To the Editor:
In the interest of continuing the discussion on education ("Good Education," Sept. 25, 1995; "Merits of a Diverse Education," (Sept. 28, 1995), it may be useful for us to remember the stated mission of the College. As expressed in the Faculty Handbook: "Dartmouth succeeds when its graduates ... possess a respect for intellect; and inherent love of learning; and openness of mind; and appreciation of beauty; courage to face the unknown; tolerance for that which is different; respect for the individual; and, above all, the desire to find the truth, and the humility to recognize that it is elusive."
Needless to say, these values underpin democracy. Thus, a liberal education at Dartmouth College would seem to be, as much as anything else, a preparation for effective participation in democratic society. Throughout the more than two centuries since the American Revolution it has been generally recognized that a citizenry educated in such rights, responsibilities and skills is required to sustain our democratic way of life. Ralph Mosher, Robert A. Kenny Jr. and Andrew Garrod (1994) are specific:
"Our rationale for systemic democratic experiences in school is founded on four principles: 1) democracy is vitally dependent on a responsive, educated citizenry; 2) children educated in democratic groups benefit personally as well as in terms of social development; 3) democratic participation contributes to growth of minds; and 4) democracy has to be recreated in the understanding and behavior of each new generation of citizens or it is jeopardized" (Preparing for Citizenship: Teaching Youth to Live Democratically).
From these ideas it is possible to infer a wonderful unity of purpose and means in education and democracy. That unity is the learning process. Since the time of Socrates, certain integral components have been identified in the inductive/deductive cycle of effective learning. For individual learning these components are: 1) reflection, 2) meaning-making, 3) planning, and 4) action. For participatory learning (another way of saying "democracy") these components are: 1) public reflection, 2) shared meaning-making, 3) joint planning, and 4) coordinated action.
In both individual and participatory learning, the learning cycle maintains its recursive property through reflecting on actions taken. Frequently people and groups jump back and forth between planning and action without spending much time on reflection and meaning-making. This is like running experiments without evaluating the results (often a consequence of short-term performance pressure).
An effective liberal arts institution avoids this sort of error by practicing and teaching the fundamentals of individual and participatory learning. Thus, when Dartmouth students graduate with skill in using the fully integrated learning cycle -- no matter what the course of study -- the College is achieving its mission. More important, students are receiving the best possible liberal arts education.
