Old Monkeys New Tricks

The Nine Mile Walk

2011-12-04T02:54:00.001-08:00

Nicholas Welt is the English professor who features in HarryKemelman’s 1947 collection of fascinating short stories, The Nine Mile Walk.

"An inference can be logical and still not be true...Give me any sentence of ten or twelve words," he said, "and I'll build you a logical chain of inferences that you never dreamed of when you framed the sentence." Nicholas Welt in The Nine Mile Walk by Harry Kemelman.

And so, he uses inductive reasoning and logic to delve into the cryptic line: "A nine mile walk is no joke, especially in the rain."

The storyinspired director Alvaro Brechner’s 2003 award winning film of the same name(watch Part 1 of 2 above). You can also watch the film in two parts here: Part 1 and Part2.

"I was teaching a class in advanced composition and trying to show my students that words do not exist in vacuo but have meanings that can transcend their usual connotations, that even short combinations can permit a wide variety of interpretations." Kemelman

A must read for anyone interested in words, writing, logic and reasoning.

Sorry, but could you please repeat that?

2011-08-22T04:37:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I wrote about the Monkey Business Illusion.

Picking up from where I left off - what do we really learn from this type of research? I recently stumbled upon two interesting discussions on LinkedIn, related to retention and memory. Participants in the discussion shared several links to some very useful research that provided the connecting dots.

I’ve abstracted a short gist from Smith and Kosslyn’s Cognitive Psychology: Mind and Brain (2007): Chapter 3: Attention

“In the context of human information processing, attention is the process that, at a given moment, enhances some information and inhibits other information. The enhancement enables us to select some information for further processing, and the inhibition enables us to set some information aside.”

These instances of perceptual blindness are known as “failures of selection in space and time”. As we are assaulted by an almost constant stream of information, a continuous sifting or filtering process selects information that is likely to be meaningful over information that is perceived to be irrelevant. It is this selective attention that helps us make a coherent picture of the world by averting an information overload. One aspect of this is change blindness (or change deafness) or the failure to detect changes in the physical aspects of a scene.

The Invisible Gorilla is one among many experiments that provide evidence that attention is necessary for effective encoding. Encoding is the process by which “information is transformed into a memory representation”.

When we concentrate on one source of input, we are paying focused attention to relevant information and excluding all other irrelevant data. When we are focused on counting the number of passes of the ball, we simply do not take in any information about the gorilla.

One of the reasons for poor encoding is divided attention. There are other factors that influence the quality of encoding. Encoding is influenced not just by how much we pay attention to information. The quality of encoding also depends on the extent to which we elaborate or try to make sense of that information or connect it to other information. Conscious retrieval and practice, especially practice that is spaced out in time also help encoding (as opposed to being presented with information).

Reference:

Smith and Kosslyn (2007): Cognitive Psychology: Mind and Brain, Pearson

The Monkey Business Illusion

2011-07-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

If you watched the video in my last post (Perceptual Blindness)---did you spot the gorilla?

Believe it or not, in the original research conducted by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris, roughly half the audience missed the gorilla!

“Inattentional blindness is the failure to notice a fully-visible but unexpected object when you are focusing attention on something else.”

Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris have recently published their insights and findings related to inattentional blindness (also called perceptual blindness) in their book The Invisible Gorilla.

What does the study prove? That we often see only what we choose to see. And the testimony of witnesses may not always be reliable (understatement!). And that learning designers need to keep their content design simple, uncluttered, and focused. Especially if the resource is likely to be viewed only once.

Perceptual Blindness: To See Or Not To See?

2011-07-15T22:13:00.001-07:00

Watch this original video of a 1999 study conducted by cognitive psychologists Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris. I'll write more about this and the latest research on this subject in my next post!.

Modest, Humble, Unobtrusive Design

2011-06-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

“Good design is as little design as possible.” Dieter Rams

That’s the part many of us often get wrong. As a designer, I always keep a list of Dieter Ram’s Principles of Good Design with me to ponder over whenever I need direction. Inksie came up with a 10-part series on each of these principles, with some very useful insights from different writers and illustrators.

For more insights on design, I’m still trying to get my hands on Paul Rand’s book Design, Form and Chaos, now considered something of a classic.

     ‘When form predominates, meaning is blunted;
     When content predominates, interest flags;
      Genius comes in when both of these fuse.” Paul Rand

Embrace the Space

2011-06-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

“It seems to be human nature to favour filling blank spaces with objects and elements over leaving spaces blank or empty” (Elephas Design Journal)

If you lived in Mumbai, you would cherish space! Today's post is about space and the human tendency to clutter and fill up space unnecessarily.

In art and design, the term Negative Space is used to describe the space around an object. It is the opposite of an identifiable object. It is used to define and set off the boundaries of the object. It gives balance to a composition and makes it less noisy.

The term horror vacui (fear of empty space) describes the filling of the entire surface of an art work with detail --- design that is cluttered or suffocates.

Generally in design, less free space is perceived to be of lower value. Minimalist design with more free space comes at a premium.

I think this is especially true in the design of e-learning. We need to think about the noise that is created when a learner is assaulted by too much information – be it through text, pictures or rambling audio-visual media.

