May 15, 2009
The Somewhat Blind Guiding Sense of Open Education
I guess I do not like the word “studio” for a classroom because it takes away from the seriousness of the value in education. I have practiced experiential learning in my instruction for 20 years, so I understand the advantages that Web 2.0 brings to the dynamics of driving the learning environment. I just wonder if we are rushing away from some of the tried and true instructional pieces that might be worthwhile to hang on to and/or adapt. Our quick shifting here and there because of technology is making the past phenomenal efforts in education seem trivial, unappreciated, and almost repulsive. Yet, it occurs to me that educators today were born out of that system, in that, they actually represent the quality choices “traditional” teachers made in helping my generation form our values, learning strengths, personal productive initiatives, and abilities to grow as an enlightened driven generation. Why do I see so many of my peers bashing our past for their own personal gains?
Another point about this supposed new “collectiveness and cooperation” through Web 2.0 bothers me. Yes, bring us together on the internet and on the Web. Never the less, this also leads to a type of social isolation and loss of physical identity. Not only that, but it defines a different kind of class system making even more of a distinction between the “haves” and the “have nots”. I personally feel, as usual, the “haves” are gaining and, in their inequities of thought, they are forcing to isolate the “have nots” who are becoming a much larger class. This is historically the way innovation works. Even still, if we are advocating that technology and changes in open education are bringing us ALL together in some special way, I think we are blinding ourselves to the fact that, in general, only a small majority of the world’s population have been able to stay up with us and therein lies the lack of social contract, not the birth of it.
MEM said,
May 24, 2009 at 7:09 PM
I must also point out that a studio is a very serious place for exploration and creation. When I think of a studio I think of a place where possibilities exist. I think of a bright, cheerful place that allows me to really think. When I think of a classroom I think of a stuffy room where students must be compliant. The words we use illustrate our vision for education.
Geoff Cain said,
May 18, 2009 at 5:39 PM
Okay, you pushed my blither button – I have a lot to say about your thought-provoking post!
“I guess I do not like the word “studio” for a classroom because it takes away from the seriousness of the value in education.”
Can’t a studio be serious? Maybe “studio” implies creativity and experimentation which can be as useful to learning as a lecture.
I have been in good and bad offline classes as well as good and bad online courses. I think the means is different but maybe not the method. I am looking at some research this week that ties online interactivity with class retention and success. The “tried and true” may not always translate well online. Things like project based learning can be really successful in online courses.
“Never the less, this also leads to a type of social isolation and loss of physical identity.”
I wrote a little about this in my review of Hubert Dreyfus’ book “On The Internet” here: http://rccs.usfca.edu/bookinfo.asp?ReviewID=262&BookID=222
An Amazon review I wrote was quoted somewhere else here:
“Many of us can tell stories like the one Geoffrey Cain tells in an Amazon.com review of On the Internet: “I took one of Dreyfus’ classes at Berkeley as an undergraduate and I never got to talk to him; there was no face to face learning.” Cain ironically advises, “If you want to feel like a ‘disembodied presence’ go take a class at Berkeley as an undergrad.” Except for a few Ivy League schools, American universities have never offered the British tutorial model in which students come to a professor’s office to explain what they know about a topic and to be questioned as junior colleagues. ” I think this is important because the tutoring and mentoring model is something that is nearly impossible in this country in a face-to-face college – the schools just are not set up for it – yet it is a “tried and true” method that can be reclaimed via social networking.