Anthony Sinclair, SACE, University of Liverpool Teaching and Learning Theory

Anthony Sinclair, Anthony Sinclair,

SACE, University of LiverpoolSACE, University of Liverpool

Cognitive change

the development of key interpretive questions

the nature of key analytical approaches

how to interpret archaeological evidence in a theoretically informed manner

‘Affective / psychomotor’ changes

We want students to ........

Palaeolithic Theory 1985 / 2008

TechnologyDiet & Subsistence

ChronologyHominin AnatomySpecies Change

PalaeoenvironmentsLives and Societies

TechnologyDiet & Subsistence

ChronologyHominin AnatomySpecies Change

PalaeoenvironmentsLives and SocietiesHominin Cognition

The Manufacture & Use of Technology

1985 2007

Tool classification & organisation

TypologiesAssemblage formation

& ‘forms of deliberate deposition’

Manufacture Fracture mechanics& chaine operatoire

agency

Use use-wear studies residue analysis

The Manufacture & Use of Technology

Archaeological assemblage classification core / flake / blade tool type / debitage tool function tool type / debitage type archaeological culture toolkit / gear task tool function tool use life task planning curation and expediency risk scarcity, ............... and another 8 more concepts to be able to think with

Teaching frameworks

The Historical Approach

Antiquarianism

Culture History

The economic approach of Graham Clark

The New Archaeology

Post-Processual Archaeology

Current Themes

gender

landscape and being

agency

evolutionary approaches

The thematic approach how to interpret

‘diet’ ‘trade and exchange’ ‘the organisation of space’ ‘the structure of time’ ‘social relationships’

e.g. ‘ranking’ ‘material culture’

‘multi-vocality’

Teaching Frameworks

the essay and its question

the data set

Forms of Assessment

can sometimes work well

reveals development of thought chains

But, how much do you really like to re-read

Renfrew and Bahn, Hodder, Johnson?

The essay & its question“Monuments are better

understood from the inside in phenomenological terms than from the outside in New Archaeological or Marxist terms. Do you agree with this?”

The Data Set

has some good elements

theory <-------> data

adding the problem of qualitative / quantitative data analysis

“What factors might be relevant for interpreting the % of obsidian at ‘x’

?”

The Data Set

What makes an office?.....desk,

telephone, office chair,

filing cabinet, computer....

“The Office Culture”

‘financial’ reasons (wealth)

‘social’ reasons (social class)

‘functional’ reasons (tasks)

‘environmental’ reasons

‘historical’ reasons

“The Office Culture”

Some Problems

reading about, understanding and digestion of theory takes time

sources:

basic texts or articles

are we clear about what students need to know?

can we be sure that students understand theory?

do we need to think about a ‘curriculum’?

what would a curriculum look like?

Renfrew & Bahn: What shall we explain?

artifacts

what was this tool used for, how was it made?

events

how was Stonehenge made, why was this animal eaten?

classes of events

how did agriculture start, why did people make monumental buildings?

general cultural change

how did societies become more unequal?

The archaeologist at workThe archaeologist at work

The Archaeological ProcessThe Archaeological Process

to understand data sets you need to be clear about the concepts that ‘inform’ data.

classificatory concepts define a grouping

correlational concepts link ‘facts’ - evolution

theoretical concepts entities that cannot be seen some concepts may be

threshold concepts a theory curriculum? doorways to understanding?

The Concept

The Concept Map

The Concept Map