The Department of HideGenuity™ has introduced what they're calling "a revolutionary approach to critical thinking" — the Gaslighter 3000™, a pedagogical device designed to help students "fan the flames of doubt" while achieving "pun-ditry in academia."
"We wanted to create an environment where students constantly question their assumptions. The Gaslighter 3000™ achieves this by presenting students with contradictory information, asking them to defend positions they don't hold, and occasionally insisting that yesterday's lesson never happened."
How It Works
The device consists of three key components:
- An antique oil lamp (for aesthetic purposes)
- A whiteboard covered in increasingly complex diagrams
- "Strategic epistemological uncertainty" as defined by the department
Students gather around the lamp while instructors guide them through exercises in intellectual discomfort.
"Last week, we spent three hours discussing whether the class was actually meeting or if we were all just imagining it. I'm still not sure we resolved that question. Actually, I'm not sure there was a question. Wait, was I in that class?"
Initial Results
Early assessments suggest the Gaslighter 3000™ is achieving its stated goals, though measuring success has proven "philosophically complicated," according to the assessment team.
"The beauty of the Gaslighter 3000™ is that it teaches students to think for themselves by constantly suggesting they're not thinking correctly. Or did I say that? I might not have said that."
Next Steps: The device will be rolled out across all HideGenuity™ courses starting next semester. Student enthusiasm is mandatory but authenticity remains optional.