If education switched to an online-based format, where students use traditional facilities when and as required, and *only* when and as required, then education would be PEANUTS. It would also be extremely efficient with respect to learning time. It's actually quite incredible how much time we spend pissing around with rituals rather than *actually* learning in an institutional format - that is, learning as measured by actual developmental changes in the brain.
In fact: With a flexible online format, people could and should learn on the job - naturally learning what they need to learn as they need to learn it, for their professional progress. They would also learn far better like this, because the truth is we don't really "learn what we learn" until we work with what we learn in a real way: until then, it all just floats like meaningless information and facts in our heads. Our education systems really are just the most incredible dinosaurs. They only exist by cultural and political privilege - they should have mostly dies with the advent of the Internet.
@A D Atkin I totally agree with you, we are at a point where technology could drastically reduce the cost of education as well as many ancillary costs that are associated with education, like travel costs and the like. Most college courses incorporate some kind of online element already it wouldn't be a hard transition. But as you pointed out we are too enamored with what we think education should look like rather than what it could be. So many more people could have access to education if we adopted a different model it is a shame.
I completly agree with @A D Atkin. Most people go to undergrad school or graduate school thinking that the title will get them a better job, not the knowledge they learn.
If education switched to an online-based format, where students use traditional facilities when and as required, and *only* when and as required, then education would be PEANUTS. It would also be extremely efficient with respect to learning time. It's actually quite incredible how much time we spend pissing around with rituals rather than *actually* learning in an institutional format - that is, learning as measured by actual developmental changes in the brain.
ReplyDeleteIn fact: With a flexible online format, people could and should learn on the job - naturally learning what they need to learn as they need to learn it, for their professional progress. They would also learn far better like this, because the truth is we don't really "learn what we learn" until we work with what we learn in a real way: until then, it all just floats like meaningless information and facts in our heads. Our education systems really are just the most incredible dinosaurs. They only exist by cultural and political privilege - they should have mostly dies with the advent of the Internet.
A D Atkin
I always wanted to study at UCLA. I was very qualified academically but never got admitted because I could not afford it.
ReplyDelete@A D Atkin I totally agree with you, we are at a point where technology could drastically reduce the cost of education as well as many ancillary costs that are associated with education, like travel costs and the like. Most college courses incorporate some kind of online element already it wouldn't be a hard transition. But as you pointed out we are too enamored with what we think education should look like rather than what it could be. So many more people could have access to education if we adopted a different model it is a shame.
ReplyDeleteI completly agree with @A D Atkin. Most people go to undergrad school or graduate school thinking that the title will get them a better job, not the knowledge they learn.
ReplyDeleteNW