[Air-L] What's "Lost" in the Google age of Research?

[mhward]

Tara made some good points in Digital Hemlock, but it seemed to me that she
muddled up the push to technology in universities with a lot of political
agendas, implying that it would be the death of good teacher-student
relations, then told us how brilliant she was as a teacher, and how fabulous
her online discussions were. If hers were so good, why shouldn't there be
more of it? Or maybe she has such a special gift that no-one else could pull
it off? As we know, so many people assume anything 'on the web' to be a kind
of second best to 'the real thing', whether it be Facebook friendships,
YouTube videos, or education.

There is quite lot of 'good' use of all kinds of technology going on, at
least at the uni I work in. For example, I have managed the creation of
lecturer-requested resources to prepare students for stuff they will do in
science, like field trips and abattoir visits. The students also use these
later for revision. These sites aren't meant to replace the experience, but
rather to deepen the student's ability to understand what is going on while
they are there.

I don't think anyone now would argue that *all* instruction should be
web-based. I haven't seen anyone make that argument, at least not for a
while. But there seems to me there is no doubt that 'good' web-based
resources can really help students become more independent learners.

M-H



On 12/11/08 3:55 PM, "Denise N. Rall" <denrall at yahoo.com> wrote:

> In 2002, Tara Brabazon wrote a treatise called "Digital Hemlock" and in that
> book she disected Powerpoint and its dominant role in the 'new' classroom.
> Interesting that now she's onto google . . .
> 
> I suppose there's 'bad' technology, then there's the poor use of 'bad'
> technology, then there's 'good' technology, then there's the poor use or
> implementation of 'good technology' . . . .
> 
> There is some evidence that students want more than web-based instruction -
> the point was made by Phil Agre in his chapter in "Digital Acdeme" in 2002 and
> I wonder if that point can still be made in 2008?
> 
> Cheers, Denise
> 
> 
> Denise N. Rall, PhD. Internationalisation Project Officer
> Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW 2480 AUSTRALIA
> Office: Room T2.17, +61 (0)2 6620 3577 Mobile 0438 233 344
> http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/esm/staff/pages/drall/
> Presenter, Internet Research 9.0, 15-18 October 2008, Copenhagen, DK
> 
> 
> --- On Tue, 11/11/08, Peter Timusk <ptimusk at sympatico.ca> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
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