[iDC] learning ecologies in Second Life and elsewhere

[Paul Prueitt]

I have found it characteristic, for example in Tony Wagner's "The  
Global Achievement Gap", for authors in educational reform to talk  
about what is wrong with our educational system.  I am sure this is a  
common finding.

Trebor's comment, below, focuses on educational philosophies as we  
move into digital environments.  I have watched education in Second  
Life take some steps towards new educational philosophy, for example  
in the Quest Atlantis  project.  However, the clarity in which the  
old educational philosophy is held onto is remarkable.

So what is this old philosophy?  Is it reflected in Dewey and  
Darwin?  I make the case that the current educational philosophy is  
almost 100% supply side in nature.  We supply curriculum and we do  
this in a linear fashion.  The results have been that children all to  
often reject these curriculums and develop experience outside of the  
classroom.  The force of supply education is that we become consumers.

A demand side educational philosophy is defined in The Education  
Bridge, www.secondschool.net/bridge.pdf , as necessarily arising from  
the inner self.  True natural complexity, and novelty create an  
induction.  This is learning in the full sense.

"Demand pedagogy" is developed based on the learning methods of R L  
Moore, and applied to mathematics and computer science education.   
But the principles involved may be and are applied in constructivist  
practices.

Focus topic frameworks are used to give a common structure to an  
object of investigation, the curriculum.  The frameworks assist  
teachers and students in creating clarity over those topics that the  
student is interested in, so individuals each learn different parts  
of the topics.  The constructiivism is achieved with "blank paper  
test" where student compose from memory the topics that he or she is  
comfortable with.  A selection process is balanced with demand for  
the inner self and supply form the framework.

Social networking tools are then used to unify the classes  
understanding over a common core set of topics.

Demand pedagogy is an alternative educational philosophy which we  
expect, and hope, to see emerging along with educational practice in  
immersive virtual worlds.

This alternative is opposed, and will be opposed, by the habits and  
cultural practices which we all commonly refer to as "educational  
philosophy".

Paul Prueitt
Northfield VT



On Apr 11, 2010, at 8:00 AM, idc-request at mailman.thing.net wrote:

> Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:07:29 -0400
> From: Trebor Scholz <trebor at thing.net>
> Subject: [iDC]  learning ecologies
> To: idc at mailman.thing.net
> Message-ID: <4BC06A01.9070400 at thing.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> elana langer:
>
>> Critics of technologies that range from radio to computers focus on
>> analyzing the educational potential and uses of emerging technologies
>> and not enough time focusing on the educational processes into which
>> these technologies are embedded. As a result, the media produced  
>> be it
>> filmstrip or CD-ROM reflect the limits of the educational  
>> philosophies
>> rather than the limitations of the technology itself.

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