Lester Gilbert (L.Gilbert@canterbury.ac.uk)
Mon, 18 Jan 1999 09:14:21 +0100
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 09:14:21 +0100 From: Lester Gilbert <L.Gilbert@canterbury.ac.uk> Subject: [ifets] Bork's Three Future Goals
Alfred,
On Sun, 17 Jan 1999 17:29:08 +0100 (MET) ifets-digest
<owner-ifets-digest@gex.gmd.de> wrote:
> The first [goal] is that we
> need to look, on a moment to moment basis, for learning problems for
> individual students, to offer interactive help for these problems, to see if
> this help has been effective, and to offer additional help if necessary.
To what point?
> All students should master everything, including important human capabilities
> like problem solving.
This is ideal, of course; but would a cost-benefit analysis bring this
to the top position of our future educational aspirations?
> The second critical factor is that the program should frequently save
> and use information about each student about progress made and problems
> encountered. As we become more skillful, we should save information
> about learning style.
Sure, this is "nice to know" stuff, and, by comparison with goals #1
and #3, this one is much easier to do. But again, to what end? And
where would it show on the shopping list after a cost-benefit analysis?
> The third factor is that students, as far as possible, construct their own
> knowledge. We want discovery! Students should become imaginative, creative,
> independent thinkers.
Well, yes, students construct their own knowledge, period. But this
does not imply "discovery" learning as a consequence. We may also need
imaginative, creative, and independent tutors first, and boy, are they
in short supply...
Lovely provactive stuff; vintage Bork... Thanks. Lester.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lester Gilbert l.gilbert@cant.ac.uk
Dept Maths & Information Technology Tel (01227) 767700 x2813
Canterbury Christ Church University College Fax (01227) 782 904
Kent, CT1 1QU, United Kingdom http://www.cant.ac.uk
Home page: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/lestergilbert/
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