Computers are better than teachers.

[Blind groper]

I am reading Dr. Peter Diamandis book "Abundance".

He comments on an experiment carried out in Africa. A computer was made available to a few impoverished children, who did not go to school. The computer was connected to the internet. No instructions given on how to use it. A few months later, the kid's progress was measured. The children 'playing' with the computer were learning several times as quickly as the ones going to school.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Lovely, but what about long term learning. Would the kids voluntarily find and use programs that would teach them calculus?

[orpheus]

There are a huge number of factors that can seriously hamper a teacher's effectiveness. What was the school like? How many students in each classroom? What kind of administrative support and materials did the teachers have? Etc. And even in the best of circumstances, teachers vary. Some are excellent, some are lousy - just like any other profession. In this situation, it sounds like the most one could claim is that those children learned more from that computer than the particular teacher or teachers at that particular school.

[Blind groper]

The section of the book is too complex for me to restate it well. The experiment I mentioned was just the beginning. A number of other, and similar experiments were also carried out, including some in the USA. It appears that kids simply playing with computers is a deeper and richer learning experience than school.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"deeper and richer"? Defined as...

[Blind groper]

"deeper and richer"? Defined as...

Not sure I can answer that. I did not write the book.

Diamandis, though, has put the education emphasis on things other than rote learning. He regards skills as more important. Methods of thinking as more important. Finding facts is more important than memorising them. He says the main things to learn are the old fashioned three r's - reading, writing and arithmetic - plus various skills including critical thinking.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"deeper and richer"? Defined as...

Not sure I can answer that. I did not write the book.

Diamandis, though, has put the education emphasis on things other than rote learning. He regards skills as more important. Methods of thinking as more important. Finding facts is more important than memorising them. He says the main things to learn are the old fashioned three r's - reading, writing and arithmetic - plus various skills including critical thinking.

"Well rounded education", that's what worries me about self-directed learning. You have to put in time on subjects that aren't immediately interesting to you. Undergrad versus Grad School at Purdue was like this. I took course that filled my requirements for a degree, but I would have been happy to take nothing but History, Sociology and Psychology courses.

[Rum]

One assumes they could read...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

One assumes they could read...

I thought you worked at a school?

Or is that Kev?

[Rum]

One assumes they could read...

I thought you worked at a school?

Or is that Kev?

What?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

One assumes they could read...

I thought you worked at a school?

Or is that Kev?

What?

If you worked at a school you'd know how many students can actually read. At least in the US.

But for a reply answer to your comment: Yes, they'd need initial schooling just to be able to comprehend what they are seeing on the screen. Perhaps an intranet, with limited choices and testing requirements to gain greater access to the web would be workable?

And a slight derail. I've read about villages in India that have no electricity, but have a computer available. People who want to use it have to take a turn on the bicycle-powered generator first. (Or sucker someone else into doing the work for them, of course.)

[Rum]

In a sense schools worked for me..

[Gawdzilla Sama]

In a sense schools worked for me..

They were always my play grounds. Never had any problems with the course work in any school, and they had libraries!!!!

[pErvinalia]

I am reading Dr. Peter Diamandis book "Abundance".

He comments on an experiment carried out in Africa. A computer was made available to a few impoverished children, who did not go to school. The computer was connected to the internet. No instructions given on how to use it. A few months later, the kid's progress was measured. The children 'playing' with the computer were learning several times as quickly as the ones going to school.

I bet they were looking at porn!

[Clinton Huxley]

Well, if one experiment in Africa, written up by some businessman says its true,it must be.....is there a reference for the study?