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elearnspaceAdiosEdTech.Holasomethingelse.

elearnspace
AdiosEdTech.Holasomethingelse.
Ivebeeninvolvedineducationaltechnologysincethelate1990swhenIwasatRedRiverCollegeand
involvedindeployingthefirstlaptopprograminCanada.Sincethattime,Ivebeeninvolvedinmany
technologydeploymentsinlearningandinresearchingthosedeployments.Somehavebeensystemslevel
likealearningmanagementsystem.Othershavebeenmoredecentralizedandunstructuredlikeblogs,
wikis,andsocialmedia.
ButthereissomethingdifferentintheedtechspacetodaythanwhatIhaveexperiencedinthepast.Most
ofmycareerhasinvolvedusingtechnologytohelppeoplegetbetteraccesstolearningresourcesand
materials,tobetterconnectwitheachother,tobetteraccessformaleducation,andtoimprovetheirteaching
practicesandpedagogies.Ivebeenfortunatetojourneywithtalentedfolks:GrainneConole,Stephen
Downes,DaveCormier,MartinWeller,DraganGasevic,ShaneDawson,CarolynRose,DavidWiley,
RyanBaker,andmanymanyothers.Atsomelevelweallsharedagoalthatfairness,justice,andequity
underpintheroleofeducationinsocietyandthatbyenablingaccesstolearningandimprovingthethe
qualityoflearning,wewerehelpingtoimprovethelivesoflearnersandofsocietymorebroadly.
Sometimesthismeanthelpingpeopletodevelopdigitalskillstofindnewjobsortransitionintonewroles.
Sometimesitmeantconnectingpeopleeagertocollaboratewithothersfromaroundtheworld.Sometimes
itwasaboutrightingawrongorinjustice.Regardlessofwhetherthegoalwasfindingajobordeveloping
newmindsets,myfocuswasalwaysonthelearner,onthehuman.
Emergingtechnologytodaydepartsfrommypreviousvisionofimprovingthehumancondition.Through
AI/MachineLearning,weareconstantlyhearingthattechnologyisbecomingmorehumanandbecoming
morecapableofjudgementsthatweoncethoughtwereourdomain.Ineducationthough,theoppositeis
happening:educationaltechnologyisnotbecomingmorehumanitismakingthehumana
technology.Insteadofimprovingteachingandlearning,todaystechnologyrewritesteachingandlearning
tofunctionaccordingtoaverynarrowspectrumofsingle,decontextualizedskills.
Twoarticlesthispastweekcrystallizedmythinking.First,SebastianThrun,inanEconomistarticle,
states:BECAUSEoftheincreasedefficiencyofmachines,itisgettingharderandharderforahumanto
makeaproductivecontributiontosociety.Ifthatistrue,whyishisstartuptryingtoteachhumans?Why
notdropthehumanteachingthingaltogetherandjustdevelopalgorithmsformakingthestatedproductive
contributiontosociety?Healsodetailsnanodegreeswhichareessentiallywhatweinacademiahavetodate
calledcertificates.Perhapswecancallthemnanorobocertificates.Makingupwordsisfunwhenmedia
attentionispetitioned.MostdiscouragingaboutthisisthatIvemetSebastianandheisafriendly,caring,
deeplymotivatedperson.TheThrunofmediadoesntalignwiththethoughtfulThruninperson.
ThesecondarticlefocusedonKnewton.JoseFereirrastatesthisrobottutorcanessentiallyreadyour
mind.IvemetJoseonnumerousoccasions.Hesbright,charismatic,andappearstogenuinelycareabout
improvinglearning.Hisrhetoricdoesntalignwiththerealchallengesofeducationwherecognitive
capabilityaloneisasmallfactorinlearnersuccess.Robottutorswillnotmakepersonalizedlearningeasy.
Learningiscontextual,social,andinvolveswholepersondynamics.Inthepast,IvestatedthatKnewtonis
theonlyedtechcompanywithGooglelikepotential.Thatislikelystillthecase,butImnolonger
convincedthatthisisagoodthing.
BothUdacityandKnewtonrequirethehuman,thelearner,tobecomeatechnology,tobecomeacomponent
withintheirwellarchitectedsoftwaresystem.Sitandclick.Sitandclick.Somuchoflearninginvolves
decisionmaking,developingmetacognitiveskills,exploring,findingpassion,takingperipheralpaths.
Automationtreatsthepersonasanobjecttowhichthingsaredone.Thereisnoreasontothink,noreason
togothroughthevaluableconfusionprocessoflearning,noneedtobeahuman.Simplyconsume.Simply
consume.Clickandbeknowledgeable.
Myframeworkfortechnologiesintheedtechspacenow,thosethatIfindempoweringforlearnersand
reflectiveofahumanandcreativeorientedfuture,includesfiveelements:
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2.
3.
4.
5.

elearnspaceAdiosEdTech.Holasomethingelse.

Doesthetechnologyfostercreativityandpersonalexpression?
Doesthetechnologydevelopthelearnerandcontributetoherformationasaperson?
Isthetechnologyfunandengaging?
Doesthetechnologyhavethehumanteacherand/orpeerlearnersatthecentre?
Doesthetechnologyconsiderthewholelearner?

