Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
Sometimes your terminology is your own worst enemy. For example, academics use the term 'curiosity-driven research' to describe work that doesn't produce immediate commercial results. But such research is based on much more than curiosity, and its value is much greater than the word 'curiosity' suggests. The same with this article. The phrase 'passion-driven schools', when posed as an alternative to the data-driven model, does not really depict an attractive alternative. You want your schools to be founded on something a little more credible than 'passion'. After all, quackery and charlatanism thrive very well in passion-based environments. But the idea of data-driven schools is exceptionally unattractive because it leaves out what really matters in schooling - not simply 'passion', not simply 'curiosity', but something to do with the relation between student, subject and culture. A better phrase is needed. Because a better school is needed.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

Copyright 2024
Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 5:47 p.m.

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