General Discussion

FarCenter

(19,429 posts)

12. Cost of reproduction and the shift to learning, rather than teaching, will change education

Mon Feb 18, 2013, 11:46 AM

Feb 2013

Digital media are far cheaper to produce than the analog media of the past. I was involved once in producing 15 minute film for educational purposes, and IIRC, it cost about $30,000 in 1970s dollars (equivalent to well over $200K now). With digital video cameras, computer editing, and computer graphics, this could be done for a small percentage of the time and cost.

Once made, a 15 minute video can be distributed for essentaily nothing, rather than making and shipping expensive film copies.

With a cheap laptop or tablet and an intenet access, any talented, self-disciplined, and motivated kid anywhere on earth can access educational materials and learn almost anything they want. The result is a hugely expanding high-skilled, low-cost workforce. Students saddled with huge educational debts will be unable to compete.

The future belongs to those who can learn, not those who must be taught.

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Professors at research universities prefer teaching with old-fashioned whiteboards [View all] HiPointDem Feb 2013 OP

Hey! Mr. Professor, outsourcing is coming, they are going to outsource you. bemildred Feb 2013 #1

This message was self-deleted by its author HiPointDem Feb 2013 #2

"Distance learning," in one manner or another, has been the university initiative since the 1950's alcibiades_mystery Feb 2013 #6

There is nothing wrong with distance learning, as such. bemildred Feb 2013 #8

This new technology is going to radically alter education beyond recognition ... eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #10

Cost of reproduction and the shift to learning, rather than teaching, will change education FarCenter Feb 2013 #12

"shift to learning v teaching" = baloney. shift to corporate control of all education & information HiPointDem Feb 2013 #16

Far Center: the DIY education strategy works well for simple, discrete skills, not for deep learning GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #19

I had similar thoughts, but couldn't put it so succintly. eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #22

The vocation of teaching has been so devalued over the past 30 years that GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #24

Dang, you mean we can't blindly apply mass production methods and get good results ? eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #30

Uh, no. GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #37

No offense intended ... eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #43

Oh.. GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #54

IF you have JavaScript turned on, just click on "smilies" when posting. eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #59

Thank you GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #60

I can't recall physics or chemistry as being particularly interactive FarCenter Feb 2013 #29

Actually, this a huge problem with universities now GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #38

This was back in the early '60s, but tuition was $114/quarter. FarCenter Feb 2013 #42

Obvious solution: cancel all classes with low enrollment. eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #45

The great lecture hall profs should be allowed to be live in lecture halls GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #53

What, no recitation/conference sections ? That sounds like a bad setup. eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #41

IIRC, there was a grad student or two that had posted hours; commuter students used them FarCenter Feb 2013 #47

This/\. Ed Suspicious Feb 2013 #58

Professors provide context and a framework organic discussion. Ed Suspicious Feb 2013 #57

Well, that obviously proves they must be in error then. eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #51

So it is ok to outsource a professor's job but not yours? redstatebluegirl Feb 2013 #52

Many classes have a policy forbidding anything beyond a four-banger calculator on exams. eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #63

I am an academic and I come from a family full of academics. bemildred Feb 2013 #68

My father in law who exboyfil Feb 2013 #3

Yes, nothing beats chalk. Or paper and pencil. bemildred Feb 2013 #5

+1 Blue_Tires Feb 2013 #61

It has it's down side, but when you are working on a problem, nothing beats it. bemildred Feb 2013 #67

We have the big chalk board from my wife's work in our house. hunter Feb 2013 #13

"going to throw it away" -- **choke**gag*** eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #56

Except whenever I have a class with one I live in fear of that noise, you know the one. It's Ed Suspicious Feb 2013 #64

For anyone that wants a laugh, life long demo Feb 2013 #4

I don't know about this. LisaLynne Feb 2013 #7

I work in IT in K-12 and the biggest whistler162 Feb 2013 #21

in my daughters K class d_r Feb 2013 #33

LisaLynne, for old timers who've been teaching the same courses for years... GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #28

"Old-fashioned" whiteboards ? Whiteboards SUCK. Blackboards are far more practical. eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #9

I MUCH prefer whiteboards to chalkboards duffyduff Feb 2013 #14

not to mention, SCREECH SCREECH!!! alp227 Feb 2013 #18

Chalk screeches at a frequency that can only be heard by bad students. eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #46

That explains a lot. I hate that sound! Ed Suspicious Feb 2013 #65

There is such a thing as hypoallergenic chalk (Google), and at least some of what I have used ... eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #62

Good summary of the reasons writing out on chalkboard exboyfil Feb 2013 #17

I admit I suck at Smartboard - my penmanship goes undecipherable jpak Feb 2013 #35

I used to teach using Power Point and other eye-catching technologies mainer Feb 2013 #11

I may come kidnap your students. eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #48

Don't they know whiteboard markers have toxic fumes. They injure health. Coyotl Feb 2013 #15

Whatever you do, don't look up the ingredients in the whiteboard *cleaner* .... eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #49

As a translator, I have come to the conclusion that the business world still thinks Lydia Leftcoast Feb 2013 #20

The problem is that corporate messages are limited GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #25

Not just at universities. LWolf Feb 2013 #23

"Clicker" technology: can you get more Skinnerian? GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #26

From the student perspective, I've had a few classes w/ the Clicker. backscatter712 Feb 2013 #31

And the higher-ups are certainly all about data. nt LWolf Feb 2013 #34

Yes. they have almost a religious belief in data of any kind taken under any conditions GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #36

No calling out individual DUers, especially not Skinner. eppur_se_muova Feb 2013 #50

Oh, gee, get me in trouble with the management! GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #55

White boards are old fashioned? Deep13 Feb 2013 #27

you can do a lot more than pass out your syllabus d_r Feb 2013 #32

What class do you teach? GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #39

education d_r Feb 2013 #70

Education actually lends itself to multimedia and video GiaGiovanni Feb 2013 #72

For my undergrad they used the heck out of Blackboard. tammywammy Feb 2013 #69

Worse, both the teachers and the students tend to get wrapped up in the technology Egalitarian Thug Feb 2013 #40

^^^This^^^ Viking12 Feb 2013 #71

That could be treestar Feb 2013 #44

As an art teacher, I love the new technology. kwassa Feb 2013 #66

podcast greymattermom Feb 2013 #73