Igothroughfiveyearcycles.Myearlyinterestwasinblogsandwikisinlearning.Thenmyattention
turnedtoconnectivismandnetworkedlearning.ThentoMOOCs.Andthentolearninganalytics.These
haveallbeenterrificexperiencesandImproudtohavebeenabletoworkwithleadingresearchersand
exceptionalstudents.Butitstimeforchange.Acuriousdisconnecthasbeenemerginginmythinking,one
thathasbeenmadeclearwiththehypeorientedbuzzwordsoftodaysedtechcompanies.Inolongerwant
tobeaffiliatedwiththetoolfetishofedtech.Itstimetosayadiostotechnosolutionismthatrecreates
peopleasagentswithinaprogrammedinfrastructure.
Overthelastseveralyears,mygrantsandresearchinterestshaveturnedtosomethingelse.Imnotsure
whattheunifyingthreadisathisstage.Partlyitsafocusonthewholeperson.Onempoweredstatesof
learning.Onmindfulness,complexity,integrativelearning,contemplativepractices,formativelearning,
creativity,making.ThedLRNgrantfocusesonconnectingresearcherswithstatesystemstoimprove
learningopportunitiesforunderrepresentedlearners.(btw,youreallyshouldjoinusatourconferenceat
StanfordinOctober).OurgrantwithSmartSparrowfocusesonmultipledimensionsoflearningsuccess
wheretheteacherremainscentralinthelearningexperience.OurprojectwithIntelinvolvesseveralpost
docsexploringhowpersonalizationcanbeimprovedinthelearningprocessbydevelopingagraphmodel
ofthelearnerthatconsiderscontextual,cognitive,social,andmetacognitivefactors.TwoofourNSF
grantsarefocusedonlanguageanddiscourseanalysisandusingbigdatatoexplorerolesthatlearners
adoptinvariouslyconfiguredknowledgespaces(Wikipedia,StackOverflow,andMOOCs).OurMRI
grantproducedareportondigitallearninganevaluationofhowtechnologiesfosterlearning,ratherthan
fosterroutineclicking.Thesearepromisingnarrativestothedehumanizingedtechnarratives.Others,such
asLumenLearning,DomainofOnesOwn,andCandaceThillesresearchonadaptivelearningare
similarlyadvancinghumanizingtechnologies.
Thesetransitionsinresearcharepartofabroaderagendathatwillhelp,atleastinLINKlab,tocreate
tools,technologies,andpedagogiesthatenablecreation,personalformation,engagement,fun,andjoy.Im
stillfleshingoutexactlywhatthiswilllooklikeoverthenextseveralyears.Obviouslytechnologywillbe
centralinthisprocess,butitwillbeonewheremindfulandappropriatelearningpracticesarepromoted.
Wheretechnologyhumanizesratherthanreducespeopletoalgorithmicandmechanicalpractices.Whatever
thisresearchagendabecomes,ImmoreexcitedforthefutureoftechnologyenabledlearningthanIhave
beeninmanyyears.
Thiswaswrittenbygsiemens.PostedonWednesday,
September9,2015,at7:18pm.FiledunderUncategorized.
Bookmarkthepermalink.FollowcommentsherewiththeRSS
feed.Bothcommentsandtrackbacksarecurrentlyclosed.

36Comments

1.

AndreaLymanwrote:
George,Howrefreshingtoread!Thankyou.Asateacherof11yearsandamotherIcaredeeply
abouteducationpresentlyandthefutureofeducationforourchildren.Soconcernedaboutthefocus
ontestingandthewaysomeeducationalprofessionalslookatstudentsasmeredata,Icreateda
learningplatformtoestablishandpreserveanauthentic,andmeaningfulapproachtolearning.We
canusetechnologytohelpfacilitateourdeliveryofinstruction.Weusecontemporarymusic,video
clips,artworkandotherformsofmediatohookstudentsattentionandactivelyengagethemin
creativeandcriticalthinkingactivities(studentcentered,oldfashionedwritinganddiscussion).
Technologyisagreattool,however,thepowerandpotentialofthehumanbrainisfarsuperiorasit
isconnectedtoourheartsandsoulsitisthatconnectionthatmakeshumanssoAMAZING!
Pleasecheckoutourwork!Wewouldloveyourfeedback!

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Wednesday,September9,2015at10:06pm|Permalink
2.

TutaleniI.Asinowrote:
IdontrememberthelasttimeIreadsomethingthatmovemetoleaveacomment.Itsthehola
somethingelsethatIvebeeninterestedinforawhileandnottheshinnynewobjectsthatdistracts
usfromseeingeachother.IthinkWevedehumanizededucationatalllevelsandImhappytosee
takepartinaconversationthatrefocuses.
Wednesday,September9,2015at10:30pm|Permalink

3.

JayCrosswrote:
George,Ishareyouruneasinessandhavebeguntofocusonhumanisticlearning(eventhough
nobodyisgoingtofundmeever.IthinkSTEMisshortsigthed.)
WevebeenjoustingsimilarwindmillssinceyouspokeateLearningForumin2000(innovation.A
remoteparticipant!).RedRiverCollege.Lotsofwateroverthedamsince.
MylasttriptotheStanfordcampusbummedmeout.http://www.internettime.com/2015/05/future
ofeducation2020summit/
Thoughtleadersnotthinking
SoImtakinganewtack,too.Tryingtoempowerpeopletolearnontheirownwithouttopdown
BS,theGatesFoundation,theNSF,analyticsgroups,MOOCs,orotherprops.
JFDI.Experienceisthebestteacher.Institutionsalwayswanttocontrolit.
YouknowIliveinBerkeleyalthoughourmeetingshavebeeninDelhi,Barcelona,andBerln.My
philosophyinanutshell:Powertothepeople.
http://bit.ly/1MPKRZ4
Wednesday,September9,2015at11:42pm|Permalink

4.

RobinGoodwrote:
HiGeorge,wishyouallthebestforthenewfocuscycleandIamtotallyinalignmentwithyour
considerationsabouttheneedforamoreactivehumanroleinthelearningprocessvs.atechnology
drivenone.
Lookforwardtoit.
Thursday,September10,2015at12:57am|Permalink

5.

Stevenwrote:
HiGeorge,greatstuff.
Wheretechnologyhumanizesratherthanreducespeopletoalgorithmicandmechanicalpractices.
>thisisgoingtobeaninterestingpointintimeindeed.
Thursday,September10,2015at3:30am|Permalink

6.

JonathanWorthwrote:
ThankyouforthisMrSiemens,itwouldhavebeenawonderfultalktohavegivenatALTcthis
year.ItlookslikewhenyouposteditIwaskeynotingwithatalkaskingustoseizeachancetobea
strongvoiceinwhat[ed]technologycomestomeanratherthanrushingtokeepupwithwhattech
does.ThereceptioncouldnothavebeenwarmerandImsurethatthesentimentsyousharehereare
sharedbymanyinthelearningtechcommunity.

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Thursday,September10,2015at6:23am|Permalink
7.

BarbaraThimmwrote:
Averythoughprovokingarticle.Iwholeheartedlyagreewiththedemandtoincludethewhole
personinthelearningprocess:learninghasthepotentialtofundamentallytransformthelearner,
beyondthemereconveyanceofwhatweusedtocallinformation.
Thecurrentanxietiesseemtomeakintoanxieties(andrealconcerns)abouttheintroductionof
machinesandtheriseoffactories.Theindustrialrevolutionwitnessedthecollaborationofmanand
machine,butmanwasatfirstdiminishedtoamerecogservingthemachines.Nowadayswethink
ofmachinesasfreeingman(orwoman,always)fromhardlabor,thusenablinghimtodohigher
orderwork,bemoreproductive&morecerebral.
Ibelievethatmindworkandlearningwillgothroughasimilarcycle(insomerespects).Thisisjust
thebeginningandthenature(egalitarian?),priorities(consumption?knowledge?wisdom?)and
concernsofthesocietyweliveinwilldeterminewhereitisgoing.
Thursday,September10,2015at7:19am|Permalink

8.