In the delivery of learning programs there is a similar reason to think about giving learners space and time --- through spaced repetition:

The spacing effect describes the observation that instruction which is repeated at intervals which are farther apart in time have a greater impact on improving memory than repetitions closer together in time (Ebbinghaus, 1885).

So let's get rid of the clutter. And embrace the space.

A Tribute To My Father - O Captain! My Captain!

2011-05-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

"O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;

The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won;

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;

For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

Here Captain! dear father!

This arm beneath your head;

It is some dream that on the deck,

You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;

The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;

From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!

But I, with mournful tread,

Walk the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead." Walt Whitman

Connectivism and Curators

2010-12-25T07:06:00.000-08:00

In his website dedicated to Connectivism, George Siemens describes how traditional learning theories cannot adequately address the new facets and dimensions of learning in the digital age, where the “half-life of knowledge” is rapidly shrinking. (The half-life of knowledge is ”the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete”…Gonzalez 2004, cited by Siemens in Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age)

Today, “chaos is the new reality for knowledge workers” and learners must not only know where to look for knowledge, they must also rapidly evaluate different sources, select only what is relevant, and filter out the rest. “The need to evaluate the worthiness of learning something is a meta-skill that is applied before learning itself begins”.

Connectivism recognises the role of networks and “other people’s experiences” in meaning-making. Connectivism sees learning as a process that is not entirely under the control of the individual. Learning or actionable knowledge resides outside the learner in the network of connections between entities.

Knowledge resides in different people and institutions, interlinked through many different constantly shifting, living networks. Individuals and organizations feed the networks and the networks in turn feed the individuals and organizations. The trick is to foster and maintain an effective knowledge flow between the individual and the network, “Learning is a process of connecting specialised nodes or information sources”.

Hence pattern recognition, or the “ability to see connections between fields, ideas and concepts” becomes vital. This concept is similar to DeGroot’s (1965) findings that experts were able to see patterns and connections not evident to novices. In today’s world, the body of information and knowledge resides in a constantly shifting network. Hence, we need to build a new breed of learners that can effectively contribute to as well as tap the network to obtain accurate and up to date knowledge. They must network and constantly contribute to the network for a value exchange.

Recently, a connection on LinkedIn (thanks Christopher Pappas!) shared this very useful resource on Free E-learning Books. I am in turn sharing it on this blog…and perhaps you will find something of value in this share. This is Connectivism - the new mantra for Learning in the Digital Age.

In another discussion, Siemens explores the role of edubloggers who offer a commentary on current trends and technologies in education and share not just resources, but their thoughts and ideas.

“They serve as curators of ideas, connections, philosophies, and world views. They create frameworks of interpreting and understanding history, new technologies, and trends through their work and public dialogue…”.

He extends this analogy to the role of the teacher, in providing an interpretation of content, knowledge or ideas being explored.

“A curatorial teacher acknowledges the autonomy of learners, yet understands the frustration of exploring unknown territories without a map. A curator is an expert learner. Instead of dispensing knowledge, he creates spaces in which knowledge can be created, explored, and connected. While curators understand their field very well, they don’t adhere to traditional in-class teacher-centric power structures. A curator balances the freedom of individual learners with the thoughtful interpretation of the subject being explored.”

So, how good a curator are you?

Women are the Solution

2010-12-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

"...We must be courageous in speaking out on the issues that concern us: we must not bend under the weight of spurious arguments invoking culture or traditional values. No value worth the name supports the oppression and enslavement of women...
The function of culture and tradition is to provide a framework for human wellbeing. If they are used against us, we will reject them, and move on. We will not allow ourselves to be silenced..."

Dr. Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, Beijing, 1996

I’ve been listening to the University of Berkeley’s lecture podcasts of their Population and Poverty course. Malcolm Potts, Martha Campbell, Ndola Prata and a host of other speakers share their insights and experiences to provide an understanding of the relationships between population growth, poverty, women’s empowerment, and the politics and changing paradigms of population control.

They explore the history of family planning movements the world over in order to place in context the developments of today, and why since the 1980s, population control measures seem to have lost their momentum, though, “..globally one million more births than deaths occur every 112 hours, 90% in the poorest countries.”

In September 2000, the UN Millennium Declaration was adopted by 189 heads of state. It set out a plan for countries to work together to achieve the following goals for 2015:

• Goal 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

• Goal 2. Achieve universal primary education

• Goal 3. Promote gender equality and empower women

• Goal 4. Reduce child mortality

• Goal 5. Improve maternal health

• Goal 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

• Goal 7. Ensure environmental sustainability

• Goal 8. Develop a global partnership for development

In Lecture 5, Martha Campbell asks an inconvenient question – Is it realistic or feasible to work toward any of these goals without addressing the population problem? How can we speak of eradicating hunger when there are a million new mouths to feed every few days?

They make a strong case for the support of women’s reproductive rights…which they see as crucially linked to the availability of options for contraception. This was raised by Dr. Sadik in her 1996 Address To The World Conference Of Women, highlighting the need to liberate women "from a system of values which insists that reproduction is their only function”

“…the first mark of respect for women is support for their reproductive rights. Women must be empowered to perform this role as they see fit. No-one has the right to impose reproductive decisions on them.

Living in Mumbai, a city that is bursting at its seams, with hundreds of children begging at every traffic light, and hundreds upon thousands of families living their lives on the roads, these words resonate deeply with me. But when and how will change come?

