Blurts

Innovating Pedagogy is a brief description of a dozen or so educational innovations (e.g., MOOCs, games in the classroom) from the Open University. Each short piece describes the topic and offers a prediction regarding the potential impact and the time frame of influence. These descriptions are useful for those looking for a basic understanding (perhaps a class assignment). Little research is included to substantiate claims, but I suppose this must be the case when describing new ideas.

I have encountered several posts lately that give me some concern (HoltThink, Spiked Online). My concern is that the contributions of cognitive psychology and the study of learning, motivation, aptitude, etc. will be ignored in thinking about classroom practice. Perpetrating such a position encourages disinterest in the search for the causes of behavior. The notion that the applied fields of medicine and education work differently can be examined more carefully. There are ways of thinking carefully about why things work in each area. Medicine has the advantage of frequently being in control of what might be described as the independent variable. Take this pill or endure this surgery allows manipulation of a variable in a way that is difficult in the classroom. Medicine and education end up being very similar when the behavior in question involves an element of motivation. Note for example that the control of obesity and weight-related pathologies seems far more complicated and unsuccessful than easily manipulated interventions to prevent what were once deadly diseases (e.g., polio). The avoidance of “scienticism” would seldom be embraced by the physician specializing in the treatment of diabetes, but this physician shares many challenges with a classroom teacher.

I think that controversy and debate are crucial to the advancement of any discipline, but the basis for such engagement should be demonstration and data, not rhetoric. Certainly learning in groups is complicated and the needs of individuals should be considered.