2/22/2000

Attack of the Learning-Pod People?

Readers shudder at the thought of programmed learning in isolation from others, as described in the recent article about learning Pods (2/2/00), yet recognize the possibilities of improved content delivery through the use of technology. Many pros and cons emerged from reader letters, several of which are presented below.

SHADES OF 1984

Upon finishing the last pages of '1984' and 'Brave New World' did you say to yourself, "Wow, just think of the possibilities!"

Instead of teaching children in pods, why don't we implant microprocessors in the womb (or test tube)! We could download information at preplanned stages of development! Rather than time consuming standardized tests we could just run system checks! Through genetic engineering we can weed out any undesirable characteristics before biologics are produced, er uh, babies are born. Our government (manufacturer) would be able to track us through implanted global positioning chips with wireless links! The justice system would comprise of systems analysts and programmers.

If any behavioral deviations (criminals) occur they would be instantly detected and could be shut down and rebooted. If that doesn't solve the problem our systems could be deleted and reloaded with new programming. Just think no more prisons, jails, or police! Flesh and bones become hardware, intelligence becomes software, feelings become fuzzy-logic, sleep becomes recharging, and eating becomes refueling!

Individuality is what makes humans (all animals) interesting, creative and successful. Individuality comes from our learning experiences as well as our "genetic make-up." Group learning teaches gives us the incentive to please (drive), the need to help (compassion), the ability to communicate and work with others. It also teaches us success, failure, love, hate, dominance, fear, and humility. We learn to deal with people who are different races, religions, age, sex, height and weight, rich and poor.

Would you REALLY want to live in a country (or world) where children are placed in isolation chambers to attain their knowledge? To interact only with government mandated and designed programs with no outside influences? I hope not, I really hope not.

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WOULD DISNEY AND MICROSOFT DO THE RIGHT THING?

I have a feeling that it may come down to teaching children in some sort of "learning pod" in the future, but it can do more damage than good. Can you trust a Disney or a Microsoft to "do the right thing" and teach our new generations their ABC's and such without trying to market their products subliminally?

I seem to remember that there was something in a movie to get snack bar sales up by getting people, subliminally, to go to the snack bar by flashing one-second frames to the audience to be hungry. And it worked! But it was deemed illegal. Pavlov's dog, anyone?

I would hope that should that this sort of system become reality, there are safeguards to prevent such things. Since the child's mind is still forming attitudes and outlooks on life, can we, as responsible adults, take the tactile stimulation of the five senses that we grew up with away and replace it with an electronic flower with no smell? How does the child know when to touch something that is the right temperature and not too hot or cold when all he knows is electronic stimulation that may never teach the real thing.

While it may take the burden off the teacher due to large class size, I would hate to find that my child is nothing more than an automaton that will do the bidding of whatever or whoever programmed him. Could this become the Utopia that we all desire? Someone has to push the buttons, and someone has to respond, but who will watch the button pushers when we are all the same?

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NETWORK THE PODS

At certain points in the learning process the pods should be linked (networked) to enhance the process. Mastery on higher levels is tied to group effort and interaction. There are times to concentrate and learn as an individual and times and situations to learn as a group. The key to learning is to individualize the learning process and to teach, stimulate, and reach each person in a manner that will optimize that course.

Left brain learners process and learn differently than right brain people. One child is easily distracted while another can learn subjects while the TV and stereo are both on. I think that the hardest task for Society is to think "outside the box" when it comes to education. At least we are openly looking for ways to improve the system, which will involve a paradigm shift using new technology. What nation is in a better position than ours to explore, develop and refine this concept?

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NO PODS UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL

I believe that grammar school age children should continue to go to a traditional school to learn social interactive skills. Then when they reach high school age some type of computer teaching should apply. Let's face it. All kids really learn in high school, is how to be social butterflies and learn how to party. If they were to go into a personal computer teaching pod, they might actually learn something other than how to become popular. Those who are not popular or part of the "in" crowd would not have to be subjected to the cruelty of the other teenagers.

The hurt that some teenagers encounter during high school follows them into adulthood and can lead to social phobias. Perhaps we just might end up with some very smart, well-adjusted leaders for our country's future. Kids killing kids would become a thing of the past, but as it stands now, it seems to be the wave of the future.

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SOCIAL SKILLS ARE TOO IMPORTANT

More important than any skill a child learns is how to get along and work with others. Even if a child doesn't quite master a subject, to be able to socialize, lead, follow, and many other social abilities cannot be overlooked. Each person has strengths and weaknesses, and the pod idea would produce robots. Humans are, after all, social animals.

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POD LEARNING LEADS TO POD WORKING

In the 60s we got exposed to "learning stations," which were cubbyhole desks for self-paced study. It started with languages, but eventually wound up having an application for many 'self' mastering courses. Thirty years later we have a large part of the population working in only marginally larger cubicles.

Pod learning, I believe, would lead to pod working. At the beginning of the century the Taylor format for instruction followed the way clerical workers were being arranged in insurance companies. That gave us the column/row desk arrangement with a supervisor at the front. While that isn't all that great, especially in high performance workplaces, pods don't seem much better. Until all the labor can be brought to the pod in a stream that is within scope of skill for the worker without reference to the skill sets of interdependent workers, then all we have is a fancy assembly line.

It also seems to me that a pod system leaves education a passive experience rather than an active one. Thus we wind up killing creativity and curiosity in the same way we do in the pew and pulpit arrangement.

The problem is not how to present, nor even what to present, as much as it is how to involve the student actively in the learning process. In the past we've used many methods. We do not need technology to enable students as much as we need students to enable their minds. It is doubtful that Archimedes would have been assisted in the famous 'eureka' episode with a computer, Disney, or even with the concept of zero. He saved his life by taking a bath, not surfing the net...or in the Greece of his time, attending a play.

To be certain, some multimedia experience is necessary and extremely helpful. Not everyone can manage a trip to the Great Wall; not everyone can access a telescope or an electron microscope. The recent innovation of performing dissections with virtual reality is not only fantastic for learning; it's downright lifesaving for small animals and reptiles.

Finally, I personally don't want any kid of mine in an egg carton. Who wants a kid who makes modem noises at you at the dinner table when you ask what they learned that day in school?

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.