(Don’t) Do As You’re Told!

2010-11-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

Resident of Daulatabad Fort, Aurangabad, India (November 2010)

Image courtesy: Paavan Karia

In 1963, social psychologist Milgram explored the effect of authority on obedience. The question was how much pain would one person inflict on another simply because they were ordered to do so?

Participants were asked to administer increasingly severe electric shocks to a “learner “(actor), if they answered questions incorrectly. If they hesitated to administer the shocks, they were pressured to do so by the experimenter. (In reality, no shocks were given, but participants believed that they were being inflicted).

Milgram found that 65% of the participants were willing to inflict the maximum voltage level as punishment. Only a minority questioned the experiment and refused to inflict the shocks.

It appears that the essence of obedience lies in conditioning and to some extent, a diminished sense of responsibility. It appears that we are culturally conditioned to obey. How much of that conditioning takes place at home, in schools and educational institutions?

Before Milgram's experiment, in the 1950s, Solomon Asch conducted experiments to study conformity in groups. He found that nearly 75 percent of the participants went along with the rest of the group at least once, even though the group opinion was clearly erroneous. Apart from the need to be liked and an aversion to isolation, perhaps this is based on a belief in the superior wisdom of the group.

"The tendency to conformity in our society is so strong that reasonably intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call white black. This is a matter of concern. It raises questions about our ways of education and about the values that guide our conduct."

Interestingly, Asch also found that subjects conformed much less if they had an ally, and that even a single ally made a big difference to conformity levels. So, support from just one person can give people the courage to dissent.

Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King are icons for dissent. They were able to give millions of people the courage to disobey the establishment and they were the driving force of major civil disobedience movements that changed the world.

So how do we foster an education that encourages people to live authentic lives, and develop a self-awareness that enables them to question and transcend their own conditioning to be true to themselves?

Remember John Lennon’s beautiful song Stand By Me?

“When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won't be afraid
No I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me…”

Mindsight and Mindfulness

2010-10-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

We are inconsolable at the recent loss of a very dear friend. We are devastated that this lovely, kind, crazily funny saxophone player, the rock of his family, devoted father to his son, friend to all, in a moment of darkness, chose to end it all. Dear Simon, thank you for the always ready, helping hand, the many, many hot cups of tea, the laughter and the fun we shared. We would have loved to see you without your teeth on your ninetieth birthday. You left us too soon dear friend.

And so today, I will write about the need to teach Mindfulness. A while back, I read about Mindfulness in Thich Naht Hanh’s book - Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World.

You can also listen to Daniel J. Siegel’s insightful explanation of the concept of Mindsight and the need to teach Mindfulness. These ideas are being implemented in many schools in the US.

Mindsight is the ability to step out of and see your mind, to be an aware observer. It is the ability to pause and observe your thoughts and emotions. "Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment."

Mindfulness techniques have been used in schools to decrease bullying, increase empathy, and to teach children to pause before acting.

Going further, he speaks about the correlation between Mindsight and mental health and the role of relationships and experiences in changing synaptic connections in the brain.
Read also about the Mindfulness in Education Network – working to cultivate compassion and empathy in school settings. They see mindfulness as an “antidote to the growing stress, conflict and confusion in educational settings”.

Today, we need to be strong in body, mind and spirit. And we need to teach our children to be strong, and resilient so that they can bounce back and pick themselves up and carry on in the face of hardship.

The Selfish Gene

2010-07-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

We are back in the chaos of Mumbai again and it feels as though we were never away. Construction work is going on everywhere, and traffic jams at every point give me lots of time for meditation. Tall buildings have sprung up in many places and it's hard to believe how quickly change has happened. Property prices have soared so much that I cannot see how future generations of young people will ever be able to buy their own homes. Large popoulations live in faraway suburbs and commute 3-4 hours daily. And another section of people are paying hundreds of millions for small one bedroom homes. The city is is held together and functions because of drivers, policemen, security guards, cooks, maids, taxiwallas, and rickshawallas and the indispensible dabbawallas. The exploitation of one class by another continues. As it has since the times of early Man.

There is still too much poverty. It is hard to stand by and watch. So people have developed an indifference to the scenes that greet them everyday, at railway stations, along railway tracks, near shanty towns that they must pass to get to work. Yet there is an amazing spirit and good naturedness about the working people of Mumbai, who are resigned to the steady degradation of their environment and the daily struggle.

Richard Dawkins' book The Selfish Gene, first published in 1976 makes for good reading even today and provides an insight into the genetic basis of human psychology and social interaction. He explains the genetic roots of selfishness and altruism, of racism and patriotism. He describes Man as "the survival machine", the vehicle used by genes for their own continuity. "A body really is a machine blindly programmed by its selfish genes" (p. 146).

He talks about "evolutionarily stable strategies", designed and programmed into Man for the perpetuation of the species. While genetics to some extent, explains the fundamental differences in outlook and worldviews of men and women, he also recognises the role of culture in shaping behaviour. He goes on to explain the genetic roots of Kamikaze behaviour, cooperation and self-sacrifice, and parasitic organisms. But at the end of it all, there is the recognition that Man is perhaps the only machine that can override genetically programmed instructions.

