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The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age (John D. and Catherine T. Macarthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning) (Paperback) - Common
In this report, Cathy Davidson and David Theo Goldberg focus on the
potential for shared and interactive learning made possible by the Internet. They
argue that the single most important characteristic of the Internet is its capacity
for world-wide community and the limitless exchange of ideas. The Internet brings
about a way of learning that is not new or revolutionary but is now the norm for
today's graduating high school and college classes. It is for this reason that
Davidson and Goldberg call on us to examine potential new models of digital learning
and rethink our virtually enabled and enhanced learning institutions.
Reports on Digital Media and Learning
potential for shared and interactive learning made possible by the Internet. They
argue that the single most important characteristic of the Internet is its capacity
for world-wide community and the limitless exchange of ideas. The Internet brings
about a way of learning that is not new or revolutionary but is now the norm for
today's graduating high school and college classes. It is for this reason that
Davidson and Goldberg call on us to examine potential new models of digital learning
and rethink our virtually enabled and enhanced learning institutions.
Reports on Digital Media and Learning
88 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
202 people are currently reading
408 people want to read
About the author
Cathy N. Davidson
51 books45 followersCathy N. Davidson served from 1998 until 2006 as the first Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies at Duke University, where she worked with faculty to help create many programs, including the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the program in Information Science + Information Studies (ISIS). She is the co-founder of Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory, HASTAC (haystack), a network of innovators dedicated to new forms of learning for the digital age. She is also co-director of the $2 million annual HASTAC/John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Competition. She has published more than twenty books, including Closing: The Life and Death of an American Factory (with photographer Bill Bamberger) and The Future of Thinking: Learning Institutions in a Digital Age (with HASTAC co-founder David Theo Goldberg). She blogs regularly on new media, learning, and innovation on the www.hastac.org website as Cat in the Stack. She holds two distinguished Chaired Professorships at Duke University, the Ruth F. DeVarney Professor of English and the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies. She has been awarded with Honorary Doctorates from Elmhurst College and Northwestern University."
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 30, 2011
The "Digital Age" that we live in has been the subject of many (too many?) books, articles, essays and blogs in recent times. Everyone who has not lived in a cave in the last few years realizes that the pace of technological advancement is increasing, and many of the traditional forms of communicating, working and shopping are continuously being redefined. Despite all of this, the role and the form of higher education have hardly changed, aside from PowerPoint presentations replacing most writing-on-a-blackboard styled ones. On the other hand, it is unclear whether any of these new technologies do in fact aid the learning process. As someone who has implemented many of these trends in college classes that I had taught, I have to admit that the jury is still out on the actual impact that the new digital technologies can have on students.
This short book raises many interesting points and it provides references to several novel learning and publishing tools that I will be happy to try out. The book itself was written using some of those tools in a very collaborative process. It provides a prescription for implementing many of these tools and techniques in academia. However, it is not clear to me what exactly would the implementation of those tools and teaching techniques accomplish. In fact, there is very little hard analysis in this book that one can find in most social-science publications. Overall, this book provides more starting points for further consideration than actionable ideas for further development of higher education. It is a worthwhile read if one doesn't expect too much.
This short book raises many interesting points and it provides references to several novel learning and publishing tools that I will be happy to try out. The book itself was written using some of those tools in a very collaborative process. It provides a prescription for implementing many of these tools and techniques in academia. However, it is not clear to me what exactly would the implementation of those tools and teaching techniques accomplish. In fact, there is very little hard analysis in this book that one can find in most social-science publications. Overall, this book provides more starting points for further consideration than actionable ideas for further development of higher education. It is a worthwhile read if one doesn't expect too much.
March 18, 2011
Like another reviewer, I enjoyed the Ichabod Crane reference, it is funny because it is true.
I agree with the authors on many levels. For example: "To ban sources such as Wikipedia is to miss the importance of a collaborative, knowledge-making impulse in humans who are willing to contribute, correct, and collect information without remuneration: by definition, this is education." and "It is not for nothing that the Internet is called the "Web," sometimes resembling a maze but more often than not serving as a productive if complex and challenging switchboard.".
A few good points with lots of words in-between. Unfortunately, not a lot of solutions and perhaps unfairly, I expected more substance.
I agree with the authors on many levels. For example: "To ban sources such as Wikipedia is to miss the importance of a collaborative, knowledge-making impulse in humans who are willing to contribute, correct, and collect information without remuneration: by definition, this is education." and "It is not for nothing that the Internet is called the "Web," sometimes resembling a maze but more often than not serving as a productive if complex and challenging switchboard.".
