Maybe I am just old and set in my ways, but the arguments rejecting traditional education practices (listening\/watching presentations and reading books) puzzle me. I enjoy both ways of becoming acquainted with new things. Partly, I am confused with the approach some take to making the point these are inferior methods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, there is the guy who recommends abandoning the use of textbooks. He made his case by writing a book – Ditch the Textbook<\/em>. If you wanted to explain your thinking on the superiority of ways to convey new ideas that are superior to a book, wouldn’t you make this case in a way other than by writing a book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I listen to a lot of podcasts when we spend long periods of time in the car or when I exercise. I found a similar anomaly with this method of presentation – educators who drone on about the problems with lectures. While some of these sessions are entertaining, they are seldom very efficient in offering information explaining the limitations of the instructor-dominated presentation and the topic only makes sense if the presentation is intended to demonstrate the limitations of one or two people talking at you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I think those who reject the lecture or the textbook have a strange understanding of how learning happens. Both lectures and textbooks tend to offer organized and efficient exposure to ideas. I read and listen to some things for entertainment, but I also read and listen to some things because I expect to be exposed to ideas from experts. I don’t expect exposure to be the end of the learning process<\/strong> and I don’t know a lecturer or textbook author who assumes listening or reading was the end of the learning process. I am looking for an efficient way to start the process of learning. I find myself irritated by presenters who decide I should be involved in social interactions or reflection experiences as a component of their presentation. I would rather the presenter allow me the opportunity to take ideas and process these ideas as I want. Peer discussion sometimes is helpful, but I want to start the process exposed to someone with something to offer and then to make my own decision whether discussion with other novices would be helpful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe the difference here is a matter of motivation. I read and watch\/listen to things I am motivated to learn. Perhaps I would prefer less efficient and externally controlled approaches if I would be put in situations in which I was asked to learn things that I must know, but don’t find interesting. I don’t think so. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Maybe I am just old and set in my ways, but the arguments rejecting traditional education practices (listening\/watching presentations and reading books) puzzle me. I enjoy both ways of becoming acquainted with new things. Partly, I am confused with the … Continue reading