"One unique feature of man....is his capacity for conscious foresight. Selfish genes...have no foresight. They are unconscious, blind, replicators."

BUT,

"We are built as gene machines and cultured as meme machines, but we have the power to turn agains our creators. We, alone on earth, can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators."
Much needed insights for survival in Mumbai.

The Musaafir Must Move On

2010-03-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

The view from Porth Clais Campsite, St. David's, in Pembrokeshire

The word "Musaafir" means traveller. I like to think of myself as the eternal Musaafir, always on the move, always searching, always on a journey. Now the Musaafir must move on. It is time to leave. The breathtakingly beautiful hills and valleys of Wales, the daffodils, the tinkling streams, the arctic winds, the rocky cliffs and the sight of the seagulls circling above will always remain in our hearts. Wales has become a part of us now and we carry it back with us.

We are returning to Mumbai to be back with the family. And to an exciting new role working to develop innovative science education resources for schools in India. An opportunity to repay the debt I owe the wonderful teachers and all the people who have played their part in my education there.

Some people ask me why I am leaving this beautiful place and do not understand me when I say I am terribly homesick. No, I am not homesick for the traffic, the noise, the pollution. I am homesick for all the wonderful people who shared my journey over there, and it is hard to live in heaven without the people who matter most.

So when I read this brilliant piece by David Brooks in the New York Times, I felt I had to share it on this blog. He discusses the research and study of the relationship between happiness and money:

"If you want to find a good place to live, just ask people if they trust their neighbors. Levels of social trust vary enormously, but countries with high social trust have happier people, better health, more efficient government, more economic growth, and less fear of crime (regardless of whether actual crime rates are increasing or decreasing).....The overall impression from this research is that economic and professional success exists on the surface of life, and that they emerge out of interpersonal relationships, which are much deeper and more important...."

He goes on: "The second impression is that most of us pay attention to the wrong things. Most people vastly overestimate the extent to which more money would improve our lives. Most schools and colleges spend too much time preparing students for careers and not enough preparing them to make social decisions. Most governments release a ton of data on economic trends but not enough on trust and other social conditions. In short, modern societies have developed vast institutions oriented around the things that are easy to count, not around the things that matter most. They have an affinity for material concerns and a primordial fear of moral and social ones."

Does this resonate with you?

Keep Evolving - your descendents will thank you!

2010-03-02T06:44:00.000-08:00

I really liked this line from an advertisement for the Scientific American magazine! To keep evolving, we must constantly respond to change. Which involves both learning and unlearning. For those of you who enjoy living on the cutting edge of change, visit Unlearning 101 for some useful and thought-provoking insights, for example this Powerful Lesson in Unlearning.

Coming back to the Scientific American, I was reading an article, Watching the Brain Learn, by R. Douglas Fields, in which he discusses the research into the changes that occur in the brain as a result of learning a new skill, such as juggling.

You may also enjoy this discussion on the brain and the myth of multi-tasking. Thank you Brain Friendly Trainer.

The journey continued from here to Dr John Medina's site where I found this excellent slideshow, a must for all interested in learning and teaching, as it explains how patterns and emotion influence how we assimilate information and the downsides of divided attention. Two important things I carried in a doggy bag from his blog (there's lot's more, but you'll have to read it yourself!):

1. Words presented in a logically organized, hierarchical structure are much better remembered than words placed randomly
2. Meaning before details - embedding associations between different pieces of information improves retention

Check out the YouTube videos, I especially liked the Death by Powerpoint clip.

Human Touch - A Key Ingredient

2010-02-24T03:06:00.000-08:00

Hello there! Good morning and hope you are well and that the sun is shining over you!

It has been a while since I last posted to this blog. The past few weeks have been filled with a whirlwind trip to Mumbai, and then a chilling return to the coldest winter in thirty years in the UK.

Picking up from where I left off in the last post, today, we'll talk about a key element in human interaction that is often missing in human-computer interaction and in digital resources created for e-learning – the friendly touch. What does this really mean, and why is the human touch necessary for positive, gainful, interaction? Some recent research sheds more light on the subject.

“A warm touch seems to set off the release of oxytocin, a hormone that helps create a sensation of trust, and to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol”.

Aha. This is something that perhaps we all instinctively know and understand. Yet, isn't it amazing how the human touch is often missing in the way we communicate, and in the way we create learning for the new age.

For those of us whose bread and butter often depends on hours spent on a machine that has become a much revered family member , and who like me, must work in virtual teams and do not often experience the joy of face to face communication with the project team, this becomes a critical factor in how we work together as a team and cooperate and collaborate. Ever thought about how the tone of your email can change with a simple greeting at the start?

So I’ve been thinking about this a lot. About the need to change the way we communicate, both online and offline, in a way that metaphorically at least, communicates the human touch. Very much a design issue don’t you think?

The Social Brain and The Need to Connect

2009-12-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

I am a die hard fan of Dr Who, a British science fiction television series, in which the last of the Time Lords, (Dr Who) travels to different worlds in his amazing ship, the Tardis.

It’s a lonely life for the Doctor, whose world and people have long since been destroyed. Of course, it is the Doctor’s lovely lady companion, a woman from Planet Earth, who keeps him centred and helps him in his task of saving the different worlds from annhilation.

