E-Leaning in the Digital Age by John Seely Brown

This is largely an exploration of Social-Constructivist Learning Theory. My concern, as a long time teacher, is the egalitarian nature of the web. Are young learners differentiating between the thoughts of Nelson Mandela and those of a rap artist or their BFF? All information is not created equal. My hope is that the technological revolution of learning will create dynamic learning experiences that are more educational than anything I could create within the four walls of a classroom. The 2010 Horizon report suggests future virtual learning environments where students could stroll down the streets of ancient Athens and chat with Socrates. Another study claims students are wired up 7 hours a day and I suspect not very much of it is educational. I’m concerned that students are currently being drawn toward the dominant medium of knowledge, not the peaks.

I have a degree in psych and it causes a specific concern in this matter. We are unconsciously drawn to the familiar. Thousands of years ago, as our brains were evolving, this was a good thing. If we ate the same nuts and berries over and over we were less likely to ingest something new and poisonous. A teacher must prod students into the unfamiliar, often by placing it in the context of things with which they are already comfortable. American students currently have a very distorted perception of their knowledge as revealed in studies. They think they’re smarter than they are…smarter than their counterparts in other countries and they aren’t. Does the web foster complacency and mediocrity? The world online is flat. Wisdom is not.