines are investigated. The characteristics include concept familiarity, generality and abstractness. At a second level, differences in the logical structure of disciplines are examined through analysis of the relationships between course concepts, the structure of propositions in the field, and organizing principles which play a major role in the discipline. The truth criteria used by various disciplines suggest more global differences which would affect the acquisition of knowledge. Finally, the methods considered important in different disciplines, and their effect on the development of students' intellectual skills, complete the portrayal of the parameters of knowledge and the university curriculum. Directions for future research are discussed.