Now why am I going on about all of this? In one particular episode, New Earth, Dr Who discovers a hospital in which there are hundreds of pods containing artificially-grown humans, forcibly inflicted with numerous diseases. These human lab rats have never had contact with other humans and have never experienced being touched. Imagine that.

If you’ve not guessed it by now, the topic today is Social Brains.

The Channel 4 documentary, Man on Earth explores how Homo Sapiens survived the last Ice Age, and the events that led to the disappearance of their cousins, the Neanderthals. It is because the Neanderthals lacked our 'social brains', that they were unable to work out simple trades for goods and get help from outsiders, and this is what eventually led to their starvation and dying out in lonely communities.

Ralph Adolphs discusses the role of the social brain, or the “orbitofrontal cortex, which is located at the base of the frontal lobes, right behind the eyes, and the amygdala, a small structure deep within the brain. These two seem to integrate cognition and emotion, linking what we see in the outside world to an emotional response to it.” He describes the case of Phineas Gage and other patients who have suffered damage to the orbitofrontal cortex.

“If you ask these patients what their main difficulty in life is, they’ll tell you it’s social—they can’t understand other people’s emotions…In fact, their impairments in many respects resemble those seen in people with high-functioning autism.”

For more insight into the role and importance of social networks, the need to stay connected, and how even perceived isolation can be damaging, watch this video in which Professor John Cacioppo, co-founder of the study of social neuroscience, outlines the vital importance of altruistic behaviour, social connection, and inclusive communities.

Now what does all this tell us? And what should we now keep in mind when we try to create more effective learning programmes?

Bits of Psychology - Ego and Learning

2009-11-05T02:10:00.000-08:00

Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, shares some of his research and insights in this video 9 Ways to Take Your Site from One to One Million Users.

The first point he makes is about Ego. He hits the nail on the head when he asks us to consider whether what we offer does anything to increase users' self-worth. There is much research to support this. This is good business practice and has much to do with user uptake of any offering. I think we should keep this in mind when we develop learning resources or any programme in which learner participation is crucial. In order to develop engaging and effective learning, we need to connect with learners and cultivate learning dispositions. He examines the Twitter story and why Followers work and how simple rewards and perks can make all the difference. Definitely worth thinking about in this world where the locus of control in education and training is now shifting and learning is a social activity. You can read a little bit more about psychology and understanding the people you design for here, How to Understand Your Users with Personas.

Angel's Advocates and Creating New Social Norms

2009-10-21T03:25:00.000-07:00

The Wired to Connect dialogues is a series of dialogues between Daniel Goleman and several leading thinkers. In the dialogue called The Inner Compass for Ethics and Excellence, Daniel Goleman and Naomi Wolf share their thoughts about how to create new social norms and cultures in which women develop their leadership.

Naomi Wolf explains how in order to be heard, women need to use their "true voice" and let go of old, overlearned responses such as, presenting a "false front of compliance" and "playing it safe" and "placate". For women who want to make change, there is a need to get over the aversion to criticism. In order to change this wiring, they need to live by the maxim, feel the fear and do it anyway.

Goleman speaks about how Neuroplasticity comes into play - the brain shapes itself through repeated experiences and it's only by putting women in a place where they are compelled to take risks, will these old, play-it-safe responses be overwritten.

Goleman explains this shift in terms of the amygdala, the part of the brain that receives direct inputs from the senses, to trigger a response even before these stimuli are registered by the neocortex or the thinking centre. The amygdala triggers an emotional response even before the cortical centres (or the thinking brain) have fully understood what is happening.

When women speak with their true voices, this shift resonates outwards, and is instantly and almost unconsciously, perceived by listeners (via the amygdala) and plays a significant role in building trust.

Goleman shares a story about an organisation that has developed the concept of the Angel's Advocate, a powerful and real way of creating a new culture and social norms. In this organisation, there is a tradition that whenever anyone advocates a new idea, the next person who speaks must support it. This allows breathing room for new ideas, and ensures that not every new idea is killed at the outset. This practice is now standard operating procedure in that organisation.

So for all of you who long for change - there's many routes - use your true voice, face up to and do not fear criticism, take risks often, and be an angel's advocate...in Gandhi's words, well, just go ahead and be the change!

Skepticism vs. The Need to Believe

2009-09-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

We were recently watching the Paul Merton in India series on the tele and my ten year old son was amazed by what he didn't know about India. And more than a little disturbed as he watched with a new set of eyes, the land where a majority survive not on bread and water, but on belief alone. It made us a little sad really. I am a skeptic at heart, and feel that truth above all else must prevail. And though only ten, and unable to articulate why he felt so uncomfortable with the complex ritualism that seems to define a large part of India (and even the tech-savvy part of India), he does know that something's not quite right.

Is it sheer coincidence then (please let it be!), that The Guardian weekly science podcasts invited guest Prof Chris French - coordinator of the anomalistic psychology research unit at Goldsmiths, University of London - to share his ideas and the work being done on the subject of Anomalistic Psychology. You can listen to the Guardian podcast here. You can also get access to the audio and video presentations of the anomalistic psychology research unit at Goldsmiths here.

Anomalistic psychology seeks to provide non-paranormal explanations for a whole range of para-normal experiences. And to teach critical thinking. And to help people understand the nature of evidence and assess the worth of evidence, and why they should believe more in certain forms of evidence than in others. In other words, it seeks to teach people to adopt a scientific, skeptical approach to life and phenomena.

