I had been under the delusion that the intention of our blogs was to reflect on what we had actually learned in each class, to revise if you will, what we had learned. This I could see as a useful and proactive lesson in reinforcing what we had learned. Never have I been so wrong.
What we are in fact intended to do is "critical reflection". Your guess is as good as mine. It was then explained what critical reflection is; it is not descriptive reflection of what we had learned, oh no. It was a reflection on how we "felt" about what we learned. How did we feel we learned it. What was the impact socially, politically and culturally about what we had learned.
I do not have the vocabulary to describe how infuriating it is to choose to study a science degree to remove myself from this wishy-washy bullshit that academics insist on forcing upon us. I am reminded of my leaving certificate English mock exams. I was questioned about how I felt about the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Honestly? I think Emily Dickinson was a rambling lunatic. She was a recluse who locked herself in her bedroom for 30 years and rambled on for page after page about whatever nonsense happened to be passing through her thoughts at any given time. I knew if I was to divulge my true feelings however, I would receive little or no marks. But instead of bending to their will and regurgitating the predetermined answers everyone else had insisted on giving, I left. I didn't write a thing. Why? Because I didn't want to waste my time with a pointless exercise which would provide me with absolutely no benefit what-so-ever.
And here we are. What goes around does in fact come back around. My final year of my final level of education before I am to begin my long a slow descent into retirement. We are back at the wishy-washy bullshit that academics insist on forcing upon us. It is this exact kind of exercise that drove me into psychiatric hospital. Twice. There are absolutely NO social or political implications from this third class of bioprocessing. Not one. Instead what we learned was the basic components of a bioreactor, The same as we did the week before. I am struggling to find things to reflect on from the class because I am struggling to remember if I actually learned anything new from the class. All I remember is my blood pressure rising at such a rapid rate that it managed to keep my blood under enough pressure to stop it from actually boiling. Thank Lord Kelvin for that.
So what am I to reflect on then? I am currently thinking where is the rational in assigning a blog to be submitted for every single class, but then only correcting the best 3 of aforementioned blogs for our grades. And if our blogs are to be an honest opinion and reflection on our thoughts from the class, then they are entirely subjective are they not? Who is a lecturer to tell me that my thoughts are wrong? To tell me that I'm not thinking properly? If they are in fact intended to be an honest, bare bones, warts-and-all reflection of what we thought of the class, well then here it is. And surely that should entitle me to maximum marks, correct? Much like my leaving cert English mock exam, I highly doubt it.
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