E-learning: An Opportunity to E-learning: An Opportunity to Meld Modern Technology and Meld Modern Technology and

Ancient Wisdom?Ancient Wisdom?

INTERACT 2007 PANELINTERACT 2007 PANEL12 September, 200712 September, 2007Rio De Janeiro, BrasilRio De Janeiro, Brasil

John C. ThomasJohn C. ThomasIBM T. J. Watson Research CenterIBM T. J. Watson Research Center

jcthomas@us.ibm.comjcthomas@us.ibm.comwww.truthtable.comwww.truthtable.com

““Ancient Learning” Ancient Learning” Context/ContentContext/Content

Cultures vary not only by geography but by timeCultures vary not only by geography but by time

• Example: Learning edible wild plantsExample: Learning edible wild plants• Context: Seeing plants in their actual Context: Seeing plants in their actual

context; walking, bending, plucking, diggingcontext; walking, bending, plucking, digging• Motivation: Staying alive and healthyMotivation: Staying alive and healthy• Reinforcement delay: Seconds to hours; Reinforcement delay: Seconds to hours;

occasionally longeroccasionally longer• Senses Used: Sight, hearing, touch, smell, Senses Used: Sight, hearing, touch, smell,

tastetaste

““Modern Learning” Modern Learning” Context/ContentContext/Content

• Example: Learning the names of the Example: Learning the names of the American PresidentsAmerican Presidents

• Context: Sitting (still) in a classroomContext: Sitting (still) in a classroom

• Motivation: Teacher’s approvalMotivation: Teacher’s approval

• Reinforcement delay: Hours or DaysReinforcement delay: Hours or Days

• Senses used: Sight, hearingSenses used: Sight, hearing

Can modern technology Can modern technology help?help?

• Allow for more contextualized learning?Allow for more contextualized learning?

• Enhance motivation?Enhance motivation?

• Provide more immediate reinforcement?Provide more immediate reinforcement?

• Involve more senses?Involve more senses?

Some Pedagogical PatternsSome Pedagogical Patterns

• Diverse learners best served by Diverse learners best served by diverse methodsdiverse methods

• Lesson learned may not be lesson Lesson learned may not be lesson intendedintended

• Mastery of the base comes from using Mastery of the base comes from using in a greater context (shot selection in in a greater context (shot selection in golf; dice counting & money in golf; dice counting & money in monopoly)monopoly)

• Rebellion leads to greater synthesisRebellion leads to greater synthesis

The Walking PeopleThe Walking People – – Paula UnderwoodPaula Underwood

• Transcribed oral history of part of the Iroquois Transcribed oral history of part of the Iroquois tribe tribe

• Understanding that the survival of the people Understanding that the survival of the people depended on knowledge creation and sharing depended on knowledge creation and sharing across generationsacross generations

• Found an abandoned child and the tribe failed Found an abandoned child and the tribe failed to teach and socialize --- this was not an to teach and socialize --- this was not an occasion to label and blame the child but to occasion to label and blame the child but to cause deep reflection and changecause deep reflection and change

Patterns fromPatterns from Liberating Voices! A Liberating Voices! A Pattern Language for Communication Pattern Language for Communication Revolution Revolution www.cpsr.org/program/sphere/www.cpsr.org/program/sphere/patternpatterns s

• Teaching to Transgress: Encouraging the Teaching to Transgress: Encouraging the Next Generation to QuestionNext Generation to Question

• Education and Values: Consciously Consider Education and Values: Consciously Consider Values in EducationValues in Education

• Open Access Scholarly Publishing: Open Access Scholarly Publishing: Circumventing the For-Profit BottleneckCircumventing the For-Profit Bottleneck

Pattern: named solution to a recurring Pattern: named solution to a recurring problemproblem

• First developed by Christopher Alexander First developed by Christopher Alexander and colleagues in physical architectureand colleagues in physical architecture

• Since applied to a wide variety of domains Since applied to a wide variety of domains including OO design, programming including OO design, programming process, management, HCI, socio-process, management, HCI, socio-technical, and pedagogytechnical, and pedagogy

• Attempts to provide a “middle ground” of Attempts to provide a “middle ground” of appropriate level of generalizationappropriate level of generalization

• Includes problem statement, context, Includes problem statement, context, analysis of problem, solution, discussionanalysis of problem, solution, discussion

Teaching to TransgressTeaching to Transgress

• Obviously, good teachers try their best to Obviously, good teachers try their best to teach what they believe to be correct. Yet, teach what they believe to be correct. Yet, the world changes so that what was true is the world changes so that what was true is no longer true and what was once irrelevant no longer true and what was once irrelevant becomes important, even vital. Further, even becomes important, even vital. Further, even with respect to things that do not objectively with respect to things that do not objectively change, new knowledge is continually change, new knowledge is continually created. It is natural for students to identify created. It is natural for students to identify with good teachers and to value their with good teachers and to value their knowledge highly. A possible side-effect of knowledge highly. A possible side-effect of this basically good process, however, is that this basically good process, however, is that the student may become reluctant to “go the student may become reluctant to “go against” the teaching of their against” the teaching of their mentor/hero/professor. This reluctance mentor/hero/professor. This reluctance occurs, not just with respect to individual occurs, not just with respect to individual teachers, but also with respect to the society teachers, but also with respect to the society as a whole.as a whole.

