Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ "Should the Computer Teach the Student..." — 30 Years Later

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
An odd article. 30 years ago, the author presented a paper called "Should the Computer Teach the Student, or Vice-Versa?" at a Boston conference. This article revisits that paper. But it does so without any insight as to what is happening in online learning today. "The computer as tutor (then called CAI) is today limited to a few useful keyboarding tutorials and some drill-and-kill programs still inflicted on kids in mainly inner-city schools." So far as I can see, the whole field of computer mediated instruction and e-learning has been overlooked - perhaps it doesn't count, in his mind. The article then proceeds to a discussion of the teaching (or the failure to teach, as it turns out) programming languages in schools. Last week I heard Brandon Hall say nothing is happening in K-12 schools. Today I see this. I don't believe it. Perhaps U.S. schools are lagging behind Canada (where there is plenty of activity). But I refuse to believe that there is nothing happening, refuse to believe it because I know it is happening and cover it here (just click on [Research] and select 'Schools' for my coverage).

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

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Last Updated: May 02, 2024 2:44 p.m.

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