Martin Owen (t.m.owen@bangor.ac.uk)
Thu, 26 Nov 1998 18:55:37 +0000
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 18:55:37 +0000 From: Martin Owen <t.m.owen@bangor.ac.uk> Subject: Re: [ifets] Old vrs. New Technology
In regard to Bob Leamson's comments:
"Learning comes from within the learner".
1) I recommend a reading of the neiro biloogists Umberto Maturana and
Enrico Varela. There is chemical difference between knowing and unknowing
in a human brain, between a brain that is with a body that has one set of
experiences and a body that has had a different set of experineces. What
makes the difference in knowing-ness is the action within the world. M & V
describe the process f interactions of organisms with their environment as
"structural coupling". reading "The Tree of Knowedge", which is about the
evolution of cognition is one of the world's best reaads (IMHO).
2) There is clear evidence that that knowing in the world has a clutural
historic ontology. The society which you are in provides you with the
rules, language, division of labour and tools with which you act on the
world. Knowing-ness is ditributed amongst that environment. The rules,
language division of labour and tools emcompass the learning technologies
available to us. You actions in the world are through these elements. In a
sense your cognition is distributed though thes elements. Another good read
is "Distributed Cognitions" ed G Soloman and particularly the first chapter
by Engestom & Coles.
Technological Determinism and being "theoretical" (mainly Chris)
3) Thinking about how we use tools and technology needs to transcend
cognitivism: that humans are autonomous thinking machines and that
mental-ity is an intra-person "thing", and needs to transcend technological
determinism. We need to breakdown the material dialectic and the cartesian
dualism (although Descartes can feel a bit libelled). Thus far most planned
interventions in the application of learning technologies have implicitly
or explicitly drawn on highly positivistic visions of both education and
cognitive sciences. the traditional-rationalist approach needs exposing and
questionning because it does form the underlying basis for the belief
system in many instructional designers. If I wanted to be cruel I would say
GI-GO (and thus criticise most of my own work).
If being technologically determinist implies that we live in a world shaped
by our use of language and tool, I am a determinist. If being
technologically deerminist means that when the subject acts on an object,
the subject itself is also transformed, then I am a technologically
determinst. however this is a bit more complex than the messages of Comte,
Ellul and even Marx. it is not "technology first" but a seamless web
between subject and object changing the environment , chaging the coupling
between the subject and the environment.
4) Does this reach the classroom? . does it change our institutions?...
only if we make it. Another good read therefore is "Understanding Computers
and Cognition" by Winograd and Flores. The book takes a tour of some of the
ideas expressed above ( although the Engestrom & Coles stuff comes later)
and ends up disussing the design of software. The Solomon book has
classroom examples.
5) My current project draws heavily on these ideas ... our motto is "When
we create new tools we create new conversation" which comes from W & F. As
a cross reference to another set of postings. REM will release a IMS based
resource index and sharing tool inthe next couple of months which will be
available on the IMS website. This tool will be able to make use of
any(!@!) metadata set you through at it and allow for community augmented
metadata.
Richard's points on passivity and kids liking CMC:
6) There is litle that a human does that is passive (including whatching
the tv). All requires interpretation which is an active process . I agree
however that what we do is what we do, and that to only act when all is
understood is an unattainable goal. Understanding does not come from
watching a tv that has no pictures on it. Understanding only comes through
action. It is impossible to know the value of ICT in education in advance
of using ICT in education.
Peter... how true... collaborative learning is great... its just getting
the other people to do it is the problem.
Martin
Martin Owen
T.M.Owen@bangor.ac.uk
Director, Project REM
School of Education Yr Ysgol Addysg
University of Wales, Bangor Prifysgol Cymru, Bangor
Normal Site Safle'r Normal
Holyhead Rd Ffordd Caergybi
Bangor Bangor
Gwynedd
LL57 2PX
Voice/Llais +44 1248 382 943
Fax/Ffacs +44 1248 38 36 40
URL: http://weblife.bangor.ac.uk/rem/rem.html
REM is a EC DGXIII Telematics Education and Training Project
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"Technology is nothing more or less than a natural phase of the creative
process which engaged man from the moment he forged his first tool and
began to transform the world for its humanization"
Paulo Freire : Cultural Action for Freedom
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