Teaching to TransgressTeaching to Transgress

• Therefore:Therefore:

In order to help prevent stagnation of In order to help prevent stagnation of knowledge, one useful strategy is for knowledge, one useful strategy is for the teacher, as an integral part of the teacher, as an integral part of their teaching, to teach their teaching, to teach “transgression”; that is, to go against “transgression”; that is, to go against the “received wisdom” --- to test and the “received wisdom” --- to test and rebel against it. The scope of such rebel against it. The scope of such transgression should be wide and transgression should be wide and include all of a society's rules, include all of a society's rules, prejudices, and attitudes.prejudices, and attitudes.

Dynamic Learning Dynamic Learning EnvironmentEnvironment• Based on Learning ObjectsBased on Learning Objects• Allows recombination of materials Allows recombination of materials

from numerous sourcesfrom numerous sources• Learner chooses material according Learner chooses material according

to time constraints, goals, types of to time constraints, goals, types of material, subject mattermaterial, subject matter

• System uses ontology and metadata System uses ontology and metadata to organize into coherent lessonto organize into coherent lesson

Dynamic Learning Dynamic Learning EnvironmentEnvironment

• Developed via iterative design and testingDeveloped via iterative design and testing• Two large scale field trialsTwo large scale field trials• Experimental investigation shows it Experimental investigation shows it

allowed learners to create “better” allowed learners to create “better” designs than control group using search designs than control group using search engineengine

• Won Brandon Hall Gold Medal for Won Brandon Hall Gold Medal for technical innovation in e-learningtechnical innovation in e-learning

• Available on alphaworksAvailable on alphaworks

Dynamic Learning Dynamic Learning EnvironmentEnvironment

• Our cultural context: IBMersOur cultural context: IBMers

• Earlier studies showed IBM “culture” Earlier studies showed IBM “culture” dominated geographical culturedominated geographical culture

• Our users had background in ITOur users had background in IT

• Typically, highly motivatedTypically, highly motivated

• Highly time-constrainedHighly time-constrained

• Need for Just-In-Time TrainingNeed for Just-In-Time Training

ReferencesReferences

• Farrell, R., Thomas, J. Rubin, B., Gordin, D., Katriel, A., O’Donnell, R., Fuller, Farrell, R., Thomas, J. Rubin, B., Gordin, D., Katriel, A., O’Donnell, R., Fuller, E., and Rolando, S. Personalized just-in-time dynamic assembly of learning E., and Rolando, S. Personalized just-in-time dynamic assembly of learning objects. E-learning 2004. November, 2004.objects. E-learning 2004. November, 2004.

• Farrell, R., Liburd, S., and Thomas, J. Dynamic Assembly of Learning Farrell, R., Liburd, S., and Thomas, J. Dynamic Assembly of Learning Objects. www2004. Objects. www2004.

• Farrell, R., Thomas, J., Dooley, S., Rubin, W., Levy, S., O’Donnell, R., Fuller, Farrell, R., Thomas, J., Dooley, S., Rubin, W., Levy, S., O’Donnell, R., Fuller, E. Learner-driven assembly of Web-based courseware. E-learn 2003, E. Learner-driven assembly of Web-based courseware. E-learn 2003, Phoenix, Arizona, Nov. 7-11, 2003. Phoenix, Arizona, Nov. 7-11, 2003.

• Farrell, R., Dooley, S., Thomas, J., Rubin, B. And Levy, S. Implementing and Farrell, R., Dooley, S., Thomas, J., Rubin, B. And Levy, S. Implementing and extending Learning Object Metadata for learning-based assembly of extending Learning Object Metadata for learning-based assembly of computer-based training. Learning Technology Newsletter, Vol.5, 1, computer-based training. Learning Technology Newsletter, Vol.5, 1, January, 2003, 14-16.January, 2003, 14-16.

• Thomas, J. & Farrell, R. An experimental investigation of the effectiveness Thomas, J. & Farrell, R. An experimental investigation of the effectiveness of individualized web-based learning based on the dynamic assembly of of individualized web-based learning based on the dynamic assembly of learning objects. IBM Research Report, 2004.learning objects. IBM Research Report, 2004.

• John C. Thomas and Robert G. Farrell. HCI Techniques from Idea to John C. Thomas and Robert G. Farrell. HCI Techniques from Idea to Deployment: A Case Study for a Dynamic Learning Environment. CHI 2006 Deployment: A Case Study for a Dynamic Learning Environment. CHI 2006 - ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Association - ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Association for Computing Machinery, December 2005. for Computing Machinery, December 2005.

• Underwood, P. Underwood, P. The Walking People. The Walking People. San Anselmo, CA:San Anselmo, CA: Tribe of Two Press.Tribe of Two Press.

• Liberating VoicesLiberating Voices! A ! A Pattern LanguagePattern Language for Social Change for Social Change

• Liberating VoicesLiberating Voices! Public Sphere ! Public Sphere Project Logo. A Project Logo. A Pattern LanguagePattern Language for for Communication Revolution. People use Communication Revolution. People use a vast universe of information and a vast universe of information and communication communication ......www.cpsr.org/program/sphere/www.cpsr.org/program/sphere/patternpatterns s