-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- Dear Dubai University: I note from your web site that "The Dubai Internet City will be the home to the world's first Internet University"; I also note that the "Information Sciences Innovations Conference", http://www.icsc.ab.ca/isi2001.htm will be held next year under your sponsorship (with others). Please consider my dictum from the subject line above, in the context of both. "Robotized Education" is the fastest and best way I can think of for "technology transfer". I will lead a workshop on this at Alife 7 in Oregon this summer. Thousands of people have already been given every opportunity to refute this dictum with its implications on Internet "lists" or discussion groups. No-one has done so and the dialogue below indicates the kind of debate which is taking place. In the final analysis it gets down to WORKED EXAMPLES. I would be happy to collaborate with any of the Dubai University staff to provide more worked examples.Given enough of these we have "proof of concept". Another way of saying it is that we need to start putting every course we can on computer disk. That will turn education into a COMMODITY, "educational software", which can then be scrutinized and improved upon by millions. Sincerely-FWP. >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 18:10:05 -0800 >From: Franklin Wayne Poley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: Tony Bates <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [FUTURE-CITIES] Robotized Education: All That Matters Is Whether > It "Works". > >From: "Franklin Wayne Poley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>No, I'm sorry, I don't agree that we could replace teachers with robots >>because of the Internet. > >No need to apologize, Dr. Bates. This wouldn't be much fun if everyone >agreed with me. I'll explain a little more what I am doing but the final >analysis just depends on worked examples. If I can get a fair sampling of >these I can give "proof of concept". > I agree with your comments below in the sense that there are indeed human >activities which presently cannot be taught by machine or any other way. If >any teacher knows how to teach students to write Shakespeare-quality plays, >he or she must be keeping it very quiet. If your program at UBC requires >creative writing for over-the-internet instruction it is limited in the >extent to which this art can be passed on to students. I have said >repeatedly in discussing this topic that ARTS, CRAFTS and ATHLETICS aren't >yet amenable to teaching machine instruction. The main reason is that we >don't yet know how people do what they do in much of arts, crafts and >athletics so we can't teach the "how to" part of these activities. In >computing science terms we don't yet know the algorithms. > By contrast we do know how we do what we do when it comes to >INTELLECTUAL, SCHOLARLY, ACADEMIC subjects (using those words for lack of >any better). If I write out the 50 or so steps for using a combination of >Windows, FTP and Netscape programs and you follow those steps exactly you >will succeed in converting a text file to html which then goes on a web >site, linked to other web sites. OTOH I can try to teach you how to play >snooker like Minnesota Fats for the next 20 years and probably won't >succeed. > > Indeed, it is almost the opposite. For many >>years in distance education we designed well structured print materials >>often using Skinnerian principles of automated feedback, in the form of >>test and questions, but all the time this limited both our teaching >>objectives and the deeper levels of understanding for our students. > >I am not a Skinnerian as such. But I think teaching machine programming >(TMP) is an idea whose time has come, especially if combined with expert >system programming (ESP). I am hoping that Cisco Systems will consider what >I am saying in the context of its Net Aid Program with UNDP, >http://www.netaid.org .The web site says, "Net Aid's vision is to harness >this power and use the Internet as a medium of social and economic change." >By combining TMP and ESP techniques, major knowledge transfers to the >poorest countries can take place rapidly while maintaining the integrity of >global free market economics. Let me explain. > A well designed ESP enables the layman to function as an expert. It >allows the layman to do WHAT the expert does. A well designed TMP enables >the student to understand HOW something is done. Consider a pocket >calculator as a machine with ESP. The layman is able to function as well as >a top notch expert in mental arithmetic by using the calculator. The >calculator could also be given TMP along with its ESP. For example it could >give a monologue on how binary arithmetic works. It could go further and >explain how electric charges are arranged, rearranged and transferred >through circuits to do arithmetic operations by binary algorithms. An FAQ >section could present some useful dialogues to accompany the >monologue-lectures. > I think this combining of TMP and ESP can be done for many thousands of >areas of expertise. But as I said in the introduction it gets down to worked >examples. If I am correct, the dictum becomes: > >IF IT CAN BE TAUGHT BY HUMAN OVER THE INTERNET IT CAN BE TAUGHT BY >ROBOT OVER THE INTERNET. > >That is the main point I will be making at the A Life 7 Conference this >summer, http://alife7.alife.org .The tentative title is, "How To Make Xavier >More Lively, Lucid and Learned Than Any Professor