Conference and Call for Papers: “Virtues, Vices, and Teaching” Calvin College, October 3-5, 2013

Discussions of virtues and vices direct our attention away from rules and consequences and toward the role of character. The Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning will host a conference in October 2013 on virtues, vices, and teaching. The purpose of this conference is to explore the implications of a focus on virtues and vices for the way Christian teaching and learning are approached. The scope of the conference is not restricted to moral education per se; papers are invited on topics that connect virtue/vice in general or specific virtues and vices with learning in any discipline or area of educational activity. Papers should focus on some aspect of pedagogy; both theoretical studies and accounts of practice are welcome. Questions that might be explored include, but are not restricted to, the following:

• What virtues and vices are evident in, or influence, our teaching and students’ learning?
• Can we teach virtues? Do we teach vices?
• How might a focus on virtues and vices help students in their vocation as Christian learners?
• How might a focus on virtues and vices affect our approach to curriculum and pedagogy?
• In what ways might the question of virtues and vices arise within the pedagogy of various disciplines?

Paper proposals of 1-2 pages, including 100-word abstracts‚ should be sent via e-mail to seminars@calvin.edu no later than May 15, 2013. Notification of acceptance will be made by June 3, 2013. Additional information regarding the conference will be available soon under the Conferences section at www.calvin.edu/scs/.