Quickthink

Tech Dirt offers a very interesting glimpse of an argument about the future of education.

We hear quite a bit about education platform building where one teachers can reach many students (one to many). And if the teacher is highly skilled, it is argued that this gives more students access to great teaching. This is not a bad thing. But it is not the best thing either. Why? Let’s think this through.

We should start by addressing this rather tough question. How do we learn more effectively? Study Hacks offers a model (that I happen to like).  Sutdy Hacks argues that there are three stages. The first is a mapping stage, where we learn the big picture (the lay of the land). The second is a practicing stage, where we use what we have seen. The third is an insight building stage, where we start to teach what we know in order to see gaps and fill these gaps with new and more innovative connections. Study Hacks argues that we need to take the time to get to and use stage three to experience the most effective learning.

That means that just listening to more great lectures is not enough. We need more and better practice tools - and (as tech dirt argues) we need tools that put students in the role of teacher — get them to perform at stage 3.

Great stuff!

Tags: Education

This entry was posted on Friday, November 2nd, 2012 at 11:27 am and is filed under Eucation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.