James E Christensen

Education, Mindfulness and Educology James E Christensen

The human psyche consists of experiencing interactions among conation, perception and cognition. The more that cognition is extended, the more that cognition can inform, guide and learn from the consequences of conation and perception. And the more that cognition is extended, the more mindfulness there is available in making choices, establishing purposes and formulating goals. Also, the greater the extension of cognition, the more competency there is available to apply in endeavors to achieve nominated goals. Mindfulness takes an individual from saying, "I didn't know that I had a choice," to saying, "I know what my options are, I know which choice is the best, I know why it is the best, I know what to do to achieve what I have chosen, and I stand accountable and responsible for the consequences of my choices." Mindfulness provides the capacity to lead an authentic and responsible life. The means by which cognition is extended is through learning. Learning can be accidental learning, i.e. it can be by misadventure and happenstance. Learning can be compelled learning, i.e. it can arise from socialization, enculturation and indoctrination. Learning can be discovery learning, i.e. it can arise from independent deliberate unguided inquiry. And learning can be intentional guided learning, i.e. it can result from education. Education is the process in which someone teaches and someone intentionally studies under guidance some content within some context (physical, social and cultural) with the view in mind that those doing the studying extend their range of knowing and understanding. Through education, students can extend their mindfulness beyond the limitations of the initial social conditioning and enculturation of their childhood and adolescent years. Through discovery learning, i.e. learning achieved by independent inquiry, students can transcend the range of knowing and understanding achieved by means of education and extend their mindfulness beyond that which is possible to attain by accidental learning, compelled learning and intentional guided learning.