In a country where poverty, hunger and homelessness abound, there is no doubt that paranormal beliefs can play a positive role - that of a shock absorber that makes it possible to face each day of hardship. It's often a case of Believe or Go Mad with Frustration or Die from Despair. But where belief and blind faith take away from people their faith in themselves and their own power of decision making, it can do no good. Where belief is used to make puppets of people and disempower them and keep them from achieving their true potential, it can do no good.

Derren Brown, master conjurer and mindtrickster is also a promoter of skepticism and critical thinking. Read more about his views here.

I fear that change may be a long time coming in India. But please let it begin here and now. Surely there is more to science education and IT advances than merely a foothold to the world of material advancement? Surely above all else, it is about building questioning minds and evidence based thinking?

I Want it Now(!)

2009-08-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

We recently came across a product called I Want It in an electronic goods store and had a good laugh about its tongue-in-cheek jibe at today's consumer. Something to think about in this fast moving, fast changing world, where attention spans are short and the name of the game is instant gratification. It is a world where people want quick results and easy answers.

In his book Emotional Intelligence (Why it can matter more than IQ), Daniel Goleman describes The Marshmallow Test conducted by Walter Mischel. A group of four year olds were offered two marshmallows if they could wait till the researcher returned, and one if they didn't want to wait.

"There is perhaps no psychological skill more fundamental than resisting impulse. It is the root of all emotional self-control..." (Goleman, 2004, p.81)

When these children were tracked down fourteen years later, it was found that those who had resisted temptation at the age of four, were now more socially competent and better able to cope with life's frustrations than those who had given in to impulse and grabbed the one marshmallow. They also fared better academically than those who had acted on whim. "More than a decade later, they were still able to delay gratification in pursuit of their goals."

But there's hope for us all. As Goleman states, "There is ample evidence that emotional skills such as impulse control and accurately reading a social situation can be learned."

Reference: Goleman, Daniel,(2004), Emotional Intelligence and Working with Emotional Intelligence, Bloomsbury Publishing

Changin Times and the Evolving Self

2009-08-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

(Image courtesy: Paavan Karia)

"Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'..." Bob Dylan

Do you remember this Bob Dylan classic?

Classic because its still true and relevant today. Today I write about some eternal truths. Changing times and The Evolving Self (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). In this brilliant discourse, Csikszentmihalyi delves into the role played by evolutionary adaptation and wired in, genetic programmes in shaping our psychology. And how in order to survive and progress and adapt to changing times, we must remain flexibhle because "with each generation the conditions that affect human consciousness change in subtle but important ways "(p.42). He recognises that in order for the human race to thrive, there is a need to develop skills beyond logic and rational thought because:

"The future...is not constrained by rules and predictable outcomes. We need to cultivate more than logic if we want to thrive in it. We must foster intuition to anticipate changes before they occur; empathy to understand that which cannot be clearly expressed; wisdom to see the connection between apparently unrelated events and creativity to discover new ways of defining problems, new rules that will make it possible to adapt to the unexpected."

For providers of learning, there is much to chew upon. Let us awaken to the changing times and the need to change the way learning is dished out. Let us stop cultivating sheep (no offence to sheep!).

For more insight into changing paradigms and new perspectives into learning, listen to this podcast - Informal Learning – an interview with Brian Sutton.

The long and winding road to happiness

2009-06-25T04:42:00.000-07:00

This post is for those who have never lived in India and who have never experienced the rigours of working toward the entrance exams for the famous Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
A true test of endurance.

For an indepth discussion and greater insight into the factors involved in success, read The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. He describes the role played by a culture, a culture of sheer effort and hard work in determining the rise to success. And he writes about the role of summer holidays in widening the achievement gap. "Cultures that believe that the route to success lies in rising before dawn 360 days a year are scarcely going to give their children three straight months off in the summer." (p.260) He tells the story of the KIPP Academy (p.250), "the miracle school that transforms losers into winners" (p.263) and the price the children pay to break out of poverty.

"Outliers are those who have been given opportunities and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them."

Wait no more. Seize the moment and get to work finding your dreams. Because Time Wastes Too Fast.

Who's driving?

2009-06-14T06:24:00.001-07:00

Some time ago, I had started a review of the many ways in which technology can be used to support teaching and learning.

Before launching any learning programme, it's always a good idea to mark out a baseline, working out your start point and what your finish goals are. Some tools you can use to find out what learners already know are surveys. If you winced at the word 'survey', try this painfree online survey tool.

You can also have some fun and help learners gauge their own progress with classroom response systems. And of course, you can improve access by offering podcasts and lecture webcasting. Carnegie Mellon offers an interesting overview of the possibilities here.

To help your learners work on their research and writing abilities, there are a range of social software tools - a module wiki, a group blog, asynchronous discussion forums, web quests, YouTube videos, podcasts and other forms of learner generated content, open to review and comment. All of these provide excellent built-in audit trails and enable learners to custom build their own e-portfolios and reflective journals.

For the presentation of data and research, there are now a host of charting and mapping tools available. This article sets out a few more tools available to academia.

