Sari Kokkola

multimodaalinen kääntäminen, käännöstieteen tutkimusmenetelmät, filosofia, tieteenfilosofia, kokemuksen tutkimus, fenomenologia

translation pedagogy, collaborative and reflective learning methods, phenomenologically informed pedagogy, (self-)reflexive critical thinking, empowering students

My philosophy and views of teaching and learning are based on non-transmissionist epistemology. I am interested in collaborative, reflective learning methods in higher education contexts, particularly in the context of translator training. Translation is quintessentially characterized by indeterminacy: It is a complex process in which there are no clear answers, or “one right approach”, but rather, the translator must be able to deliberate among competing solutions to translation problems. Therefore, students of translation need to develop their cognitive flexibility, independent and critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills in order to be able to act upon real-life translation problems. The ultimate aim of reflective, collaborative learning methods is empowerment: Engaging in reflective – and self-reflexive – practices led by a teacher-facilitator constitutes a means of helping students towards greater self-understanding and ongoing professional growth.