TomReeveswrote:
Thankyou,George,forsharingthesethoughtsandplans.Asyouknow,Ihavelonglamentedthe
focusonthingsratherthanproblemsineducationaltechnologyresearch,atopicIllbeaddressing
onceagainatthisyearsELearn2015conferenceinHawaiiwithmytalktitled:HerestheThing
orHerestheProblem?AReexaminationoftheFocusofELearningResearch.Giventhatthe
contentsofsomanyofourresearchjournalscontinuetobefullofthingorientedresearchpapers
ratherthanreportsofsociallyresponsibleresearchstudiesthatclearlyaddressserioushuman
problems(e.g.,whysomanychildrenenterkindergartenwithunbridledcuriosityandcreativity,but
losemuchofthesecharacteristicsafterafewyearsofschooling),IfeelsometimeslikeIamjust
whistlinginthewind.ImustadmitthatwhenIfirstsawtheheadlineofyourpost,Ithoughtyou
weregoingtogooffandbecomeacarpenteroranartist.Iwasrelievedtoreadthatyoullcontinue
toworkwithyourcolleaguesatUTAandelsewheretowardsolvingtheenormouschallengeswe
face.IhopeIcanhelpaswell.
Thursday,September10,2015at7:19am|Permalink

9.

JoekvanMontfortwrote:
MayIsuggestwehaveanotherlookatTwentythingstodowithacomputer(PapertandSolomon,
1971ftp://publications.ai.mit.edu/aipublications/pdf/AIM248.pdf).
HavealookatthethisisourmomentkeynoteofGaryStagerinViennaatConstructionism2014
(http://inventtolearn.com/moment/)
AndthenlistentoMitchResnickwhosexplainingWhyScratch?atlastAugustsAmsterdam
conference(scratch2015ams.org/live)
Thursday,September10,2015at7:48am|Permalink

10.

WillRichardsonwrote:
HeyGeorgejustwanttosayonceagainthanksforbeingoneofmybestteachersoverthelast
dozenyearsorso.(Hasitbeenthatlong???)
Forme,thehola,somethingelsehasbeenacirclingbacktolearning,towhatitis,towhatmakes
ithappen,towhatmakesitpowerful.Whatsoldaboutlearningiswhatsnew.Wevelostthat
emphasisinwhathavebecometeachercentricschoolswithteachercentrictools.Currentedtech
thinking,asyoupointout,willdolittletohelpmykidslearnalivingastheygrowolder.Who
wantsarobottutorthatforcesyoutolearnstuffthatyoudontcaretolearnbecauseitsinsome
standardizedcurriculumcreatedfor19thCenturyrealities?Sigh.

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Lookingforwardtowhatyouteachmenext,andhopeweconnectagainsoon.
Thursday,September10,2015at8:42am|Permalink
11.

MartinDougiamaswrote:
Moodlewasalwaystherehttps://docs.moodle.org/29/en/Pedagogy
Thursday,September10,2015at9:18am|Permalink

12.

StaceyClawsonwrote:
George,whatanimportantcalltoactionyouveofferedus.Itoohaveworkedindigitallearning
sincetheearly1990sAndyouarticulatedtheinherentconcernsthathavecreptintomymindinthe
last35yearsandIlladmitattimeseveninmyownwork.Butratherthanabandonourearlygoals,
weneedtocometogethertocreateastrongervoicefortechenabledwholepersonlearning.I
strugglewithhow.Illtryharder.
Thursday,September10,2015at9:51am|Permalink

13.

ZHIJIAMOUwrote:
DearDr.George,thankyouforsharingyourideaaboutedutech.Asyousaideducationaltechnology
isnotbecomingmorehuman,itismakingthehumanatechnology.Sometimeswearerestrictedby
thecurrenttechnologyfunctionwhenweconductinstructionwithtechnology.Weshouldhave
concentratedonleadingstudentstosucceedusingappropriatetechnologyinsteadoffocusingontech
itself.
Nowadays,oneoftheresearchorientationinedutachspaceseemstofocusonthewholepersonthat
youmentionedinyourblog.Variousresearchpracticesareprovingit,forinstance,weuseeye
trackingsystemtoknowaboutlearnersattentationandpreferenceweusebrainwavestoanalyze
learnersmentalactivity.weusediscoursetexttoanalyzelearnersattitudeandthinking.weregard
personsasamovingpointforthepurposeofanalyzinghisbehaviorandprobabilityevent.Allthese
practicesdisplaythatwearetryingtounderstandthewholepersonusingdiffernettech.Andonly
whenwegatheralltheinformationcollectedfromvariousaspectsoflearners,canweprovidethe
rightpersonalizedserviceforthelearners.Inthisregard,westillhavealongwaytogo.
Thursday,September10,2015at10:43am|Permalink

14.

BernardBUllwrote:
George,
Muchofwhatyouwritehere,anattentiontothehumansideofthings,iswhatledmeintothefield
ofeducationaltechnologyovertwentyyearsago.BeforeIreadasinglejournalarticleonedtech,Id
workedthroughadozenormoremediaecologytexts,withtutorslikePostman,Mumford,Ellul,
Ong,McLuhan,Innis,Boorstin,andBenjaminbeingmytutors.ThenIdiscoveredSherryTurkles
work.FromthereitwasthediscoveryofFriereandIllich.Myfirstpresentationatanedtech
conferencewasonthesocial,psychologicalandmoralimplicationsoftechnologyineducation,with
alineofsoftwarevendorsgrimacing(armscrossed)alongthebackoftheroom.Alongtheway,I
alsodiscoveredmanyofopportunitiesforlifeandlearninginaconnectedanddigitallandscape,
whichleadsmetopersistinscholarshipthatstartswithafundamentalassumption.Everyapproach
toteachingandlearningbringswithitaffordancesandlimitations,somethatwecanrecognizeor
predict,othersthatweonlydiscoverafterthefact(ifever).Regardless,examiningsuchfactors
becomesanimportantpartofpursuingworkineducationthatamplifiessomeofmymostdeeply
heldconvictionsabouteducation,teachingandlearningthathonorstheuniquegifts,talents,
abilities,experiences,passionsandcallingsofeachperson.Iwishyouthebestonthisnewdirection
inyourwork.
Thursday,September10,2015at4:25pm|Permalink

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elearnspaceAdiosEdTech.Holasomethingelse.

