Zen and the Art of Chainsaw
Maintenance
G. Andrew Bartholomay
Penn State DuBois
March 15, 2008
Bartholomay © 2008
Thanks to:
• DuBois Education Foundation
• University College
• Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence
Bartholomay © 2008
Disclaimer
The information to follow…, “should in no way be
associated with that great body of factual information
relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It's not very
factual on [chainsaws], either.”
(Persig, R.M. 1974. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
William Morrow & Co., NY, 418pp.)
The Need for Critical Thinking Skills
• “Nearly 40 percent [of 17 year olds] cannot
draw inferences from written material,
• only one-fifth can write a persuasive essay,
• and only one-third can solve a mathematics
problem requiring several steps.”
(National Commission on Excellence in Education. 1983. The Imperative for
educational reform: A report to the nation and the Secretary of Education,
United States Department of Education)
Critical Thinking Objectives
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Understanding cause and effect
Expanding knowledge beyond original context
Recognizing and assessing assumptions
Using analogies to solve problems
Assessing degrees of likelihood and uncertainty
Supporting conclusions
(Halpern, D.F. 1998. Teaching critical thinking for transfer
across domains. American Psychologist 53(4), 449-455.)
The Path of Enlightenment
• Reductionism
• Holism
(Pirsig, R.M. 1974)
• Empiricism
• Rationalism
• Skepticism
Bartholomay © 2008
(Schafersman, S.D. 1991. An introduction
to critical thinking. A web site,
http://www.freeinquiry.com/criticalthinking.html, accessed October 29,
2007)
Course Objectives
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Present the latest technologies and methods
Explore the “why” of safety
Dispel myths
Supplement decision making processes
Reveal personal skill boundaries
Course Details
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Optional for 2WLT students
Team Taught
Low Student/Teacher ratio (2:1 or 3:1)
3 Modules over 12 hours of instruction
Bartholomay © 2008
Bob Clark
Bartholomay © 2008
Lee Stover
Bartholomay © 2008
Mike Powel
Bartholomay © 2008
Module 1
PPE & Safe Operation
The Zen of Module 1
• Empiricism
– Expanding knowledge beyond original context
– Understanding cause and effect
• Rationalism
– Recognizing and assessing assumptions
• Skepticism
– Assessing degrees of likelihood and uncertainty
– Supporting conclusions
Bartholomay © 2008
Module 2
Chainsaw Function & Maintenance
The Zen of Module 2
• Reductionism
Bartholomay © 2008
• Holism
Bartholomay © 2008
Bartholomay © 2008
Module 3
Field Application
The Zen of Module 3
• Empiricism
– Expanding knowledge beyond original context
– Understanding cause and effect
• Rationalism
– Recognizing and assessing assumptions
– Using analogies to solve problems
• Skepticism
– Assessing degrees of likelihood and uncertainty
– Supporting conclusions
Extracurricular Outcomes
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New perspective on discipline
New critical approach to curriculum
Increased professional confidence
Better understanding of holism and reductionism
Transitioning of decision skills to other areas
Two Students Explain…
Teaching Style
Bartholomay © 2008
Josh Snedden
Student/Teacher Ratio
Bartholomay © 2008
Chad McKenrick
The Big Picture
Bartholomay © 2008
Josh Snedden
Collaborative Learning
Bartholomay © 2008
Chad McKenrick
Summary
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Low student/teacher ratio
Students as colleagues
Skills specific to major
Teams (students & faculty)
To err is to learn!