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Weighing In
Can We Trust Students to Learn in Web 2.0?
6/4/2008
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Loss of Control
The fear of loss of control has always led educators toward "one-step" teaching: "If we want students to learn properly, we have to tell them what is right" -- rather than the more optimistic "two-step" learning: "If we want students to learn, we have to let them discover for themselves within a learning structure we've created for them." The first approach allows us to define what we "cover" in teaching, the second relies on a belief that learners can be trusted to do the right thing, given a well-thought-out learning design.
Gather by the Woodstove
Our 10-month-old grandson was at our house last week to spend the day. We gave him toys designed for his age, many of which he likes and spends time with. But his real fascination is with our fireplace and the wood stove insert. He wants to touch the metal, the glass window, and the handles. He likes to see his reflection in the glass, to hear the boing sound of the handles when he pulls them and then releases them, and to explore the ash-catching metal lip.
We debate with ourselves: He could so easily get hurt if he slips and bumps his head on the hard edges but at the same time he is curious and engaged in discovery. We don't have as much control over the outcome of his fireplace exploration as we'd like, but we don't want to dampen his curiosity. Does he learn as much useful information by exploring the fireplace as by playing with shape-matching toys?
Or, a third possibility, the real lesson for him may be that he can learn from any exploration of the world: He's learning about learning. He's discovering that the world is fascinating. We guide him and keep him safe and so he is free to explore. Now he's heading for the CD player...
Are We Qualified and Ready to use Web 2.0?
What lessons can students learn by their exploration of Web 2.0? Is there a way to guide learning in Web 2.0 that enhances domain-specific learning? Can we trust students to learn the right things when we send them to the Web to do an assignment?
Recommended Reading
- Georgia Tech Helps Develop Web-based Tool To Improve Blood Supply
The Georgia Tech College of Computing, working in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has developed a Web-based tool for tracking blood safety. The program is expected to help developing countries improve the adequacy and safety of their national blood supplies through better monitoring and evaluation.
- Mississippi State Implements Reflex Virtual Management Center
Mississippi State University has implemented Reflex VMC (Virtual Management Center) from Reflex Systems. The application allows IT administrators to monitor a virtual infrastructure and enforce business and IT policies.
- Stanford Law School Launches IP Litigation Clearinghouse
The Law, Science & Technology Program at Stanford Law School has launched the Intellectual Property Litigation Clearinghouse (IPLC), an online database that offers comprehensive information about intellectual property (IP) disputes within the United States.
- Texas A&M Health Science Center Adopts Banner Administrative Management
The Texas A&M Health Science Center has selected the Banner Unified Digital Campus (UDC) from Sungard Higher Education to help unify its geographically-dispersed community and to enhance and expand services and communications to its growing student enrollment.
- NCCC: Data Cleansing Key To Managing Growth
Community colleges are in a good spot in some ways during the economic downturn, as tight family budgets drive up the appeal of the community college option. But along with the rest of higher education, most community colleges also face shrinking IT budgets and tighter resources. That makes it that much harder to handle the growing enrollment numbers that some community colleges are seeing.
- Finjan: Layoffs Could Drive IT People To Become Cyber-Criminals
Security vendor Finjan predicts that the current economic downturn could herald a sharp rise in cybercrime during 2009--driven by the rise in the number of IT people being laid off. According to a report from the company's Malicious Code Research Center (MCRC), more unemployed IT personnel will be tempted to seek "new and easy income by purchasing and using crimeware toolkits that are sold by professional hackers."