ClarenceFisherwrote:
Halleluiah.Imsogladtoseethegatheringvoicesaroundthisidea.AudreyWattershasbeen
poundingawayonthisandIvebeenaddingmyownsmallvoice.LastschoolyearIrealizedthat
blogsandwikisandsomeofourotherdecade+oldtoolsarestillsomeofthebestoneswehave.
Theysupportstudentvoice,connection,customizationanddeepthinking.IusedtofeelbadthatI
wasntkeepingupandtradinginsomeofmyoldtoolsfornewonesnolonger.Imnot
interestedintoolsthataremeanttomainlymakesurethatteachersandadministratorsaremicro
managingtheirtrackingofstandards.Iminterestedinhelpingkidstolearn.
Thursday,September10,2015at4:38pm|Permalink

16.

AlecCouroswrote:
IfeelsomewhatlikeClarenceinthatIvestucktosomeofthemosthumanizingtypesoftechand
practiceoverthepastfewyearsasIvelargelyignoredsomeofthetrendsthatyoumakereference
to.IattributemuchofthistomycloseconnectiontotheFacultyofEdwhereIworkandourstrong
mandateforsocialjustice,indigenouswaysofknowing,andsimilarhumanisticthreads.Thishas
allowedmetocontinuallyquestionandchallengethecorporatizingandanddehumanizingtrends
impossibletoavoidinthefieldofedtech.Edtechhaslostitsformerethos,onethatmademefall
inlovewiththeareainthefirstplace.Perhaps,wewillsomedaybeabletoreclaimwhatwaslost,
butitcertainlybeginswithpostssuchasthis.
Thursday,September10,2015at5:58pm|Permalink

17.

KimFlintoffwrote:
IbeganmyteachingcareerinArtsEdcucation,specificallydrama,andhaveneverabandonedthe
desiretofocusonthehumanfaceofteachingandlearningregardlessofhowdeeplyconnectedwith
technologymyteachingpracticesbecome.
Itendtoagreewithsomeoftheassumptionsaboutedtechwhenitisnarrowfocusanddricenby
economicimperativesitdoestendtoprioritisethemundaneandmeasurableovertherichenessof
humanexperience.
Idontbelievethathastobethecaseandmyrecentdiscussionswithourteamhereatworkarevery
muchfocussedonrolebase,authentic,richandcomplexlearnigndesignsthatfacilitatenotonlythe
knowledgeofbutthebeingnessofskills,informationandbeliefs.
Iwrotein2002
Wemaywellbeabletoengagewithcomputerrepresentationsinplaceofbodiesbutsurelyour
bodiesarestillwheretheyhavealwaysbeenandourexperience,knowledgeandemotionstemsfrom
andreturnstothephysicalbodyregardlessofwhatnegotiatedenvironmentourinteractionsoccur
within.Incomputermediatedinteractionswearestillengagedwitheachotherwhetherwebereal
orhighlysophisticatedsoftwaresystemsseemstometobeirrelevant.Iask,doesitmatterdoes
virtualitychangetheessentialqualityofmyexperienceIcanhaveconnectionstobooks,pets,
stuffedtoysanddevelopstrongemotionalresponsestothepresenceorabsenceofanyofthem
whyisitsomehowinferiortoacknowledgethatIcanhaveREALresponsestosituationsand
eventsthatoccurviaCMC(computermediatedcommunication).
Iamfascinatedbytheseissuesandbelieveourstudentshaveeveryrighttoengagewiththemand
whatbetterforumthanaDramaclass,wheretheveryfabricofoursubjectishumanembodiment.
Forthetimebeingourbodiesareinplace,buttheworkofsuchpeopleasRayKurzweil(TheAge
ofSpiritualMachines)andAustralianartist,Stelarccertainlychallengetheimportanceofthesoft
body,claimingitmaywellberedundant.Thisconcernsmeaswell,butmyinterestliesmorewith
heabilityofDramatohumanisetheexistingandemerginginterfaces.WhatcanwedoasDrama
teacherstoensurethattheinevitableuseoftechnologyoffersopportunitiesforourstudentsto
enhancethephysical,emotional,intellectual,aesthetic,social,moralandspiritualdimensionsof
humanexperience?

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https://www.academia.edu/240187/Drama_and_Technology_the_pursuit_of_uncertain_benefits
Thursday,September10,2015at7:57pm|Permalink
18.

AutummCaineswrote:
HiGeorge,
Ivenevercommentedonyourblogbefore.Imprettynewtoyourworkandthiscommunitythough
Ihavebeenaroundthisfieldforaminutenow.IlovedwhatyouwrotehereandImexcitedthatyou
aremotivatedtotakeonthisworkasanewcycleinyourthinkingIthinkitwilldogoodthings
fortheworld.
Butitshardformetosaygoodbyesometimes.
Idontliketheideaoflettingedtechgobecausesomehavetakenittoadarkplace.Whoaretheyto
dictatethemeaningofthisfield?Whoaretheytodefinetheunderlyingfoundationsandframeworks
withoppressiveinterfacesandalgorithms?
EducationaltechnologyasIseeit(orperhapsromanticizeit)isanintersectionaninbetweenplace
thatmergesthesetwoinbalanceofoneanothertoformarelationshipbetweenthem.Irealizethisis
myidealandIrecognizethatisnotwheremanyareatrightnow.Butisitreallytimetowalkaway?
Isthereanyhopeormeritinappropriationclearingwhatwasmuddiedandtakingbackwhatwhat
wasmisunderstoodtoprovideapaththatsupportsasymbioticratherthanparasiticrelationship
betweenthesetwo?
Thursday,September10,2015at9:36pm|Permalink

19.

AlanLevine(@cogdogwrote:
Thewebislost.Academiaisripewithquitivism.AndnowGeorgeisadiosingedtech?
Thisnegativismwillnotstand,man
Igetit,butIamalsonotquiteclearallthatisgettinglumpedinundertheumbrellaortossedunder
thebusofEdTechalongwithUdacityandKnewton.
Imustbedoingitwrong,becauseIfindonadailybasis,asmuch,ormoreexcitementforthisstuff
thanIdidXyearsago.
FWIW,whenIaddupthose5elementsIget106
****EdTech,letsgobowling.
Friday,September11,2015at1:38am|Permalink

20.

