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Appreciating the value of practical application of theories is an important theme American pragmatism, a philosophical approach with deep roots in American culture. The pragmatists assess the value of ideas by their practical import, asking how it changes people's experience. Praxis resonates in management research, too: Kurt Lewin declared that nothing is as practical as a good theory in a 1945 paper describing a research program at MIT that preceded the founding of the Sloan School of Management. His words still frame the study of organizations, business, and management for academics throughout the world. And in education, the notion of praxis embodies the highest goals: Praxis ..enables (learners) to engage with the situation as committed thinkers and actors (see Notes note below). According to this notion, in praxis for learning entails an interactive process in which both learner and teacher seek to improve the situation.
This rich history and MIT's experience and traditions offer a great starting point for further developing praxis at MIT Sloan. Look around our emerging website, join the dialogs in our meetings, participate in our learning experiences. Let us know what you think. And let us know what you do!Notes
Note
After Grundy, S. (1987) Curriculum: Product or Praxis, Lewes: Falmer; cited and described by Mark Smith, at the encyclopaedia of informal education: www.infed.org. More on praxis and teaching via praxis.