Zen and the Art of Chainsaw Maintenance
Location
Peavy/Richardson Halls
Event Website
http://uenr.forestry.oregonstate.edu/
Start Date
3-15-2008 11:30 AM
End Date
3-15-2008 12:00 PM
Description
Just as Pirsig’s (1974) account of his motorcycle adventure explores the dichotomy of holistic and reductionistic philosophies, so too does a short course in chainsaw safety and tree felling incorporate these seemingly disparate viewpoints into a critical thinking exercise. Students entering college often lack critical thinking skills (National Commission on Excellence in Education 1983). The chainsaw course described here addresses this disparity via the transmission of two types of information: (1) subject matter and (2) how to process that subject matter (Schafer 1991); the latter is the essence of critical thinking. The chainsaw course has three modules taught over two days. Module one covers safety equipment and chainsaw techniques. Module two covers the disassembly and maintenance of the chainsaw. Module three allows the student to assess field conditions and integrate learned theories to safely fell trees. Over twelve hours, the student experiences authority-centered lecture, reductionistic discovery-based learning, and critical thinking. The objective is to formulate a holistic solution (felling a tree into a desired space) from integrated reductionist principles (forces and techniques). The expected outcomes for this course are a better understanding of safety and knowledge of one’s technical limitations. I found, however, that students also develop a renewed interest in their chosen curricula, a more mature interaction with faculty, and an attitude of inquiry that permeates their continuing academic pursuits. I believe the noted changes in philosophical direction result from the combination of a uniquely interesting subject, an informal student/teacher relationship (student/teacher ratio of 3/1), and a rapid application of knowledge to confirm cause and effect. This philosophy lesson, disguised as a chainsaw safety course, can be replicated under many pretexts. The keys to implementation are to find a subject of passionate interest to students, share one’s expertise, and challenge the students to find tangible solutions to real questions.
Zen and the Art of Chainsaw Maintenance
Peavy/Richardson Halls
Just as Pirsig’s (1974) account of his motorcycle adventure explores the dichotomy of holistic and reductionistic philosophies, so too does a short course in chainsaw safety and tree felling incorporate these seemingly disparate viewpoints into a critical thinking exercise. Students entering college often lack critical thinking skills (National Commission on Excellence in Education 1983). The chainsaw course described here addresses this disparity via the transmission of two types of information: (1) subject matter and (2) how to process that subject matter (Schafer 1991); the latter is the essence of critical thinking. The chainsaw course has three modules taught over two days. Module one covers safety equipment and chainsaw techniques. Module two covers the disassembly and maintenance of the chainsaw. Module three allows the student to assess field conditions and integrate learned theories to safely fell trees. Over twelve hours, the student experiences authority-centered lecture, reductionistic discovery-based learning, and critical thinking. The objective is to formulate a holistic solution (felling a tree into a desired space) from integrated reductionist principles (forces and techniques). The expected outcomes for this course are a better understanding of safety and knowledge of one’s technical limitations. I found, however, that students also develop a renewed interest in their chosen curricula, a more mature interaction with faculty, and an attitude of inquiry that permeates their continuing academic pursuits. I believe the noted changes in philosophical direction result from the combination of a uniquely interesting subject, an informal student/teacher relationship (student/teacher ratio of 3/1), and a rapid application of knowledge to confirm cause and effect. This philosophy lesson, disguised as a chainsaw safety course, can be replicated under many pretexts. The keys to implementation are to find a subject of passionate interest to students, share one’s expertise, and challenge the students to find tangible solutions to real questions.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cuenr/7thBiennial/Sessions/23
Comments
Session #5: Fostering Critical Thinking. Presentation for 7th Biennial Conference on University Education in Natural Resources, March 13-15, 2008, Corvallis, Oregon. Featured in the ScholarsArchive@OSU in Oregon State University. Suggested Citation: Bartholomay, G.A. 2008. Zen and the art of chainsaw maintenance. UENR 7th Biennial Conference, ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/8169