EricGulbiswrote:
Hi.Thanksforthethoughtfulandstudentorientedessay.Iagreefullythatstudentsshould
experienceaneducationwhichprompts(requires!)decisionmaking,developingmetacognitive
skills,exploring,findingpassion,takingperipheralpaths.However,Ithinkitisafundamental
misunderstandingthatedtechproductsattempttoaccomplishallofthosethings.Anyoneusing
Knewtonorwhateverelsewiththeirstudentsorchildrenshouldhardlyexpectthattheycanplopthe
kidsdowninfrontofthesystemandthatitwillworkwiththemoncognitive,metacognitive,
emotionalandphysicallevels.Computerlearningtoolsarenotintendedtodoallthat.Anadult
needstoplayarole,asisthecaseifthereisnotechnologicalelementtothelearningexperience.Ed
Techtoolsneedtobeusedincreativeandproductivewaysbyanadultonbehalfofchildren,just
likeatextbook:theteacherneedstoemployitinappropriateways,notexpectittodoeverything.
Yourambitiontopushthingsforwardisterrific,andthereunquestionablyispotentialtodevelop
morecomprehensivetechnologies,butatthemomentitisunrealistictoexpectanelearningtoolto

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addressthewholespectrumofagoodlearningexperience.Teachersarestillneeded,andwillstillbe
neededinthefuture.
Friday,September11,2015at1:58am|Permalink
21.

FrancesBellwrote:
ThanksforyourarticleGeorgeitandthecommentshavegivenmemorefoodforthoughtabout
somethingIhavebeenthinkingaboutforthelastcoupleofyears.Weneedtolooksimultaneouslyat
amuchbroadercontexttounderstandwhatshappeningandalsotodigbelowthesurfacetofindout
abouttherangeofteacherandlearnerexperiencesinsideandoutsideofformaleducation.The
actionsofteachersandlearnersareimportanttothoselearningexperiencesbuttheyareoften
workingwithinbroaderassemblageswithmuchmorecomplexfocithaneducationandlearning.
UsingFacebookasanexample,someresearchthatIamcurrentlywritingupwithotherssuggests
thattheFacebookstreamalgorithm(notsurprisingly)isoptimsiedforthingsotherthanlearningand
inclusion.Andthenweseehttps://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10101450121376931andIwonder
wherethatsgoing.ItsgreatthatpeoplelikeRobKitchinandFrankPasqualearelookingat
algorithms,andLauraCzerniecwyzhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEglB5b_mskandPaul
Prinslooarelookingatinclusionandinequalitymorebroadly.Formeastartwouldbeteachersand
learnerswhoarebroadlyknowledgeableaboutemergingmediaandtechnologies,and(myhobby
horse)citizenswhoarewillingandabletochallengeFacebooketalandseethemselvesasagentsof
changewhocanhelpshapetheseutilityassemblages.Thiswillneedquiteanetworkedand
communaleffort:)
Friday,September11,2015at4:50am|Permalink

22.

BernardBUllwrote:
Whiletherearemanyworkingdefinitionsinthefield,Iadvocateforonethatisquitebroad.
Technologyissimplyappliedscientific(orsystematic)knowledge.Educationaltechnology,is
simplyappliedscientific(orsystematic)knowledgewithregardtoeducation.Weworkonproject
basedlearning,selfdirectedlearningenvironments,thedesignofservicelearningexperiences,
inquirybasedlearning,problembasedlearning,learningthroughmentoringandapprenticeshipand
somuchmore.ThatisthefieldofEdtechtowhichIbelong.Anyskilledinstructionaldesigner,for
example,knowsthatyoudontstartandfinishwithatechnology.Itbeginsandendswithlearners
andlearning.Assuch,oneneedsaygoodbyetoeducationaltechnology.Infact,ifyouaregoingto
explorenewthemeslikemindfulness,George,Isuspectthatyouwillsoonfindyourselfimmersed
intheworldofdesign,technique,andappliedsystematicknowledgefocuseduponeducation.You
willalsofindyourselfsurroundedbymanypeopleineducationaltechnologywhohavebeenthere
waitingforyoufordecades .
Friday,September11,2015at6:59am|Permalink

23.

HannuJaakkolawrote:
Thanksfortheessay!Youmademethinkaboutedtechinamorerefinedway.Ithinkthatfocusing
ontheintrinsicvalueofthelearningprocesswillbekeytofindingawayforward.
Forthelastseveralyears,therehasbeenaconcertedeffortinFinnishUniversitiestopromote
StudyAbilityorOpiskelukyky.Themainpointoftheconceptistolookatlearningas
somethinghappeninginawidercontext,byintegratingpersonalresources,studyskills,teachingand
thestudyenvironmentintoaholisticapproach.
IfyouwanttocheckoutsomematerialfromtheKykyProject,youcanfindthemhere.
http://www.opiskelukyky.fi/english/
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24.

MandyHoneymanwrote:

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DearGeorge
Ihavebeenreadingyourpostsformanyyearsandtheyhavebeen,perhapsalittleunmindfully,
guidingmyownprogressthroughtheedtechlandscape.Here,inthisarticle,Ifindmyselfmindful
thatIreachedasimilarplace.Anyedtechforlearningismeaninglesswithoutmeaningfulpedagogy
surroundingit.Ihavealwaysonlybeeninterestedinaccessibletechnologiesthatanyone,regardless
ofincomeinparticular,canuse.Thishasoftenmadevisitstolearningtechnologyeventsan
infuriatingexperience.Neverthelesslookingforwardto#dlrn15.
Friday,September11,2015at5:38pm|Permalink
25.