At CMU". See >http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~Xavier/ .Xavier, connected to CMU's mainframe >computer could DISPENSE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE IN THOUSANDS OF SUBJECTS >using a combination of TMP and ESP. >A human professor doing this would be rated as the most learned professor on >the planet; why not Xavier? > Over the years I have taken courses for credit from four Canadian >universities (Carleton, Alberta, Guelph and SFU) and I have taught in two >university/college systems (Alberta and BC). What I have said above applies >to everything I have been taught or taught to others. I have therefore >posted a notice to thousands of discussants on relevant lists like >[EMAIL PROTECTED], the Distance Ed List, and thankfully I am now working on >lessons with two collaborators in two different and technical fields...C++ >programming and electrical engineering. > I would welcome other demonstrations too. For example, we have exchanged >some email with Michael Gaffney at Unexus, >http://www.northi.com/emba/calendar.html >concerning the 100% by-Internet MBA from Unexus. If Unexus has a teacher who >is expert in the accountancy procedure for allocating assets and liabilities >upon dissolution of a complex partnership agreement then we could use that >for another demonstration. As I remember it from many years ago this is a >senior undergraduate lesson. It is considered to be quite complex, technical >and difficult. After working it through using the TMP/ESP principles the >lesson could then be downloaded to Xavier and accessed by anybody on the >planet who is involved in a business partnership. > > >>The beauty of the Internet for distance education is that it allows us >>to put students into discussion not just with their teachers but with >>each other. This allows students to draw on their own experience, have >>it challenged by other students and their teacher, then refined to fit >>their own circumstances. >> >>The human mind is far more complex and efficient in processing and >>assessing uncertain and conflicting information than any machine, and it >>is the opportunity for asynchronous, reflective thinking that makes the >>Internet so powerful as a teaching medium, not its ability to deliver an >>infinite amount of information, or providing mechanized feedback. > >I repeat that arts, crafts and athletics are not yet amenable to robotized >education. Xavier can't help much in teaching creative writing or creative >thinking because we don't know much about the algorithms. Given that, to >what extent can Xavier with a multitude of lessons designed using TMP/ESP >principles be used to help the cause now championed by Cisco/UNDP? My answer >is, A great deal. > > Consider Jacque Fresco's "resource-based economics" concept from The >Venus Project, http://www.nas.com/venus . It is 100% sound and I agree with >the editors of The Futurist magazine that Fresco is in a league with great >modern thinkers like Buckminster Fuller. Remember the old saying that "If >you don't grow it you mine it". >Beginning with the natural resources of livestock and seeds plus minerals >and "know how" you can build up all of the amenities (goods and services) >for the modern lifestyle which most of the world wants. That know how could >be accessed by anyone on the planet having an Internet connection by >emailing in to Xavier the Robot. The stockpile of the natural resources >needed to build up an economy is very inexpensive. Teaching units designed >with TMP/ESP principles in mind will plummet in price as global competition >for this multi-billion dollar educational software market takes place. I >wouldn't be surprised to see courses at 1% of today's costs in 5-10 years. >That being so, this will be the greatest breakthrough in pedagogy since the >printing press. Putting it all together, this software will instruct people >on how to create villages and cities whose structure and functioning is in >accord with the modern lifestyle sought by most of the world. > Yes, it takes more than technology to build a >society/culture/civilization. But it looks to me like the peoples of this >planet can provide very well for themselves when it comes to art, sculpting >or soccer teams. Where they need the help is with the technology transfer as >described above. Cisco can kick start this if it wants by using those >TMP/ESP principles to make its IT degree accessible to anyone on the planet, >all on computer disks for Xavier (or Xaviera). That should be "proof of >concept" enough for anybody. Either it works or it doesn't. We can talk ed >psych theory until the proverbial cows come home. Just give me access to >Cisco's IT program with keen and co-operative instructor-experts for the >various units who want the world to have maximum opportunity to learn and >use the training. Start with a few examples. Either it works or it doesn't. >We will all soon find out. > Excuse me, my CD music player just came to the end so I have to turn the >CD over and play the flip side. >Sincerely-FWP. > >http://users.uniserve.com/~culturex/Machine-Psychology.htm > > >>Dr. Tony Bates, >>Director, Distance Education and Technology, >>Continuing Studies, >>University of British Columbia, >>Room 1170, 2329 West Mall, >>Vancouver, B.C., >>Canada V6T 1Z4 >> >>Tel.: (1)-604-822-1646 >>Fax: (1)-604-822-8636 >>Web site: http://bates.cstudies.ubc.ca <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soap-boxing! 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