Eminent international academic to speak at UQ

An internationally renowned scholar will discuss the role of cognitive education at a free University of Queensland public lecture next week.

Professor H. Carl Haywood from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, United States will present the 20th Schonell Memorial Lecture at 7.30pm on Thursday, November 20 in Room 206, Steele Building, UQ St Lucia.

“Cognitive education, or the systematic teaching of critical analysis and thinking skills, should play a central philosophical and tactical role in curriculum development and revision,” Professor Haywood said.

His speech, entitled Thinking in, around and about the curriculum: the role of cognitive education will review aspects of the history of cognitive education and argue for the inclusion of systematic logical thinking as an integral part of the school curriculum from pre-kindergarten to secondary school.

“Given that one cannot just think, but instead must think about something, the integration of academic content with the teaching and learning of logical thinking is essential,” he said.

Data indicating the effectiveness of cognitive education, its ability to be generalised and implications for teaching and learning in school settings will also be discussed.

The lecture is presented by UQ’s Fred and Eleanor Schonell Special Education Research Centre, widely regarded as Australia’s pre-eminent centre for research into special education and disabilities.

An Emeritus Professor of psychology and neurology, Professor Haywood specialises in the field of cognitive education and is also a renowned researcher in the field of intellectual disabilities.

He has published extensively on cognitive education and dynamic assessment; mental retardation; intrinsic motivation; the development of intelligence and cognitive abilities; and neuropsychology.

He is a founder and past President of the International Association for Cognitive Education; past President of the American Association of Mental Retardation; and member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

Members of the public are invited to attend the lecture, which will be followed by refreshments.

Media: for further information, contact Schonell Centre Director Dr Christa van Kraayenoord (telephone 07 3365 6521, email c.vankraayenoord@uq.edu.au) or Joanne van Zeeland at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2619).