An Assessment of ders BELGELİĞİ

 

A pedagogical model rooted in necessity, community, and experimental learning
by Leyla Soyer Mengüç August 2017, Fikirtepe / Istanbul

 

At its core, ders BELGELİĞİ (The Lecture Archive) is a living pedagogy—an educational experiment built on the principles of necessity, experimentation, and community. It begins with a collection of lecture notes. Topics not covered in the notes are placed in a magazine for those with a deeper curiosity, and this publication takes the name "ders BELGELİĞİ."

dB is first and foremost a magazine. As a magazine, things that don't fit into its pages begin to emerge; for example, those with an interest in music began working in that direction. The project was born out of necessity. The first of these projects was philosophy. Students who sought to deepen their understanding in this area became interested in their surroundings, and their work evolved into the "belgelik ağaçları" (Documentary Trees)—an evolving archive metaphor initiated by student projects. Following this, students working in each branch created their own history. The most productive branch at present is the Documentary Trees. Over time, different branches have become more prominent than others. Updates were made, and diaries came out. This is how the history branch was formed.

"Desen Yazıları" (Pattern Writings) were the writings produced by each group. This group published the best work of that period.

"Kunduz" is not directly related to the students. It is a compilation of writings that the teacher considers important. The name "Kunduz" (Beaver) is fitting, as it evokes the image of a meticulous, persistent gatherer of knowledge and material—like a beaver building its dam, piece by piece.

Science, ethics, and aesthetics are not considered in isolation; they are regarded as quite dangerous on their own. They are only seen as meaningful and powerful when considered together.

dB is a collection of activities that produce their own sources and arguments. On one hand, students learn, and on the other, they serve a transmission function. In a sense, they take on a mission. The name ders BELGELİĞİ is fitting, as it carries the purpose of creating a document. It is the product of an educator's responsibility and demands the responsibility of the student.

There are notes from 95–96, pattern writings, and Kunduz writings. The branches of the archive are forming: the image archive, the Documentary Trees, the music archive, and the language archive.

It is a structure that students initially don't fully grasp but later learn step-by-step by being involved, seeing, touching, and feeling. They comprehend and internalize it. It is a formation where one learns by doing, and at a certain stage, they grasp its fundamental purpose. The "estrangement from nature" created by modern culture and education can be overcome within dB.

Within dB, students are given an impetus through the teacher's ideas and suggestions to see themselves, become aware of their own talents, and try new things. The student experiments with the suggestions and guidance, they study together, shortcomings are discussed, and they progress step-by-step. The teacher provides the student with opportunities to learn through hands-on experience.

The ders BELGELİĞİ museum is a space for the display of dB's own memory.

dB is an area where informal, spontaneous education takes place. It regards every aspect of life as a site for learning and rejects the confined spatial logic of classical education. Art education is not produced solely from books but from life itself. The physical workshop will eventually come to an end, but the virtual museum will ensure its continuation.

It engages with nature, standing alongside it, not against it. It views all art forms as interconnected within the same historical periods and examines their mutual influence. There are many activities within the dB space; students choose their sustenance according to their interests and talents, often sampling different tastes. Over time, they broaden and develop their areas of interest. The teacher participates in the production not just in words but as a practitioner. The teacher's most important creation is their students.

dB began creating documents first with writing, then sound, images, and notes were added. If holograms emerge in the future, they will be included as well. dB uses the technical means and opportunities of the era in the most productive way and is open to new developments. The teacher's approach to the student is remarkably patient, creating space and supporting the student's interests and talents. While many teachers accept only their own students into their workshops, the dB teacher keeps their workshop open to students from every department. The student-teacher relationship continues as a master-apprentice dynamic. Throughout the education process, the student’s perceptions, thoughts, and perspectives change and develop.

The connotation and image of dB are that of a more liberated education, offering a model in this sense. dB serves as an exemplary educational system that fills gaps and deficiencies. It is open to current developments and is not static. While education and instruction take place in a physical school and classroom environment, it also creates a model through its activities in the virtual world. It is also open to the richness of the outside world. It strives to do the very best in the field of education.

A student who graduates from dB becomes aware that teaching requires responsibility, that one must be a good role model and be exceptionally well-equipped. The goal is to become a genuine person in one's field. dB serves the function of education in addition to instruction. It seeks to be the ferment, not the yogurt itself, emphasizing a pedagogical approach that initiates transformation without being fixated on the final product. It achieves much precisely through a seeming inaction, a philosophical paradox at its core.

A dB student sees the lack of such competencies in their previous education as a shortcoming. They believe that had they come better equipped, they would have grasped dB more deeply and been able to accomplish more.

The teacher plants a question mark in the student's mind—an invitation to perpetual inquiry, reflection, and critical seeing. Regardless of their beliefs, that question mark drives the student’s life, their teaching career, their communication with students, and the way they learn and teach. This perspective guides the student to look deeper. dB creates a ripple effect. Just as a stone thrown into water reaches the entire surface in concentric circles, dB creates this effect with its productions.

dB also fosters a sense of belonging. The student is enriched by this feeling, and with it, they act in a manner consistent with the requirements of the field and place they belong to, while also being nourished by it and contributing their own creations to that field. In the student-teacher relationship, the student's movement, excitement, curiosity, and interest break the teacher’s stillness and conservatism, resulting in a mutually enriching relationship.

While dB students have a certain degree of clarity about what they will do after graduation, their greatest desire is not to lose their humanity. This is the true measure of dB’s success—not just professional preparedness, but the cultivation of integrity, curiosity, and care.