MichaelWaleswrote:
Isimplydontagreefulldisclosure,ImanemployeeatUdacity(ProgramManagerforWeb
Content).OurproducthasbecomeincreasinglyLESSabouttechnology/automationandweve
continuedtoiterate,learn,andimproveourproduct.Overthepastyear,themostsignificant
advancesinourproduct(andthemostsuccessfulintermsofstudentoutcomes)hasbeenin
increasingthehumancomponent.
IbelievethefeedbackwithinthisarticleisbasedupontheproductUdacitywas2+yearsago.
Sebastianhasclearlyadmittedthatwasashittyproduct(refertoanyarticlerelatedtoourSJSU
partnership).Sincethenwehavelearned,iteratedontheproductitselfandwevefoundanichea
productthathasbeenextremelysuccessful.
TheNanodegreeproduct(andImnotdiscussingthecertificationweallknowapieceofpaperis
notthepoint)guidesthestudentthroughaseriesofportfolioprojectsthatarearepresentative
sampleofwhatemployersareseekinginthemarketplacetodaydefinedbytheemployers
themselves.Noonegetsajobbasedonapieceofpaper,theygetthejobbasedonprovingtheyhave
theskillsetforthepositionandourNanodegreeprogramsarespecificallydesignedtoprovidethat.
Thecoursethemselves(whichweprovidefreetotheworld)areancillaryifyouneedtoskillup,
theyaretheretohelpyouwithinthateffort.
Toaddressyourfiveelements:
1)Eachprojecthasarubriccontainingthreecategories(DoesNotMeetExpectations,Meets
Expectations,ExceedsExpectations).InALLcasestheMeetsExpectationscategoryisdirectly
relatedtothefundamentalskillsthatprojectisaddressingfurthermore,theExceedsExpectations
categorydirectlycorrelatestoinstancesinwhichastudentpersonalizestheproject,takesitabove
andbeyondtheminimumstandardsandtrulymakesittheirown.
2)TheentirepurposeoftheNanodegreeprogramistocontributetothelearnerandtheirformation
asaperson.Ourprimarydemographicarethoseindividualsmakingacareerswitchandtheprogram
hasbeenverysuccessfulinthatdepartment.Notonlydoweprovidethetechnical
education/portfoliotosupporttheirdesiresforacareershiftbutwehaveextensivecareer
developmentservicesincludingmockinterviews,resume/LinkedIn/GitHubreviews.Wevedirectly
hiredanumberofourgraduates,industryleaderslikeGooglehavehiredourgraduates,andweve
partneredwithnumerouscompaniesthathavemetgreatsuccessinplacingourgraduates.For
studentsnotinterestedintheNanodegreeprogram,weofferallofthesamecoursesaswellasthe
Nanodegreeprojectdescription,forfreeforselfdirectedpersonalgrowthandlearning.
3)Funandengagingis,obviously,adifficultandsubjectivemetric.ButwespendALOToftime
consideringthisduringourcoursedevelopmentprocess.Wedoourbesttocreatecompellingand
meaningfulinteractionswithinthecoursethatreinforcethelearning.Forprojects,wespendalotof
timemakingsuretheyarecompelling,representativeoftheskillsdesired,andworthyofbeing
highlightedwithinapersonalportfolio.Wereincreasinglyencouragingthestudenttodiveinto
documentationandexperimenttodiscoverandlearnthingsontheirown.Ofcourse,wecoulddoa
betterjobinthisdepartmentandwerealwaysiteratingasImsureeveryoneelsethatis
passionateabouteducationisaswell.
4)StudentsFirstisourmottoitspaintedonourwall.Itsthetenantweliveby.Theteachers,
additionalmentoringstaffandpeersareabundantlyatthecenteroftheexperience.Teachersand
mentoringstaffdirectlyengagewiththestudentsviaourforums,oneononeappointmentsand
vastlyattended,regularlyscheduledofficehours.Eachstudentisplacedwithinateamoftheirpeers

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thatareworkingonthesameprojectsastheyare,sotheycansupportoneanotherinrealtimechat
andparticipateinweeklyfeedbacksessions.Eachteamisassignedaguide(agraduateofthe
program)thatassistsinmoderatingthesediscussionsandhelpsthestudentswithintheirteam.
Studentprojectsareevaluatedbythenetworkofprofessionaldevelopersnotonlyagainsta
functionalrubric(doestheprogramdowhatisexpected)butaswellasalinebylinecodereview
and90%+oftheseevaluationsarereturnedwithin24hours.Thesameisdoneforresumes,
LinkedIn,GitHub,mockinterviews.Wehaveanactivealumnicommunitythatcollaboratesonopen
sourceprojects,providesreferralsforoneanother,providescodereviewsonpersonalprojectsand
generallyisjusttheretobeafriend.ThecommunityandnetworkofpeersaNanodegreestudent
developsduringtheprogramisoneofthemostcompellingandrewardingresults.
5)Thewholelearner.TherearemanyinterpretationsastowhatthisdefinesbutIllleanonmy
militarybackgroundinwhichthewholepersonconceptwasoneofthewaysinwhichwewere
evaluated.OurjobatUdacityistohelppeoplemeettheirgoals.Ifyouwanttolearnsomethingnew
inyoursparetime,everythingwedoisfreelyavailableandweencourageyoutotakeadvantageof
that.Ifyouretryingtoteachothers,everythingwedoisfreelyavailableforyoutouseinthat
effort.Ifyourelookingforacareershift,ifyoufeelyouneedtodevelopyourskillstowardsa
certainjobdescription,ifyourelookingfordirectactionablefeedback(bothfunctionallyandatthe
codereviewlevel),ifyoudesireacommunityofyourpeersworkingtowardsacommongoal,ifyou
desireacompellingportfoliothatprovesyourskillsettothemarketplace,andifyouwouldliketo
developyoursoftskillsandmarketpresencewithinthejobhuntourNanodegreeprogram
providesthatataveryreasonableprice(andwerestartingtoexplore/developregionalpricingfor
marketsinwhich$200USDisnotfeasible).
Overall(wowthisresponsegotsuperlong),Irespectyouropinion/feedbackbutIbelieveits
baseduponamisconceivednotionastowhatUdacityistodayandthepathwereheadedinthe
future.Werecertainlynotperfect,noeducationalinstitutionisbutwerehonestlyapproachingthis
probleminthemosthumblestofmanners.Ouronlyconcernisforthestudentsweconsistently
askourselves,WhatisStudentsFirst?Ouronlygoalistohelpstudentsachievetheirdreamsand
welldoeverythingwecantomakethathappen.
Saturday,September12,2015at3:31am|Permalink
26.

ChrisHodgsonwrote:
Thiswasaninterestingarticle.
Thefivestepprocesstotheimplementationofedtechisgreat,Ithinkitshouldbevisuallyenhanced
intoagreatinfographicwhichtheedtechcommunitycouldshare.
Saturday,September12,2015at8:14am|Permalink

27.

RosaOjedawrote:
Hola!Averygoodcalling,George!Althoughalreadyretired,Ikeepfollowingyou.Ithinkyouare
sayinghellototheoriginalEdTech,insteadofsayinggoodbye.ItwasalwaysEducationalbefore
peoplefromInformationTechnologytookoverthefield(including,youLol).Imreallygladto
seethatmanyrenounedresearchersagreewithyourthoughts.Hopemanymoremakethisshift,too.
Saturday,September12,2015at11:37am|Permalink

28.

