Replacing Syllabi with Pledges: : Creating a Peace Frame for Learning

Language is embodied. Words and metaphors that we use in our classrooms are literally neurologically sourced in shared cognitive frames or schemas. Because the field of engineering in the U.S. grew out of the military, the culturally-habitual cognitive frames derive from a "war" frame. Frames activate associated neurological states that can work against students' ability to learn. As an example, faculty will often describe assignments as a gauntlet, which has an original meaning of "undergoing the military punishment of receiving blows while running between two rows of men with sticks." This word can elicit a neurological state of fear which causes the release of biochemicals that undermine making synaptic connections-the stuff of learning. In this paper we propose a practice of creating a frame of peace through the use of a syllabus-replacement that we call a Pledge. Unlike a traditional syllabus, this pledge-which means a solemn promise-activates schema involving mutual respect, generosity and freedom. In this paper, we will briefly review the research of cognitive frames and how language can affect the learning environment. Through a small sample of syllabi published online from three universities, we express the state of this typical document used in higher education. We then contrast the frames of traditional syllabi with those of our pledge concept. We suggest design guidelines for people to create Peaceful pledges for their own courses.