Mike Collett (mike@collett.demon.co.uk)
Thu, 26 Nov 1998 10:15:21 -0000
From: "Mike Collett" <mike@collett.demon.co.uk> Subject: Re: [ifets] still more tomorrows Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 10:15:21 -0000
Bob wrote
>Because some technology is used to facilitate learning does not mean that
it caused it.
I agree that attributing cause is not simple and I also partly agree when
Bob says
>I'm convinced that the cause of learning resides within the learner.
It is important to consider the learner at the centre, but learning takes
many forms. Stimulus response is undeniable if not the whole answer
electric shock leads to salivating dog
sexy image leads to increased sales
stimulating interactive material can increase motivation which affects
learning
I would suggest that Pavlov's dogs learning had more to do with the
application of technology (and their basic need for food manipulated by
Pavlov) than it did with the dog as autonomous learner.
Bob also said
>In my opinion it makes no difference at all what technology they use.
Here I have to disagree. I may be deconstructing and reconstructing in a way
not intended and I can see that learning can take place whatever the
technology. To suggest that the quality of that learning is never affected
is nonsense.
If a technology affects the process and outcomes of learning then surely
there is some form of effect that relies upon that technology for its
causality even if it has to be mediated by the learner in a similar way to
the mediation for other technologies. (sorry - that is a really horrible
sentence)
Two extremes
I have seen children with special needs being creative and communicating
where the learning process is almost wholly dependent upon newish
techologies.
Students have laboured with research requiring manual calculations with
pencils or more recently waited several days for a computer response to a
punched tape program. Technology allows these things to be done much more
quickly and at a different level, with visual and animated outcomes not just
rows of numbers, this affects both the quantity and quality of research and
learning.
You could say it makes no difference what form of transport technology you
use as the important thing is the spiritual journey and getting to your
destination. We can all travel and the traveller is essentially the body
moving from one place to another whichever technology you use.
Next week I am attending the LTSC meeting in Cupertino and I will be using
the most appropriate form of technology that is available and affordable for
my needs. It is not Concorde, Space Shuttle, hot air balloon nor canoe.
New forms of technology may allow the learner access to new learning
'places' and the quality of the journey can be very different.
Technology also offers a greater variety of tools beyond pencil, paper and
words. Learners can make a video, a web page, animations or even take part
in an email forum with people from other countries who they will probably
never have the opportunity to meet.
creative tools support participative learning
To observe technologies that enable young children to collaborate to create
their own multimedia report of a class field trip and to communicate the
outcomes to their communtiy (also to children in another country or publish
it to the world via the web and receive global responses to it) makes it
hard for me to believe that it
"makes no difference at all what technology they use"
Cheers
Mike 7:-D people are the network
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