A few good points with lots of words in-between. Unfortunately, not a lot of solutions and perhaps unfairly, I expected more substance.
May 13, 2015
Stimulating. And, yes, a bit thin. I would like to read the full book.
Read
June 23, 2020 The book that I read for the month of September was The Future of Learning Institutions in the Digital Age. The main point of this book was to discuss how the digital age has expanded learning among many of its participants. The internet in itself provides information that was never available in the past. It offers a worldwide community in which people can explore and connect. In fact traditional learning institutions (schools, libraries, community centers) have adopted the internet as a learning source. The book continues on to discuss the digital divide and it feels that traditional institutions are a reason the digital divide still exists. Modes of learning have changed dramatically in past two to three decades. Sources of information have changed. The ways in which we interact and exchange information has changed. How information informs/shapes us has changed but traditional learning institutions have not changed that much. Just basic things within these institutions have changed but the overall concept remains intact. The example the book uses is that of a school or university. It explains that computer labs have been incorporated as well as other technology such as smart boards and projection units. Although these things have been adopted many things have not. If our grandparents were to walk into a classroom today they would know where to sit, who to listen to, and mainly how to conduct themselves through-out the day. It is understood that education the way it is has been successful for many years but more adaptation should be taking place to include digital technology. The point of this book was not to condemn traditional institutions but to encourage them to adopt more change and try new things. Some institutions have made attempts to adapt by adding online programs. These are great but the authors of the book would like to see more.
The book discusses 10 principles to be examined when thinking about making changes for the future of learning. I will only list them and not go into great detail. Reading the book will bring more insight.
Self-learning
Horizontal Structures
Presumed Authority to Collective Credibility
A De-Centered Pedagogy
Networked Learning
Open Source Education
Learning as Connectivity and Interactivity
Lifelong Learning
Learning Institutions as Mobilizing Networks
Flexible Scalability and Simulation
The book directly related to my year of service because I have many clients who have already adapted to using virtual institutions. There are many sites over the net that are dedicated to educational purposes. In fact GED tests are all administered online now. I have one client who attends high school online and he uses Oak Park computer lab to complete his tasks and assignments. Also, the book does focus on the digital divide which the main reason the CTEP program exists. The book explains that with new technology being adopted more rapidly within traditional institutions that the digital divide should close at a more rapid rate. We live in the fourth great information age, the age of the internet. It is still very new in the overall scheme of things but it is time for our culture to full adapt to it. The internet should be like a TV, or a phone. The goal should be for everyone to have access. Changes within institutions will only encourage this concept.
I recommend this book to other CTEP members who want to get a different take on ways technology should be incorporated in learning institutions. This is for people who believe that we are not using the technology available to us to its fullest extent. One example the book used was to incorporate a course to be taught through a video game using virtual worlds and complete environments. I thought this was an interesting idea and one that is already being incorporated in some schools.
The book discusses 10 principles to be examined when thinking about making changes for the future of learning. I will only list them and not go into great detail. Reading the book will bring more insight.
Self-learning
Horizontal Structures
Presumed Authority to Collective Credibility
A De-Centered Pedagogy
Networked Learning
Open Source Education
Learning as Connectivity and Interactivity
Lifelong Learning
Learning Institutions as Mobilizing Networks
Flexible Scalability and Simulation
The book directly related to my year of service because I have many clients who have already adapted to using virtual institutions. There are many sites over the net that are dedicated to educational purposes. In fact GED tests are all administered online now. I have one client who attends high school online and he uses Oak Park computer lab to complete his tasks and assignments. Also, the book does focus on the digital divide which the main reason the CTEP program exists. The book explains that with new technology being adopted more rapidly within traditional institutions that the digital divide should close at a more rapid rate. We live in the fourth great information age, the age of the internet. It is still very new in the overall scheme of things but it is time for our culture to full adapt to it. The internet should be like a TV, or a phone. The goal should be for everyone to have access. Changes within institutions will only encourage this concept.
I recommend this book to other CTEP members who want to get a different take on ways technology should be incorporated in learning institutions. This is for people who believe that we are not using the technology available to us to its fullest extent. One example the book used was to incorporate a course to be taught through a video game using virtual worlds and complete environments. I thought this was an interesting idea and one that is already being incorporated in some schools.
