Paul Pavlik (pavlik@telusplanet.net)
Sat, 11 Aug 2001 03:50:17 -0600
From: "Paul Pavlik" <pavlik@telusplanet.net> Subject: Technology and the Biological Basis of Learning : Dog Stories. Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 03:50:17 -0600
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Is Learning Really Private?
> 1) Can we agree that,
>learning is essentially a private event achieved by the individual learner?
With all my animal training over the years, I have to admit that the animals
have gotten me figured out pretty well. In fact, the wild animals are super.
And they keep their learning going for many generations.
Let me explain.
As an educator and tutor for the poor/problem/reluctant/abused, I have
discovered many insights into learning by watching the animals: domestic,
wild, individuals, and herds. How do animals learn, solve problems, figure
out new situations? Why their amazing ability and speed in learning?
They pool their intelligence, work together across species and share this
knowledge through many generations.
Any unbelievers can come and see Magpie and relatives that nest
across the road, but do not cross onto my farm! Try and outsmart a Coyote?
You might be able to do it once, or with a juvenile just out on its own for
a month or two. The learning curve for most wild species is one time.
Surprise a Coyote in a field at a certain time once - and you will never see
any Coyotes in that field at that same time for years.
Recently a post asked why some breeds of dogs are quick learners, and others
require 80 or so repetitions.
Having raised, trained and competed with dogs for many years I am going to
set up a howl here.
My Dog Life
First let me state that I have raised and trained for the dog shows, for
hunting, retrieving, and have many years of dog sledding with teams. If you
have raised a dog, and done the preparation right, they will learn with 4 or
less repetitions, usually less. More is required if they need to
see how determined you are - an ego battle. Or if you are working against
them. If they need 80 or so repetitions, as suggested, something is very
much off.
Raised with love and affection, a dog will try to anticipate what you want.
They will watch your eyes. Not only is the dog communicating with you
though body language, but this works the other way around too.
> 3) Can a better understanding of brain function and the biological
> nature of learning help in the design of instruction, no matter the
> technology?
By watching the collaboration and intercommunications of animals I think it
is possible to enhance the learning process. By forgetting or ignoring the
group aspect of applying wisdom to the solving of common problems - and by
focusing on the individual, I think we have left our tool bag very empty,
teachers very frustrated, the students bored to tears, and everyone
searching for pseudo-magical answers (technology?).
See Ravens and Swallows (usual enemies) chase a Great Horned Owl out of
their territory. How do Coyotes learn the language of Ravens? (With
computers, and years of research we are only beginning.)
>
> As background for the discussion, here is some contemporary biology-
> -some fact, some theory--that will serve to support the idea of
> considering learning to be a biological process.
Don't Buck the System
-by not trying to teach an animal - but by trying to communicate with them
in
their own language and with their own abilities. Here is one example:
Fat Albert, at 2,200 lbs (one Tonne) liked getting his own way. He
usually did. But he learned to neck rein and herd sheep and cows,
responding equally
to voice and neck commands, in just four sessions - 15 minutes each.
Secret - horses love to be bullies, and here, it was just learning by doing
Animal Genius
Over the years I have had many animals on the ranch - 37 different species
(together) at one time. There were less than five percent that were
geniuses at solving problems. Why - and what were
the differences in their breeding, upbringing, socialization, etc. ?
The short answer is the same as the one from a study of problem youths by
the Hospital For Sick Children in Toronto done with a world-wide sampling:
It is in the early stages of development.
>With the gigantic size of the human brain -
- I often ponder why it is that we do NOT learn, or why it takes so many
repetitions. Many animals not only learn much quicker, but their memory
retention is longer - even through many generations.
The near infallible memory system of animals -see "Bird Brains' on Discovery
Channel - is largely unexplored.
The evidence for this system in the human brain comes from watching TV.
Test Your Brain
Turn on a highly graphical program with emotional content and super music
(NYPD Blue, "Homicide" or an old movie). Within 5 to 15 seconds you know
that you watched the show before. How does the human brain store all this
vast amount of data? Why? -would be a more involved question. How we can
tap this memory system as instructional designers/teachers/tutors, etc., is
the $64,000 ?
Conclusion:
By ignoring the integrationist, holistic aspects of applied knowledge in a
collaborative environment we are fighting the natural, biological learning
systems.
Future Questions:
How many other species are we trying to learn from or with? How can we put
these wisdoms into a 'technological setting?
Other questions I ask myself are: How did the animals learn to do psychic
communication with me ? Do they do so with others in their 'family'? What
role does this play in their learning? Are we doing this with our students?
Note:
After doing a few 'right brain' exercises, I start going for walks thru the
bush without my dogs. Whenever I felt 'drawn' to an area, I would go. Here
I would find someone wrapped in twine, in birthing difficulties, etc. I was
not aware of this for my first few years on the farm. So who learned here?
The Animals, me, or all of us together? Maybe the Old People who hunted
with what we call 'magic' today, used the wisdom of the Animals.
WOW!
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