Christopher Eliot (eliot@cs.umass.edu)
Sun, 29 Nov 1998 07:50:52 -0500 (EST)
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 07:50:52 -0500 (EST) From: Christopher Eliot <eliot@cs.umass.edu> Subject: Re: [ifets] BpbLeamnson/Technology and learning
Why ignore the obvious?
Teachers cannot cause, but only facilitate learning.
It is a feedback loop.
Why do people describe the limitations of technology without
acknowledging that humans have the same limitations?
When it is written that "technology cannot XXX" I read an implication
that "humans can XXX". Am I wrong to think that this is implied?
If I am correct that this implication was intended, then why do
people think that humans can cause learning while technology cannot
cause learning?
Or, am I the only one who thinks that the student is a more important
factor in learning than the teacher, regardless of whether the teacher
is human or computer?
-Chris Eliot
On Fri, 27 Nov 1998 ATSJU@garthdee1.rgu.ac.uk wrote:
> Glad to see Bob Leamnson is still stirring things up.
>
> I am sure most people would agree with him that technology cannot
> cause,but only facilitate learning.
>
> Learning, in any context - personal, organisational or machine learning
> - is dependent on feedback.
>
> It is a feedback loop.
>
> Technology provides the loop.
>
> Someone else has to provide the feedback.
>
> Too often, student centred learning is a euphemism for learning without
> feedback, and this discriminates against those without an
> academic/professional background to provide what is missing from the
> learning environment.
>
> PS
> Thanks to contributors of all the useful information about new
> developments sent in this week. I am particularly interested in hearing
> from anyone involved in using IMS, LearnLink or on-line whiteboarding of
> the kind used by Mark Guzdial at Georgia Tech I would be keen to here
> from them, either here,or at my own email on < j.ure@rgu.ac.uk >
>
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Christopher R. Eliot, Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate
Center for Knowledge Communication, Department of Computer Science
University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003. (413) 545-4248 FAX: 545-1249
ELIOT@cs.umass.edu, <http://www.cs.umass.edu/~eliot/>
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