SUMA EDUCATIONAL FRAMEWORK: THE WAY TO EMBODIED TRANSDISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

Abstract

Contemporary education, based on a fragmented structure of topics, limits reasoning and critical thinking in students, contributing little to the development of the integrative competencies and knowledge considered essential in modern society. Interdisciplinary approaches give raise to new specialties, but do not reduce the barriers within and between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Humanities and Arts. The proposal of the SUMA (Synthetic Understanding through Movement Analogies) educational framework is applying movement analogies to learn the unifying concepts of science, that is, concepts that persist despite the changes of scientific paradigms or theories, and have a pluri-contextual character. This way, the SUMA framework aims to capitalize on the current perspective of cognitive science that defines cognition as ecological, embodied and enactive, and emphasizes body movement as a means to acquire abstract concepts. After explaining the origins, rationale, ongoing research and supporting tools (learning platform) of the SUMA educational approach, the proposed learning phases illustrate the differences between the more known interdisciplinary physical education and the current approach. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR