Barefoot Academic Teaching

This book delves into essential, yet often overlooked, aspects of educational and scientifi c practices: the involvement of the body in knowledge acquisition and production, the collective nature of creativity, and the potent role of improvisation in all living actions. It is the culmination of a 4-year research endeavour on Performing Arts as a Pedagogical Tool in Higher Education, conducted in collaboration between the School of Engineering at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Institute of Psychology and Education at the University of Neuchâtel (UNINE). The authors meticulously describe, analyse, and evaluate two courses - one in engineering and the other in psychology - that employ performing arts practices to enhance students’ learning processes and facilitate boundary crossing from school to out-of-school contexts, as well as between theory and practice. From the diversity of perspectives and forms, inherent in the encounter between vastly different disciplines and cultures, there emerges a compelling plea for an education that integrates art and science within the same scenario.