Definition or Description:

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that studies the nature and limits of knowledge; it examines the structure, origin, and criteria of knowledge. In the context of the meta-profession of college teaching, it's application can often be seen in course or curriculum design in which the structure of the knowledge to be acquired by the student is taken into account in the design of instructional events or experiences.

Comment:

Every discipline has its approach to the nature and construction of knowledge. Almost every course includes an application of the disciplinary epistemology in its design, objectives, and execution. Faculty refer to critical thinking or the habits of thought of the discipline when they discuss what students are supposed to learn. In a similar sense, the considerable research on epistemology (for example, Donald, 2002; Paulsen & Feldman, 1998, 1999) demonstrates that the ways in which students approach knowledge can have profound effects on learning, achievement, and related factors such as self regulation. Because it is important to clearly incorporate relevant epistemology into course design, there are good reasons to often consider it in SoTL efforts.

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