| Publication |
2011.
|
| Summary/Abstract |
This article argues that instructors should introduce students to abstract concepts only after they have provided concrete illustrations of them. The advantages of working from the concrete to the abstract are twofold: (1) students have an easier time conceptualizing abstractions from within a particular context, and (2) such a context provides them with a greater motivation to do so. In an effort to mirror the pedagogical approach I defend, I begin by reviewing the manner in which Plato introduces the concept of justice to his readers in Book I of the Republic. I then examine the common model of teaching abstract concepts, demonstrate how an effective alternative differs from this model, and review the education theories that support the alternative model.
|