More on e-learning tools here. The only way to really learn about the possibilities is to really use these tools. If you've been relying heavily on powerpoint slides and one-way transmission lectures, try turning the tables and letting your learners take the wheel for a change. Let them choose their own presentation tools. And let them have a bit of fun!

Not for the likes of me

2009-06-12T01:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I chanced upon the debate in Parliament on Social Mobility. MPs were debating a motion on social mobility and fair access to professions.

Alan Milburn eloquently described the barriers to moving up in life and the "not for the likes of me" syndrome that fosters an "aspiration gap".

What I really identified with was the recognition that mobility should be " a chance throughout life, and not just a one-off chance..." and that there was a need for a system that would allow entry and mobility at more mature ages.

Having chosen to reinvent myself and reenter the education system in my thirties, I can describe firsthand the barriers and obstacles.

Read another interesting discussion on "the equality delusion".

"Every survey in the last half century has confirmed that poverty is a fundamental cause of failure".

Coming from India, this is possibly the understatement of the millenium.

But all this discussion is about social mobility within a society. The bitter and stark truth about the accident of birth really goes much deeper. Let's zoom out and talk about the differences in development on a global level. Will there ever be an equal world?

Greatness, Contribution and Making a difference

2009-05-31T04:15:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly two months.

Recently, a dear friend gifted me a copy of Stephen R. Covey's book, The 8th Habit.

Synchronicity seems to be at work. I was thrilled when on p. 27, I found another reference to Robert Frost's poem The Road Less Travelled that has been buzzing in my mind for quite a while now, and was discussed in my last post.

"Two roads diverged in a wood and I -
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference..."

I have talked in my last and other posts about the need to break away from old patterns and explore new paths. With a marvellous analogy about the practice of blood-letting used to heal people in the Middle ages, Stephen Covey writes on p.19,

"If you want to make minor, incremental changes and improvements, work on practices, behavior or attitude. But if you want to make significant, quantum improvement, work on paradigms."

Further on p. 20 he writes, " ...the problem is that paradigms, like traditions, die hard. Flawed paradigms go on for centuries after a better one is discovered..."

Seems to be that's where we are at really - trying to discard old paradigms and find new ones. Which comes first?

We must teach the new generations that mediocrity cannot walk hand in hand with "greatness and contribution". (p.28) And we must walk the talk.

In the same vein, a really fun and entertaining card game about change and transition that some friends in Cirencester introduced us to is Fluxx. Quite disconcerting at first, dealing with and adapting to rapidly changing rules. Quite too much like life really.

The Road Less Travelled

2009-04-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

The Road Less Travelled (or The Road Not Taken) - Robert Frost's famous poem has always been one of my favourites. It comes to mind again as I seem to be repeatedly drawn into discussions about education and employability. There is also a project on hand to design resources for young children to learn "work-related skills". And much discussion about learning outcomes. One of the outcomes identified is to help youngsters recognise common stereotypes in their lives and how stereotypes affect and limit their attitudes, choices and opportunities.

There is also an enlightening discussion about the subtle way in which stereotyped thinking and deep rooted assumptions are woven into our lives, and how and why we tend to fall for tall, dark and handsome men in Malcolm Gladwell's Blink. To learn more about the implicit associations that underlie our perceptions about life and people and affect all our decisions, try the Implicit Association Test. You may be very surprised at what you learn about your own way of thinking! Definitely a must for those who pride themselves on being open minded!

How do we learn these stereotypes and how can we avoid teaching these same patterns to our children? How do we unlearn these patterns? Can these patterns be unlearned? While our brain needs to classify and categorise information in order to make sense of the world, this process is not always objective or based on evidence. Breaking the mould takes courage and risks isolation as it is based on asking questions about the relevance and integrity of traditional classification systems and rejecting irrelevant data. It's never easy to walk the road less travelled.

I think it all starts with asking questions. Questions such as, Is this the only way? Why this way? Is there another way? Is there a better way? Why not this way? It also means delving into the past to uncover how many of these classification systems have arisen and understanding their dangers and weaknesses. Let's teach our young to explore the roads less travelled. For that, we must first confront our own fears.

Potential and Potential Wasted

2009-02-18T13:30:00.001-08:00

Waste is potential unrealised, untapped, unexplored.

Potential is..."inherent capacity".

I really liked Jacob Kestner’s blog post about Potential. He hits the nail on the head, that only by "providing the most motivating circumstances" can we truly help people achieve their potential.

Empowerment and social inclusion are tremendous motivating circumstances.

Read about LASSIE. The Libraries and Social Software in Education project (March 2008) was funded by the University of London Centre for Distance Education to explore the role of information literacy in lifelong learning and social inclusion.

It's key message is that there is an imperative to seriously develop information literacy in order to enable lifelong learners to find and access the magnificent resources available to education today. Without information literacy there can be no lifelong learning.

In my last post, I suggested a reading of Michael Feldstein’s discussion on the History of OE. In case you didn’t click the link, this comment about MIT’s OpenCourseWare initiative really got the gongs sounding for me: "….enormous, multi-million-dollar effort has made large quantities of high quality educational materials from one of the world’s most elite technical institutes available to anyone with a web browser. Ironically, by doing so MIT made clear the distinction between OER and open education. They could afford to make all course content available for free, they argued, because the MIT course materials (even the lectures themselves!) are not the same thing as an MIT education. The locus of value from an MIT education comes from gathering smart people, teachers and students, to discuss those materials. It is in the free exchange of ideas in the classroom..."

