How can we be certain of anything? The relationship between certainty and observation seems obvious, but if we consider certainty as a dynamic state, in many cases certainty transcends data and moves to the side of competence, seen as a capacity to respond to uncertainty. No matter what the situation, a competent person provides an appropriate response; he or she devours uncertainty and gets the job done.
How can we be sure of what we know? In formative assessments, the degree of certainty a student feels about his or her answers is a far better indicator of learning than just the answers, even if they are correct. When knowledge is well situated and skills mastered, it is then possible to cope with the unexpected within the reference environment. If the Pygmalion effect and "expected results" call into question the position of the trainer or facilitator, the latter can overcome them insofar as he or she is aware of these biases.
How can we be sure of what we're observing? From our senses, there is always some doubt, especially if the observation seems incredible. The voyage report of Pytheas (325 BC) shows just how difficult it is to communicate a story of observations when they break with convention. He had seen the aurora borealis, the midnight sun, narwhals, icebergs and seas of ice, but nobody believed his description of them, so far removed from common experience were they. When a scientist proposes a discovery or a new reference system, as Copernicus and many others have experienced, humans don't like to see their certainties called into question.
Also, it's good practice to corroborate information from several sources and at several levels of reflection or observation. The scientific method is fundamentally a method for increasing certainty in a specific context. This is its limitation, as it does not cope well with complexity. Allowing discussion and debate is not a luxury in pedagogy, but a fundamental element in the development of certainty, provided the problem is complex.
At another level, certainty can be surpassed by faith, the kind of faith that moves mountains, but which can also make you lose your head when it's just conviction. All it takes is the appearance of a medical or technological "miracle" to make flock lose all capacity for reflection.
In education, we're supposed to teach things that are proven, useful and certain. We're also supposed to teach skills in contexts other than those of the classroom. In books or databases, we only find information; certainty will eventually be found in the learner who has been taught the possibility of doubt and the skills to reduce uncertainty in reality.
Denys Lamontagne - [email protected]
Illustration: Shutterstock - 2603039447
