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It is obvious that each minute spent memorizing is one
less minute available for thinking. Thus, it is reasonable to ask, ``what is
the appropriate balance between
time spent learning, memorizing and thinking?''
Learning takes place in many forms, we are sure, but for us, learning
is easiest when we have a frame of reference, a sort of mental
scaffolding or mental picture, on which we can hang new facts and
extend our understanding. Main ideas are the structural elements of our
mental picture or scaffold. Usually, we start with an over-simplified
view of some concept - with just the most primitive framework. We then
add detail as necessary that completes enough of our picture so that we
can readily visualize the answer to some question (our problem). Its
obvious that we will not often need the completed picture in order to
answer a question - but only that segment of the picture that is relevant
to our immediate question.
Where do we obtain the detailed elements used to build our
picture? The internet and commodity computing provides
an adjunct to our memory in such a way that our faulty human memory
can be replaced,
in many respects, by a faultless internet memory. These computer memories,
distributed around the world and connected by the internet, create the
possibility of an internet-centric work environment where our thinking
is augmented by internet access to information resources around the world.
If you accept this paradigm, then education should shift its emphasis
from traditional learning (with a dominant memorizing component) to
problem-solving where thinking dominates.
Problem solving is facilitated by:
- Clear problem statement.
- Subdividing the problem into atomic components.
- Solving (experimentally) components, while building a solution that
combines the the components in a way that can be evaluated at each
stage of development.
- Utilizing information obtained from as many sources as possible for
the solution synthesis process.
The last item indicates that access to information is critical for problem solving and thinking. In
our opinion, the ability to use google represents an essential skill for problem
solving worthy of association with reading, writing and arithmetic.
Google is the 21st century tool that enables us to capitalize on
machine memory of distant facts and bring them to bear on our problems
of today.
Next: Problems Vs. Disciplines
Up: Why Create Models?
Previous: A digression: the biological
Index
Click for printer friendely version of this HowTo
Frank Starmer
2004-05-19