Reflecting on the meaning of radical in a teaching context

Reflecting on the meaning of radical in a teaching context

by Elizabeth Wallace -
Number of replies: 0

SFU is popularly known as the radical campus. Its first 40 years are documented in a book of that name written by professor emeritus, Hugh Johnston:

Johnston, H. (2005). Radical campus: Making Simon Fraser University. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.

The fly leaf of that book uses many words and phrases to describe SFU in the early days, including:

ferment, flux, exhilerating, confusing, political fireworks...

Obviously, radical as applied to SFU was used in the sense of revolutionary, however, a different definition was used in announcing the Radical Teaching Open Space. According to the definition in the Oxford English Dictionary, radical can also mean:

Going to the root or origin, touching or acting upon what is essential and fundamental.

What then is radical teaching?