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Nathan Balasubramanian's Response to Assignment 1 Read the article Fischer, G. (1998) "Making Learning a Part of Life-Beyond the 'Gift-Wrapping' Approach of Technology." Notes from 6/96 NSF Symposium on Learning and Intelligent Systems, available at: http://l3d.cs.colorado.edu/presentations/gf-wlf/ Briefly discuss the following issues: 1.1 What did you find interesting about the article? • The author articulating the importance of “lifelong learning” by extending the scope of a fundamental human question “what is learning?” • Pointing out limitations of existing theories and paradigms of teaching and learning with a call to transcend “gift-wrapping” approaches that use technology • The role of distributed cognition in drawing and recognizing the contribution of users • Presenting system breakdowns as “opportunities” instead of “failures.” 1.2 What did you find not interesting about the article? Although I cannot disagree with anything stated in the article, I had a question: • How does one find perennial resources to sustain an evolutionary model of domain-oriented intelligent systems? For example, www.AskMe.com used to be a great evolving FREE resource for people around the world to share our human fund of knowledge – everything currently known by humanity about domain-specific knowledge. The company slogan was “Great Answers from Real People.” Thanks to The Internet Archive www.archive.org, we can see this transformation by clicking on the dates Feb. 24, 2001 and Jan. 18, 2002 after typing in www.askme.com in The Internet Archive's WayBackMachine. What a difference 1 year can make! 2. What do you consider the main message of the article? In my view, the main message of this article is highlighting • A lack of coherent approach to study and promote “lifelong learning” • A need to move away for instructionist approaches to facilitate real learning • That the primary impediments to learning are motivational and not cognitive – “It is not that students cannot learn; it is that they are not well motivated to learn” • The goal of lifelong learning as bridging and reducing the gap between school and workplace learning – How can schools prepare learners “to function in environments requiring collaboration, creativity, problem framing, and distributed cognition?’ • The importance of “problem framing” and unlearning • That real world problems do not have right or wrong answers but “instead must be solved by satisfying objectives that are most important for that situation.” 3. Click on one of the words in blue and see what happens? Takes the user to a “Glossary of Terms” page that briefly describes some of the jargon used in the “domain-oriented design environments.” 3.1 Is this feature useful? Yes, because it helps the users see how these words are used in this context 3.2 In which other situations have you encountered this feature? These are commonly found on the Web with hyperlinked pages, where a reader can find more information if they choose to and want to. 4. Write a paragraph about how Skinner, Piaget, Papert, Illich, Vygotsky, and Dewey have contributed to a deeper understanding of learning? My interests are primarily K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and improving students' school-wide achievement through the design of interactive learning environments – referred to as games because of their unique features that could be used to help direct, facilitate, and assess students’ STEM learning. These interests have influenced my thinking on what in my view are important contributions of these people (Skipped reading 4.2 and ended up doing all, sorry) Contribution to Learning - Skinner, B. F. (1904 – 1990): Skinner’s designs of “teaching machines and programmed instruction” in response to teachers’ daily challenge of responding to 20-30 students in a classroom is commendable. The idea of using adaptive help, less and less help as students’ performance improved in carefully sequenced steps to master domain knowledge is also good. However, what Skinner’s designs could not achieve was motivate learners, and he surely didn’t have access to technologies that are currently available. Contribution to Learning - Piaget, J. (1896 – 1980): Piaget’s most significant contributions from his extensive empirical studies include: children don’t think like adults, learning is constructed through a progression of developmentally appropriate student actions, interactions, and activities; learning is provoked by situations through a process of adaptation – assimilation (existing cognitive structures) and accommodation (changing cognitive structures) whereas development of knowledge in children is spontaneous. Contribution to Learning - Papert, S. (1928 – ): Papert recognizes that best learning is learning that is embraced and enjoyed. Learning happens best when one is engaged in hard fun and challenging activities, like playing or creating computer or video games. Besides, Papert actively promotes ideas that empower children in controling their own learning processes – for instance the use of laptops schoolwide to encourage learning. Contribution to Learning - Illich, I. (1926 – 2002): Like Papert, Illich argued that for learning to take place, there must be easy and immediate access to resources, individuals eager to share knowledge with willing learners, and opportunities for people to disseminate their thoughts and reasoning to society freely. Contribution to Learning - Vygotsky, L. (1896 – 1934): Vygotsky contributions include: learners are not educated but learners educate themselves; students learn from their social environment and the role of the teacher is largely directing and guiding this environment; the need for constant collaboration between students and teachers for learning. Contribution to Learning - Dewey, J. (1859 – 1952): Dewey’s extensive contributions include: pioneering a systematic design-based model of studying teaching and learning to dispel its mystical or ad hoc nature; developing a habit of learning – learning to learn; learning is learning to think; importance of apperceptive material (assimilating new material with existing prior knowledge) that relates directly to learners own experience; highlighting a need for active engagement; and situatedness of all learning. 5. Identify one website (and mention the URL) which you consider interesting and relevant for “learning!” Write a one paragraph justification! I found the website of Thirteen/WNET New York very interesting, particularly the Thirteen Ed Online http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/ I believe that students’ learning is catalyzed largely by what their teachers and parents model and teach. I concluded with similar thoughts during a Discussion Topic in TalkBack at Education Week (registration required, but FREE) “U.S. Math and Science Skills: Improving, or Not?” http://www.edweek.org/tb/2004/12/14/82.html this past December. Thirteen Ed Online offers Concept to Classroom, a FREE online series of “professional development workshops covering important and timely topics in education” http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/index.html This indispensable resource includes explanations, demonstrations, exploration, and implementation links for teachers and parents, who in their turn might significantly influence student learning. Nathan Balasubramanian References Dewey, J. (1929). The sources of a science of education. New York: H. Liveright. Dewey, J. (1998). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Dewey, J. (1936). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: Macmillan. Illich, I. (1971). Deschooling society. New York: Harper & Row. Papert, S. (1996). The connected family: Bridging the digital generation gap. Atlanta, GA: Longstreet Press. Papert, S. (1998, June). Soapbox: Does easy do it? Children, games, and learning. Game Developer, 88. Wadsworth, B. J. (1978). Piaget for the classroom teacher. New York: Longman. Skinner, B. F. (1958). Teaching machines. Science, 128(3330), 969-977. Vygotsky, L. (1997). Educational psychology. Boca Raton, FL: St. Lucie Press.
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