General and Social Pedagogy

First INDIRE Researcher.

Since 2014, First researcher at INDIRE, she holds a PhD in General Pedagogy from the University of Florence (tutor Franco Cambi). She has been involved in teacher training for years, with particular reference to didactics innovation. At INDIRE, she follows, among others, the project “Avanguardie Educative”, with particular reference to the topic of textbooks and digital resources for teaching. She is involved in numerous national and international research on this topic. She is currently a member of the Board of the International Association IARTEM, dedicated to research on textbooks. She collaborates with the University of Florence, in particular on issues of Media Education in childhood.

She is the author of numerous papers, including the volumes “La didattica del Futuro”, published by Pearson and “Il testo digitale”, published by Maggioli-Apogeo.

The course aims to provide students with a general overview of Pedagogy as a science and as an art, to use John Dewey’s still relevant definition.

Through a brief excursus on the history of pedagogical thought, the lessons will focus on the theme of the relationship between education and society, and then define what is meant by social pedagogy, in the sense of “a socially sensitive pedagogy”. The thoughts of three authors in particular will be addressed: John Dewey, Paulo Freire and Neil Postaman, interpreters from different perspectives of a social commitment to the formation of individuals.

Module 1 – Introduction to General Pedagogy

• Statute and Methods of Pedagogy
• A brief history of pedagogical thinking
• The Object of Pedagogy: Education, Instruction, Training

Module 2 – Introduction to Social Pedagogy

• • The basic issues of social pedagogy
  • Education and society
  • The thinking of John Dewey
  • The thinking of Paulo Freire

The course aims to reflect on the role of General Pedagogy and Social Pedagogy in particular. Through a brief historical survey of pedagogical thought over the centuries, we will address issues related to the relationship between education and society, also with reference to leading authors such as John Dewey and Paulo Freire.

The course aims to provide the students with knowledge, tools and strategies to help them:

• the well-being and development of the individual;
• social attitudes and their relation to individual behaviour

A. Knowledge and understanding
To master the contents of the course with particular reference to the history of pedagogical thought and the main issues arising in the relationship between education and society.

B. Applied knowledge and understanding
To make connections between the concepts learnt and different professional contexts related to education.

C. Autonomy of judgement
To Express opinions related to the topics covered, with particular reference to current contexts.

D. Communication skills
To express him/herself appropriately, also using specific and sectorial language.

E. Learning ability
To demonstrate inclination and interest in the topics covered.

A. Comprehension of the texts proposed in the context of the subject studied. Students will be guided to the use of bibliographic resources, not only traditional (paper) but – through a critical analysis of online resources – also digital ones.

B. Professional approach to their work and possession of appropriate skills to devise arguments, support them and solve problems within the subject studied. Ability to collect and interpret data useful for making independent judgements.

C. Ability to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist interlocutors. Students will be provided with useful indications and methodologies to organise a written and oral presentation, using specific vocabulary and communicative methods adapted to the target audience.

D. Ability to study topics independently.
Students will be helped to organise their study in a fruitful way by means of tools and methods that encourage the capacity for research and in-depth study.

DIDACTICS PROVISION

• 8 video lessons recorded on the platform for a total duration of 4 hours;
• 2 synchronous meetings on the platform for a total duration of 2 hours;
• Podcasts of all the above-mentioned video lessons.

INTERACTIVE DIDACTICS

• 1 course orientation forum;
• 2 thematic follow-up forums (1 per module);
• Possibility to carry out work in groups;
• 2 structured e-activities (as described in the section “in itinere assessment methods”).

SELF-LEARNING

Teaching materials are provided for each module: in-depth thematic studies, articles and slides by the lecturer, open access readings, online resources, reference bibliography, etc.

• Paulo Freire, Pedagogia dell’autonomia, Edizione Gruppo Abele, Milan, 2014
• John Dewey, Scuola e società, Edizioni Conoscenza, 2018
• Neil Postman, La scomparsa dell’infanzia, Armando Editore, 2005

Access to the final examination is subject to the following 2 e-activities:

1. Tests on some topics covered in the course.
2. In-depth study of a topic of student’s choice from those covered in the course, presented through a presentation and/or written paper.

The assessment of learning will take the form of an oral interview on the course contents and on the final report submitted, if any. The grade (min 18, max 30 with possible honours) is determined by the level of performance for each of the following dimensions of the oral interview: mastery of contents, appropriateness of definitions and theoretical references, clarity of argument, command of specialist language.

Italian