As Universities in the Developed World see more students signing up to online programs and fewer people walking through the doors of massive lecture halls, these establishments are changing; albeit slower than Dan would like. And these changes will eventually filter down through High Schools and lower. The Universities presumably will begin to value "technology skills" and "higher metacognitive applications" more and more. They will be expecting "schools" to teach collaborative techniques and produce under-grads who know how to use all the 21st century tools at their disposal. They will increasing seek social constructivist education as a paramount tool for learning.
So... look up fellow educators... if you are reading this blog then you are already "ahead of the pack"! Give yourself a pat on the back but be careful not to fall behind. There is no limit to learning and neither should there be!!!
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Hi there--first off, thanks for sharing the video. It certainly got me thinking!
ReplyDeleteAlthough his presentation is excellent, I'm not sure his analysis holds up. Certainly information is cheaper to acquire than it ever has been, and facts are easier to find than in years past... but I disagree that the value of information is going down. It's partly a semantic question about 'value'--he's interpreting value as being about monetary cost, and I'm interpreting it more broadly.
He also seems to think that the point of learning about facts is to memorize those facts, and that facts are therefore worthless in a world where always-on internet access makes facts easily accessible from anywhere. But what he might not yet see is that exposure has value--it gives you breadth of experience that may hold value in areas you'd never think to search.
Dan is right that the lecture-based instruction he received is, well, boring and slow... but I think he's wrong about why. It's not the fact (heh) that he was taught about facts that's the problem--it's that he was never encouraged to wrestle with them, personalize his knowledge, and use it for anything. Nothing wrong with facts--it's disconnected learning that's the problem.
You're points are well put. I totally agree that facts are part and parcel of learning but shouldn't be the only goal.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying our course because it forces us to see the value in all the theories, since there is value in behaviorism even if some of the practices are out-of-date.
I totally back Dan's ideas that institutionalized learning needs to move on quicker. Big group lectures without follow-up reflection or collaboration should go the way of the dinosaur.
On a personal note, I know you're in Group 1 and I'm in 2 but if you have the time I'd love for you to take a look at some of my discussion points and see if you have anything to add or to get me thinking about.
Note to self: learn how to embed video!
You both hit the nail right on the head. Education needs to evolve to catch up with technology. I am seeing such an emphasis on "hand on learning" today, it is what employers want, experience. Of course there are some topics that are so lecture based that the "hands on" aspect is difficult to incorporate. As an effective instructional designer we need to develop strategies to make "boring" material interesting.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, not only does education need to evolve but so do teachers/instructors. I work in education at the college level. I am responsible for placing the right instructors in the right course so student’s educational experience will be all that it can be. I have hired instructors that are from "traditional" colleges, 9 times out of 10 they are not successful because they are from an old teaching model which is: I talk, you listen, take notes, and do the homework. Instructors will need to be more dynamic and hands on with the students and motivate them to succeed. Furthermore, technology is moving at such a rapid pace that the hands on aspect of learning is playing a larger role. Instructors need to realize this and catch up if they need to. Maybe it’s more about the teaching style of educators as opposed to the theories they believe in.
Justin
Justin,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts. My grandfather used to have a saying "Those who can do, and those who can't - teach." Thank goodness he never lived to see my chosen career path.
It still annoys me when I hear people say that but, unfortunately, my experience tells me that sometimes that's true.
One day a horribly abusive parent once said to me "I don't know why you're getting so upset, it's nothing personal." Then I knew that he would never understand.
My passion is teaching. I love it and I'd never want to do anything else. In fact if I won millions and didn't have to work, I think I'd still miss it and want to get back to it.
Anyone who truly enjoys their job will want to learn how to make their best of it.
SO I agree, we need to learn about all aspects of teaching and learning, not just theory.