rules based learning and behavior vs. the arts

I have continued my reading of Elliot Eisner's book The Arts and the Creation of Mind, and it has stimulated my thoughts on rules based vs. artistic thinking and problem solving.

The idea of science is that you or I could do the same things exactly the same way and come to exactly the same results, and from that, rules can be established, that when followed, any place in the world, regardless of setting or the individual characteristics of the person involved will lead to the same predictable desired results. As an example, last night our the satellite dish receiver went haywire. My wife called customer service and got an automated help desk that led us by voice prompts through a series of troubleshooting steps to a successful result. Years ago that kind of thing would have been handled with an on-site service visit by a real person, but now is automated, so that the computer is following the same set of rules that used to require a live agent. For an interim period, such things were handled by call centers in India or some other country in which cheaper labor could follow the same rules. With rules based problem solving there is a potential savings of millions or even billions of dollars and the outcomes (when they are successful) are a lot better than waiting days for someone to come to your door.

It may seem surprising to you, as it always has to me, that so many people like the idea of everything being set in rules. Rules are comforting in a way. They produce a sense of order and reliability. And the future is often not so reliable. With rules, you do this, and that happens. Whew! What a relief. If only our schools and the education of our children could be handled with such ease! But then, as stated by my then teenaged daughter as she was explaining to me why she should go to Columbia University instead of the school that offered a complete scholarship, "If everything were rational, there would be no poetry." And I can add, nor would we have the arts.

When teaching box making to adults, I demonstrate specific rules, that when applied to wood through the use of specific jigs for precise cutting and though specific steps for assembly will lead my students to successful boxes. Teaching the rules is part of why they pay me to teach and part (but only part) of why my students are willing to devote a week of their time to the effort. Breaking the rules is the other part, encountering and creating the unexpected, and that tends to be the part most usually forgotten in school.... once we know the rules, what do we do next? The rules can become the foundation for growth and exploration, as students are encouraged to push beyond perceived limits and expand both the capabilities of the child, and the dimensions of physical and aesthetic reality. But, too often they are not.

So that leads to another set of "rules" in my box making classes, much more subjective and from which creative potential is expanded, the "principles and elements of design." These bring the student to question and explore their own aesthetics and aesthetic values. But unlike the rules of making, these require the participant to develop their own sensitivity to form and meaning and make decisions based on what they find. The students love both parts of the box making class. The first set of rules form the foundation for the second and it is through both that they find greater confidence of personal expression. And it is here that the arts depart, leaving science in dust, and the truth of our humanity is revealed.

I know all this is poorly delivered, and I will reflect on and refine my thoughts over the course of days. But this is a "blog," a place through which things can be discussed, mulled over and left hanging. There are no precise rules, or standards in a blog but I do have criteria... that of moving my thoughts forward in consideration of education and sharing them with you.

It seems that many in politics and administration would like teaching to become a completely rules based behavior, though we know of course that it can be performed as an art, in which there are actually no limits to its potential. The effects of teaching when it is performed as art, may never be fully measured.

So what are the things that would enable more teachers to raise what they do as an "art form"? A reduction in class size so that teachers can actually get to know their students might be a good place to start. Then remove the over-the-top emphasis on standardized testing and put in place other criteria for student, teacher, and school assessment. One question regarding criteria we might ask in schools, "Are they having fun yet?" And in this case, having fun isn't goofing off. It can be as simple as making things in woodshop.