I am an Ed Tech heretic.

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteThank you Freeman Dyson. http://www.edge.org/documents/archive/edge219.html#dysonf “In the modern world, science and society often interact in a perverse way. We live in a technological society, and technology causes political problems. The politicians and the public expect science to provide answers to … Continue reading

Take That, R.E.Clark….

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesAmong the points highlighted in Clark’s recent article trashing serious games are that “…the research shows no instructional advantages of games over the other instructional approaches (such as lectures)…” and that “only poorly designed studies find learning benefits from games“. … Continue reading

R.E.Clark is at it again….

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesClark, R. E. (2007). Learning from Serious Games? Arguments, Evidence, and Research Suggestions. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, May-June 2007, 56-59. Richard E. Clark says, “My goal in this column is to offer a brief view of the current state of the evidence … Continue reading

On Wasting Valuable Lesson Time

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteOn “wasting valuable lesson time” We must. When ‘content’ is stripped of its context, which MUST include those pesky extraneous details, it becomes disconnected. No wonder learners can’t remember stuff. Virtually all of the memory tricks we use to help … Continue reading

The Massively Multi-Player Online School

Approximate Reading Time: 4 minutesA typical encounter at a yet-to-be built massively multiplayer online school: Suddenly, Amy realized that unless they all worked together, they wouldn’t get out alive. She wiggles the fuzzy slippers dangling from her swinging feet and glances out the window … Continue reading

There are no wrong answers

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteI was at a conference recently, at a workshop where we were given an exercise that included a brainstorming activity. Among the guidelines was the now-all-too-common refrain: “There are NO wrong answers!” Poppycock. There are too wrong answers! Plenty of … Continue reading

The ID / AI Connection

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesI’ve noticed that quite a few big names in ID (Instructional Design: Papert, Schank, Merrill,..) have backgrounds in AI (Artificial Intelligence, rather than the other AI) I find this a little disconcerting. In some sense the application of concepts from … Continue reading

Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction

Approximate Reading Time: 4 minutesI have seriously misjudged M. David Merrill. His Component Display Theory was very computer sciencey, and unwieldy, and really turned me off; but First Principles is *really* good. Thank you Gail for pointing me at it! I’ve had this notion … Continue reading