February 6, 2018
Old but not dated
This book is 9 years old and the context has not changed. Universities have moved online driven by market forces but the model of learning has not changed.
This book is 9 years old and the context has not changed. Universities have moved online driven by market forces but the model of learning has not changed.
January 3, 2017
Ha! The book serves as a wonderful rebuttal to its own points. The authors bravely crowdsourced the whole dang book, writing it on the 2007 equivalent of a google doc shared with anyone who had an internet connection. The writing lacks a voice, and jarringly shifts with each paragraph. It's also bloated and full of EXACTLY the right word choices - which means I hadn't even seen some of the words. I've seen "epistemological" plenty, but I can't quite wrap my head around it. And what the heck is "reified?" (yeah, I have a dictionary. thanks.) It's clear that although everyone around was editing, no one was actually an editor. "You can write, but you can't edit," quoth Regina Spektor. It ends up being largely unreadable, with a dozen five-or-more-syllable words per sentence.
Anywho, the book is very optimistic. It encourages staid learning institutions to wake the heck up regarding the enormous shift in human thought that has just occurred. Let students use wikipedia (because it is "the definition of learning"), and start allowing collaboration on everything. In fact, some of their excitement is centered on what I believe has now become a major problem. "Learning is shifting from issues of authoritativeness to issues of credibility." Indeed, we now have a culture that disdains experts and supports every member having their own take on reality. If some slick group can create the feeling of credibility, then you'll stop vaccinating your kids, think that your actions can't possibly be affecting the WHOLE WORLD'S ENVIRONMENT, and decide that human life begins whenever is most convenient for you.
See the first paragraph for how successful the book was in convincing me to overturn my staid ways.
Anywho, the book is very optimistic. It encourages staid learning institutions to wake the heck up regarding the enormous shift in human thought that has just occurred. Let students use wikipedia (because it is "the definition of learning"), and start allowing collaboration on everything. In fact, some of their excitement is centered on what I believe has now become a major problem. "Learning is shifting from issues of authoritativeness to issues of credibility." Indeed, we now have a culture that disdains experts and supports every member having their own take on reality. If some slick group can create the feeling of credibility, then you'll stop vaccinating your kids, think that your actions can't possibly be affecting the WHOLE WORLD'S ENVIRONMENT, and decide that human life begins whenever is most convenient for you.
See the first paragraph for how successful the book was in convincing me to overturn my staid ways.
February 16, 2016
The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age, By Cathy N. Davidson and David Theo Goldberg, is a precursor to the The Future of Thinking, which a longer exposition of the ideas in this report (As the authors have chosen to call it). In that sense, this one, is a good first read. [Free download]
The report discusses the current status of education institutions and asks of the resistance to change, which perhaps is caused by the continuous success that these organisations have enjoyed for a few centuries now. Even where technology is present, it is subservient to the structures and hierarchies of the institutional mentality, which in turn, is not exploiting the potential of the technology that is available to us.
As the authors mention, this is a struggle to move from presumed authority to collective credibility. Key elements that are the defining characteristics of the models for digital, networked, and participatory learning are discussed in brief.
While these models are already in place and people around the world are already accessing them, the question is: when (and under what circumstances) will formal institutions converge to these new models.
For those of us working with technology in education, it’s a good read, even if we have thought (and worked) with these ideas in some form.
For me, the key takeaway was the use of technology in education needs to be free from the traditional codex structure, which is what most eLearning is in these days.
The report discusses the current status of education institutions and asks of the resistance to change, which perhaps is caused by the continuous success that these organisations have enjoyed for a few centuries now. Even where technology is present, it is subservient to the structures and hierarchies of the institutional mentality, which in turn, is not exploiting the potential of the technology that is available to us.
As the authors mention, this is a struggle to move from presumed authority to collective credibility. Key elements that are the defining characteristics of the models for digital, networked, and participatory learning are discussed in brief.
While these models are already in place and people around the world are already accessing them, the question is: when (and under what circumstances) will formal institutions converge to these new models.
For those of us working with technology in education, it’s a good read, even if we have thought (and worked) with these ideas in some form.
For me, the key takeaway was the use of technology in education needs to be free from the traditional codex structure, which is what most eLearning is in these days.
September 1, 2012
many things to think about concerning collaborative learning... read it and we'll chat :-)
February 18, 2015
very good
May 5, 2015
nice
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews