Uncertainty as a Catalyst for Growth: Learning through Dialogue, Questioning, and Reflection

Higher education institutions strive to turn out graduates that are well-rounded, engaged, and civic-minded individuals no matter their discipline or major. The authors believe that more can be done to ensure that this goal is attained. To address this issue, two librarians designed a learner-centered course that embraced the uncertainty found in today’s information landscape through the use of dialog, questioning, and reflection. This article will describe the social and educational atmosphere at colleges that necessitates looking deeper into how and why colleges and universities need to build these new types of courses to meet their goals. From there, it will move into describing the foundational concepts that the class is built on which include Socratic discussion, team teaching, and a learner-centered classroom. It will also describe the specific methods, assignments, and goals used within so other educators may apply the course to their own institution. Marshall McLuhan’s Understanding Media, famous for its aphorisms, is the course’s foundational text and primed the class for discussion and questioning throughout the course. Discussion and questioning are seen as two of the keys to educating the next generation to be able to not only survive but thrive in the 21st century.