JaizaFernandeswrote:
Siemens
thankyouforsharingyourreflectionsthataresoexpensiveandrelevant,whilepublicschool
teachersinnortheasternBrazil.Mr.presentsuswithrenewedideasinaccordancewiththecomplex
andconnectivecontextsinwhichteachersandstudentsliveandlivetoday.Certainly,itisimportant
theseteachersandstudentstodistancethemselvesfromtheideaof
technologyastechniqueandto

approachathoughttoconsiderthenewsociability.IadmirehisideasandIamhappyfortheir
renovationprojectsandresearcharoundeducationalpracticeswithinformationtechnologiesthat

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considerallaspectsofthestudent,includingsignificantaspectstoeducationandamoreautonomous
learningwithexpressivenessandcreativity.Histextscontributetoabetterunderstandingofmy
teachingactivitiesandmakesmenewperspectives,focusingonteachingwithinformationand
communicationtechnologies,aimedatquestioningandauthorship.Happybirthday!Muchsuccessin
theirnewprojects.
Sunday,September13,2015at1:38pm|Permalink
29.

CatherineCroninwrote:
HiGeorgemanythanksforthisthoughtfulpost.Iknowyouwereloopedintosomeofthe
discussionsatALTClastweekwheremanyoftheseideaswereintheforeground.Likeyouand
manyofthosecommentinghere,Imdeeplymotivatedbyacommitmenttojusticeandequity.I
believethesevaluesconnectmanyofusineducationrhetoricofeducationproductsand
efficienciestothecontrary.Iadmiretheimpetusbehindyour5questions,butIdliketochallenge
themalso.Asexpressedabove,eachofthequestionsputstechnologyatthecentreasthesubject
ofthequestion,theactor.Ithinkyourpointcouldbeexpressedmorepowerfullybychangingthat
focus,e.g.
1.HowcanIfosterlearnerscreativityandpersonalexpression?
2.HowcanIhelptodevelopthelearnerandcontributetoherformationasaperson?
3.Aretheselearningpracticesfunandengaging?
4.Arepeerlearnersatthecentre?
5.Doesthelearningexperienceconsiderthewholelearner?
Ithinkyourquestionsbecomemuchmoreopentopossibilitybyremovingtechnologyfromthe
centre,consideringinsteadhowtechnologymightsupportthesebroaderintentions.
Ilookforwardtolearningalongsideyouasourrespectivework/research/learningprogresses.AndI
lookforwardtomeetingyouatdlRN15nextmonth
(IlinkedtothispostinmyownblogpostaboutALTC:
https://catherinecronin.wordpress.com/2015/09/15/altc2015/)
Tuesday,September15,2015at9:31am|Permalink

30.

MarkCurcherwrote:
HelloGeorge
Athoughtprovokingpostthatseemstohavecapturedthefeelingsofquiteafewpeoplejudgingby
thecommentshere,myselfincluded.AlsointerestingtoreadandreflectonJonDronsresponseas
well.
Iwillsaythatyoudoseemtohavecapturedandexpressed(muchbetterthanIevercould)someof
myownfeelingsthathavebeengrowingoverthelastyearorso.Ithinkthetherearemanyreasons,
includingthewritingofpeoplelikeAudreyWattersandothers,mypersonalcontextofmovingfrom
theMiddleEasttoFinlandandworkingintheeducationsystemhereandevenwatching
documentarieslikeCitizenfourandInternetsownboy.
SoIthinkitinterestingthatmanyareclaimingtofeelandthinkthesame,despitedifferentpersonal
journeys(oftentoldinthecommentsabove)manyarearrivingatthesamedestination.
Best
Mark
Tuesday,September15,2015at3:15pm|Permalink

31.

MauricioPortillowrote:
HiGeorge
ItisthefirsttimeIvisityourblog.AndIamconvincedthatyourchangereflectsyourdesirefor
moreinclusiveeducation.IthinkthesourcesofconectivoAregood,whatisnecessaryItisthefirst
timeIvisityourblog.AndIamconvincedthatthechangereflectstheirdesireforafairereducation

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areauthentic.Histhoughtofgoodsources,whichisnecessarytoimproveitsapplication.seek
inspirationfromPauloFreire.toimproveistheapplication.seekforinspirationinPauloFreire.
regardsfromCostaRica
Tuesday,September15,2015at5:31pm|Permalink
32.

EdMurraywrote:
Ivetakenayearofftocontemplatemynavelanrediscovermymojo.Mylasttwojobscreated
serioushealthproblems,CushingssyndromeandLADA.Ineededthetimetomanagethediabetes
andthosejobsleftmewithPTSDandsocialphobias.
Thatlittleconfessionismybackstory.IhadthosedifficultiesbecauseIamahybridpsychologist
andtechnologistandImmadeforthiswork.IevaluateeverythingIencounterinthecontextofits
usetomywork.
AndInevergettoworkwithanybodylikethat.Igettoworkwithpeoplewho,doingthesamejob,
wontspeaktomeortellmeImwrongbecausenobodyagreeswithmeorImunpopularbecause
Imweird.
IgetbybecauseIhavethecomfortofknowingImweirdlikeGeorgehere,StephenDownes,
GrainneConole,MartinWeller(whoIsuspectwouldhavebeenalittlelessdismissiveifIhadalso
beenanacademicwhenwemet).ButImbeingpushedoutofthisfieldbyblowinsfromweb
developmentandteachingwhodiminishthemarvellouspotentialofEdTechtosuittheirstunted
skills.
Imetseveralofmyoldteacherslastweekatmysistersfunereal.She,too,hadbeenateacher
dyingifovariancancerat50.So,manyteachersthere.AndnoneofthemhadaclueastowhoIwas.
Believeme,thatdisinterestismutual.
WithEdTech,Iwantanewworld,notthesameolworldwithitsfacecleanedbyateachers
spittleandhandkerchief.
Wednesday,September16,2015at4:06am|Permalink

33.

NickJacksonwrote:
InterestingreadGeorge.Followingyourworkalwaysseemstobeajourneyofdiscoveryformeand
questionsofwheremythinking,mypassionsfitin.Forthefirsttime,however,Ifindmyselfsitting
slightlysmug.
Idiscoveredawhileago,thatmypassionlieinpositioningstudentsattheforefrontofeducational
development.FromgrassrootsStudentDigitalLeaderschemesinschoolswherestudentsare
simplyprovidedwithpositionsofresponsibilityinrelationtotechnologyrightthroughtopolicy
decisionmaking,thecruxofadvancingeducationisempowerment.IamattheearlystagesofPhD
researchinthisfieldandobviouslynowherenearyourdepthofexperienceorresearchprowess.Yet,
Ibelievethatthishumanizing(tostealyourphrase)oftheissueoftechintegrationineducation
hassofarbeenlargelyoverlooked.Likewise,itisnotjustintheissueoftechintegration,tech
developmentandwiderschooldevelopment(seeHeppellswork)highlightthepowerofstudent
agency.
Tomymind,muchoftheeducationcommunityhastowakeuptothehugebenefitsinmovingfrom
teaching/developingTO,toteaching/developingWITH,tobeingtaught/shownthewayforwardBY
students.Studentshavechanged.Wehavechangethewayweapproachadvancingtechnology
enhancededucation
Wednesday,September16,2015at6:41pm|Permalink

34.

