Comments on: Disruptive innovation — in education http://www.kurzweilai.net/disruptive-innovation-in-education Accelerating Intelligence Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:55:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Durk Barton http://www.kurzweilai.net/disruptive-innovation-in-education/comment-page-1#comment-13973 Durk Barton Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:28:57 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=149214#comment-13973 The democratization of education is probably the most progressive event that can occur. Privatizing schools has cost countless kids the fair shake they deserve. If MIT is willing to follow through on this effort I will the more roundly applaud them. The last element of necessity for kids to be informed of this golden opportunity. As well they must be made aware of the desparite neccesity of taking advantage of it. The democratization of education is probably the most progressive event that can occur. Privatizing schools has cost countless kids the fair shake they deserve. If MIT is willing to follow through on this effort I will the more roundly applaud them. The last element of necessity for kids to be informed of this golden opportunity. As well they must be made aware of the desparite neccesity of taking advantage of it.

]]> By: russfelix http://www.kurzweilai.net/disruptive-innovation-in-education/comment-page-1#comment-13921 russfelix Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:10:53 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=149214#comment-13921 I can visualize a higher education system where the Professors are in the background doing research and writing textbooks and the students are sitting in front of computers and in between there is a new class of "educator" That is an individual that converts the writings of the Professors into programs the students can use. Look at the advantages of this system. The Professors have 100% of their time freed up to do research and write, The students don't have to make classes and the Programmers have a steady job. Only the textbook companies lose. What is there not to like about that? I can visualize a higher education system where the Professors are in the background doing research and writing textbooks and the students are sitting in front of computers and in between there is a new class of “educator” That is an individual that converts the writings of the Professors into programs the students can use. Look at the advantages of this system. The Professors have 100% of their time freed up to do research and write, The students don’t have to make classes and the Programmers have a steady job. Only the textbook companies lose. What is there not to like about that?

]]> By: russfelix http://www.kurzweilai.net/disruptive-innovation-in-education/comment-page-1#comment-13920 russfelix Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:01:20 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=149214#comment-13920 I can see advantages and disadvantages of teaching Circuits and Electronics and also Organic Chem Lab by simulation. Smart, self teaching students may adapt to the approach rapidly and probably view it as a short cut and relief from sitting in class, however just how TAs and Professors are going to "spend more time with individual students" I see as problematic. Students with a steady diet of Video are not well prepared to interface with teachers and teacher are going to be dealing with total strangers for the first few sessions. I say from my own classroom experience the students familiarity with the teachers methods and the teachers familiarity with the students ability to learn have a value that will be lost in this new system. Will it work? Yes probably, Will it completely change what we think of higher education? Yes. Will students be better equipped to deal with the 21 century. I don't know. I can see advantages and disadvantages of teaching Circuits and Electronics and also Organic Chem Lab by simulation. Smart, self teaching students may adapt to the approach rapidly and probably view it as a short cut and relief from sitting in class, however just how TAs and Professors are going to “spend more time with individual students” I see as problematic. Students with a steady diet of Video are not well prepared to interface with teachers and teacher are going to be dealing with total strangers for the first few sessions. I say from my own classroom experience the students familiarity with the teachers methods and the teachers familiarity with the students ability to learn have a value that will be lost in this new system. Will it work? Yes probably, Will it completely change what we think of higher education? Yes. Will students be better equipped to deal with the 21 century. I don’t know.

]]> By: GatorALLin http://www.kurzweilai.net/disruptive-innovation-in-education/comment-page-1#comment-13836 GatorALLin Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:32:23 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=149214#comment-13836 ..Love this idea of learning for the sake of learning (not just a degree). Kinda cool that all the words knowledge is accessible by a cell phone world wide...some kid in Africa may get these teachings online for free...and change the world. So...can students grade the teachers, or the individual lessons? Point of this is to have the very best material to teach each point. Let the better teachings bubble to the top over time....so at the end you get the ultimate training (not just free education, but the best possible way to teach a course as understood by the students). Maybe some way to grade each teaching, so students who pass the test are ranked higher when they rank the teachings/videos. Anyhow...love that MIT is leading this charge... hope they are open to being graded on the quality of the materials they create to be the worlds best... rock on! ..Love this idea of learning for the sake of learning (not just a degree). Kinda cool that all the words knowledge is accessible by a cell phone world wide…some kid in Africa may get these teachings online for free…and change the world. So…can students grade the teachers, or the individual lessons? Point of this is to have the very best material to teach each point. Let the better teachings bubble to the top over time….so at the end you get the ultimate training (not just free education, but the best possible way to teach a course as understood by the students). Maybe some way to grade each teaching, so students who pass the test are ranked higher when they rank the teachings/videos.

Anyhow…love that MIT is leading this charge… hope they are open to being graded on the quality of the materials they create to be the worlds best… rock on!

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