This post will discuss what I view as one of the largest and most important decisions that has to be made in the future for the betterment of society as a whole. Even in the political sphere, it is something rarely discussed here in the Netherlands. I am talking about the potential applications of digital systems in education. This is different from whether I believe that phones should be in the classroom, but rather that we should analyze the methodology that we use in education and how to improve upon them.
The Status Quo
For one of the essays I had to write, I researched the changes made in the education system in 19th-century Holland. I was quite baffled that the methodology used back then was not that different from the methodology right now, and potentially even a bit better than right now. Children had to do their work and teachers were there to assist them when they had questions, and to keep them in line to prevent disorder. As we have now, the system was also made to have the teacher send out information. The idea of sending information from a central position with children listening is understandable, and partly based on the way that society interacted with religion, but is not nearly as effective as hoped or believed. Seen that this system from 200 years ago had mostly copied a system that was centuries older, the idea that we are still working on an education system that was made in a time that bloodletting was the pinnacle of medical methodology and psychoanalysis was not even a concept, makes me wonder how different society could have been if we had used the amazing knowledge we had gained over the decades to actually improve the education system. Finland has worked hard of course, and while some policy decisions have been made for better personalized education, the core methodology remained the same. Education has become less prestigious a vocation, a harm done by government austerity and the neo-liberal worshiping of the economy. We cannot give the same level of individual support to students due to a shortage of teachers, and because those teachers have to do significantly more administrative work as the goal of learning is testing, not learning itself.
The Future
This is where I believe that technological innovations can make a huge difference. We understand better how cognitive functions are stimulated and how this stimulation can bring forth growth. While the games often used in education today are wildly inadequate, because of a lack of funding and the lack of focus on making the games fun, potential applications are limitless. Games are often a source of distraction and are seen as something to be kept away, but if we can find a balance between fun and stimulating, focused on keeping the attention of a child while also having them actively interact with the materials, we can be so much more effective at improving not just the general knowledge of society, but also by turning the act of learning into something that is fun. No longer the negative connotation that is currently held, and for the sake of discipline, the balance can gradually be shifted to a more academic approach without instantly breaking the Magic Circle that Huizinga made up. This Magic Circle decides when we see something as a game or not, and as long as we see it as a game it can drive a level of internal competition. You can view Andre Thomas’ Ted Talk below, where he discusses the sheer effectiveness of this measure.
The Usage of Artificial Intelligence
It is of course not the idea that games will completely replace all aspects of education, that would be harmful for the social and emotional development. It is in these regards that Artificial Intelligence can even allow for great opportunities. As stated before, children can learn using games in a much more effective manner, but what artificial intelligence can bring in addition to that is an unmatched level of personalization. An AI can ensure that the game aspects are always on a level that allows you to feel challenged without the feeling of hopelessness. You are able to work in a tempo that fits your individual needs at any moment, meaning that in class you no longer have the smart one and the dumb one, no longer have children falling behind, and no more learned helplessness. It also tackles other problems earlier discussed, such as the purpose of learning itself. Due to neo-liberal tendencies of quantification, the goal of learning has become testing, but with an AI capable of changing the level of challenge at any moment, testing is no longer a separate aspect of learning. It removes the idea of failure from the equation as well, while also taking an enormous administrative load off the shoulders of the teacher. No longer does the teacher have to deal with angry parents that want a higher grade, because there is no more grade. This makes teaching as a job more fun, because you can focus more on actual interactions with the students. And, if we take the increased effectiveness into account, it means that the teacher can use the time gained to have more things like social games, use their time for individual conversations to tackle emotional problems, or add other things to the curriculum that they believe to be important such as debate.
Conclusion
While large companies use digital media as tools of addiction, we can use the knowledge that we have gained on this to revolutionize how we interact with media. What is required for this is the political will for change and investment, and for them to truly value education. Sadly the status quo does not seem to change anytime soon, but it is one of my personal goals to support this change all the way.
Further Viewings
Andre Thomas’ Ted Talk on Game-Based Learning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X1m7tf9cRQ
Luis Von Ahn’s Ted Talk on Learning Apps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6FORpg0KVo
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