BorivojBrdickawrote:
ThankyouforexpressingwhattheProblemis.Itisalmostlikeamanifesto.Assuchletmesignit.

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Thursday,September17,2015at10:43am|Permalink
35.

SteveCovellowrote:
ThiscommentwasoriginallypostedontheEdSurgeblog,withnotmuchtraffic.Sohereitisagain,
hopingforfurtherdiscussion.
Mr.Siemens:DoIdaretoquoteMcLuhan?Rapidly,weapproachthefinalphaseoftheextensions
ofmanthetechnologicalsimulationofconsciousness,whenthecreativeprocessofknowingwill
becollectivelyandcorporatelyextendedtothewholeofhumansociety,muchaswehavealready
extendedoursensesandournervesbythevariousmedia.
Whethertheextensionofconsciousnesswillbeagoodthingisaquestionthatadmitsofawide
solution.Thereislittlepossibilityofansweringsuchquestionsabouttheextensionsofmanwithout
consideringallofthemtogether.Anyextension,whetherofskin,hand,orfoot,affectsthewhole
psychicandsocialcomplex.
McLuhanisaphilosopher,notascientist,sothisquotedoesnotvalidateanythingImabouttosay.
ButitatleastsetsupanepistemologicalpositiontowhichIsubscribeinthistopic:Thehuman
beingisthecenterfromwhichtechnologiesextendoutward,andthattechnologiesareALWAYSa
creationofhumanimagination.Thisisaonewaypipe,inotherwords.
Fromthisperspective,apencilisasmuchofatechnologyasaKnewtonbasedinstructional
situation.
Thatone*acts*morebiologicalthantheotherisirrelevant.Atechnologyisstill,atbest,an
extensionofafacetofbiologythatsomeonehasdeterminedneedstobeamplifiedoraccelerated.
Butthatisallitdoes,andonlywithinthedomainofitsaffordances.
BothUdacityandKnewtonrequirethehuman,thelearner,tobecomeatechnology,tobecomea
componentwithintheirwellarchitectedsoftwaresystem.
Thusrephrased,BothUdacityandKnewtonrequirethehuman,thelearner,toalign[extend]heror
himselfintotheecologyofaprescribedlearningenvironment.Inthisrephrasing,thehumanstill
hastransactionaldistancefromthetechnology.
Robottutorswillserveapracticalpurposeinservingtheneedforinformationandinstructionwhere
thepatternsoflearningarecertainenoughthattheycanbepredicted.Whenyoucallyourinsurance
companywithaquestionaboutaclaim,youwillencounterasetofchoicesthatmatchthemost
commonpatterninformationseekerstendtofollow.Thisdoesnotturnyou(thecaller)intoa
technology.Butifyouwantsatisfaction,youwillhavetoalignyourselftothetechnology(orjust
keeppressing0overandoveragain!).
Thesesystemswillworkverywellfornarrowlydefinedproblemspaces.Buttheydontturn
humansintoatechnologyinsomuchaswearefrequentlypatronsofthem.
AndthisiswhereIpartwayswiththeconventionsofdeveloperbasedlearning.
IntheEdTechspace,theoneoperatingprincipleforlearningthatIhaveNOTseenissomething
wheretheprogrammingofaninformationsystemhasbeenbasedonUserbasedDesign.UbD
leveragesDr.BrendaDervinsdecadesofresearchculminatinginherSensemakingMethodology.
Inessence,itflipsthedevelopmentalprincipleofaninformationsystemaroundfromdeveloper
basedcriteriaforinformationseekingtouserbasedcriteria,basedontheemergentpatternsof
informationseekerswithinaspecificproblemspace.Itisbasedoncognitivemovementtowarda
goal,withknowledgegapsbridgedthroughtheinterventionofvarioustypesofhelpfromthosewho
havepreviouslyexperiencedtheprocess(successfullyornot).
AUbDdrivenlearningsystemisbasedmorecloselytothemetaphorofconversation(sensemaking
andsensegiving)thanthecurrentmodelofadeveloperdrivenprescriptionforlearning.Knewton
mighttrytomakethisclaimsinceitisadaptive.Butunlessitcanaccountfortheinfiniterealities
thatlearnersbringtotheinstructionalchallenge,itwillcontinuetointroducefrictionintothe

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interplaybetweenlearnerneedsandhowtheyseekinformationtosatisfythem.
AUbDlearningsystemwouldrequireconstantchangestoreflecttheintroductionofinfiniterealities
oftheproblemspace.Developerbasedsystemscannotachievethis.
Untilalearningsystemisbasedonuserbasedcriteria,noprescribedlearningsystemwillachieve
anythingclosetohumanizing.
Morehere:http://idmodule.com/aproposalforauserbasedlearninganalyticsdatacollection
system/
Friday,September18,2015at8:22am|Permalink
36.

MahaBaliwrote:
HeyGeorge,Ididastrangethingwiththispostireadthecommentsfirst(likeisometimesread
bookreviews)andthisbiasedme.Ihavetwomainissues(maybe3)withthispost:
A.Whilethedisturbingtrendsyoumentionareindeed(unsurprisingly)disturbing,Idontthink
theyarenewandIdontknowwhytheyshouldturnusoffedtechsinceyoualsoknow(morethan
anyone)thatthereisacriticalbunchofusouttherewhocareabouthumanityandsocialjustice
youevenmentionsomeprojectsthatmakwyouoptimisticsoIcanimagineyougoingthrough
someparadigmshiftorsomethingbutIdontthinkthisblogposthasexplainedittomewell?Oram
Imissingsomecontext?(thishappenssometimes).Forpeoplelikeme,thepowerfulpotentialofed
techwhendoneinthoughtfulhumancenteredwayscanbesoempoweringandthenegativetrends
donterasethatatall.
B.Idonthonestlyunderstandhowsomethinglikelearninganalyticseitherpromotessocialjustice
orhumanity(ihatehumanizationCozitsoundsautomated).
C.IthinkyoualreadydosomegoodworkonsocialjusticeandIlookforwardtowhateverdirection
youtakenext.AndIlookforwardtovirtuallyparticipatingin#dlrnanddoingvirtuallyconnecting
there
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