What's the relationship between learning and performance? How would Dewey respond to Ellul? How do YOU respond?
carey campbell
(ctcampbe@uiuc.edu)
(not ready to use)
ASK
Subject Areas
| Education, Information Science, Philosophy, Vocational Education |
Grade Levels
Unit Keywords
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learning, performance, Ellul, Dewey, Education and Experience, technique, instructional design, lis450pt |
Open Directory Category
Rationale of the Unit
Purpose: The main thrust of this discussion will consist of exploring Ellul and an example of a current related debate, relating these to our own experience, and discussing these in light of readings from Dewey and Hickman.
Importance: This is important because much of our work might be done around adults and/or in technical settings that may seem to require a very "traditional" method of instruction in some of the ways Dewey describes. |
Background and Resources
BACKGROUND
This is about a 7-year old debate in HRD and is probably similar to ones talked about in several other fields.
Below see one of the latest papers where this is being discussed. You'll notice that the author is using 3 different perspectives for each "side" of the issues and inverting them in different ways. When the debate first began, people took sides on the issue and argued in terms of two different categories, whereas two things have happened now: First one scholar cited a significant study that asked what people wanted from work: their answer: "meaning." Secondly, the Holton paper was published. I won’t provide all the background articles nor ask that you read them. Instead, refer to the following:
* Here is Holton's article, discussed above: http://www.edholton.com/natureofPerf.htm (a short piece).
* Front matter to Ellul's "The Technological Society."
http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/~chip/teach/courses/pragmatic/fa02/ellul.html (another short piece.)
* To perhaps gain some perspective on how this fits into LIS, see this article on information, learning and performance support: http://www.geocities.com/ok_bcurt/Elearningiswhat.htm (longish, optional, but informative).
* See also Dewey’s “Education and Experience,” particularly Sections 4,5, and 6.*
Note that this inquiry was developed for those in a class in "Pragmatic Technology." This terms comes from Larry Hickman's Book, "Dewey's Pragmatic Technology." It would, then, be very useful to read this or become familiar with "pragmatic technology" before-hand, though it is not necessary to do so.
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Activities and Open-ended problems
Activities/Questions:
Before Class, keep this question in mind while reading Ellul's brief material: What is "technique" and how does it differ from "technology" and "pragmatic technology"?
During class: Opening (Aloud): Whitman's "Years of the Modern" |
Dialogues, Discussions, and Presentations
Discuss responses to the above questions and explore the following questions:
* What is an example of "technique" from your experience?
* What was the context and what did it feel like?
* If the connotations with this experience are negative, does Pragmatic Technology provide a way of positively addressing that experience?
* What sort of "controls" and planning/prediction does Dewey suggest ARE appropriate and why?
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Assessment, Related Questions, and Story of the Unit
ASSESSMENT
RELATED QUESTIONS
STORY OF THE UNIT -- How did it go?
RESPONSES FROM OTHERS (teachers)
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