Today, social networking technologies have dissolved the territorial boundaries of the classroom. There is much to be gained from global exchange. And Open Education cannot be just about parking mountains of resources on the Web. It is also about building communities of learners and developing routes for win-win exchanges. I can't see how global discussion and inclusion can diminish the worth of brick and mortar institutions.

Some institutions have already recognised this and are seriously launching initiatives through blogs, on Facebook and through whispers on Twitter. Here is just one example.

LASSIE found that librarians have become keen bloggers and in the US (and to a lesser extent in the UK) libraries are using blogs and RSS feeds to reach out to their users. They are also allowing ‘user generated content’ (such as ratings, book reviews and user comments) to enrich their catalogues.

Social networks are also the key mechanism for peer driven learning. Read more about this phenomenon here.

We are however in the very early part of our journey to realising the true potential of Open Education. And until many more people come onto the bandwagon, we risk serious waste. Remember, waste is potential unrealised, untapped, unexplored. It is a global issue.

Empower and Include

2009-02-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy time. I finally did manage to pass my driving test (a very kind examiner, the winter chill and empty roads helped me overcome my mind numbing fear of tests!). Tremendously liberating. Still don't have a car, but it's nice knowing that there is now no other bar to mobility. So Empowering!

So, today, I focus on Empowerment.

And if and how global learning assets and open source education can be used to foster empowerment.

"The idea of empowerment is that those who have little or no influence, such as excluded people, are able to develop informed opinions, to take initiative, make independent choices and influence change...

It also means that those with influence actively change their attitudes and rules and change the way decisions are made through involving excluded people."

Source: The EQUAL Community Initiative (whose activities have now been completed).

Empowerment is the opposite of Powerlessness, which is described in the Voices of the Poor: Crying out for Change as "the core of the bad life", manifesting in "the inability to control what happens, the inability to plan for the future, and the imperative of focusing on the present". Read this global study by the World Bank published as a three part series "Voices of the Poor".

Powerlessness is a serious constraint on the ability to pursue happiness. Its antidote, true empowerment, must be preceded by a recognition of the need for some degree of equality. And for that there must be a change in attitudes and a fundamental shift in how education and learning is offered and made available, accessible and inclusive. It means turning things upside down and inside out. It means Open Education.

As a launch pad into the study of this immensely exciting arena, read Michaeil Feldstein's primer on The History of Open Education here.

Today, every institution that offers education must seriously assess their responsibility to the marginalised and the excluded and think about how they can empower the powerless. And how they can share their assets and benefit from the amazing possibilities for exchange.

Virtual Universities, Education for All and Lifelong Learning

2008-12-22T07:45:00.000-08:00

Unicelled creatures adapted to their environments and evolved into increasingly sophisticated beings over the millenia. Today however, time is a scarce commodity and we must quickly and constantly update, upgrade and add to our skillsets in order to continue to be a part of the new world order. Lifelong learning is perhaps even more strongly linked to survival today than ever before. And the instrument that will make it accessible, flexible, inclusive and accessible is the virtual university.

In an era of technology and digital divides what is the role of a virtual university and how can such schools be a driver of social and economic change? How are virtual universities set up? What are the costs and what are the technologies and infrastructure needed to establish a virtual university? How can these ethernet campuses be made accessible and affordable? What are the accreditation schemes available, and can and will these rally people into adopting this new model of learning on the scale and with the enthusiasm needed to justify the investments? Can such models of learning withstand economic storms and monetary market crunches? What are the pedagogies needed, and what will be the quality of teaching and learning and what calibre of learners will be developed as a result? These are some of the questions I'd like to explore.

To start with, some background.

In 2004, the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) launched a project on the Virtual University and E-learning. This project provides insights and case studies, explores and shares the lessons learned in the setting up of virtual universities both in developed and developing countries. There is an overview of policy planning and management issues and a range of diverse case studies that cover the main institutional models.

Traditional universities must keep pace with these new modes of delivery and evolve suitable and appropriate approaches. They must explore ways to offer an education that is transnational, global, inclusive and accessible. Shall we join forces or go it alone?

Yakkity Yak - Don't talk back!

2008-12-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

Picking up from where I left off -- I failed my driving test last month. Aargh! 'Twas the devlish roundabout that led to the rout! I was felled in thirty seconds by a faulty manoeuvre attempting a Second Exit Right. When we returned from the test for the debriefing, my instructor said to me, "You are a good driver. What happened?"

Not really sure what happened. For some inexplicable reason (fear of tests!) I was not able to communicate my expertise to the tester. Despite twenty years of driving in Mumbai.

Delving deeper, what really happened is what happens to many people when they're faced with having to prove their worth. They are unable to communicate their skills with the degree of sophistication that may required.

It is the ability to communicate that determines the survival and success of a species. History Channel's Evolve Series offers an indepth insight into how communication has played a critical role in evolution, providing different species with the ability to fend off predators, acquire a mate and find food.

Not surprisingly, one of the key skills identified for Employability is Communication, both verbal and non-verbal. Fostering employability is about cultivating skills and building the confidence and communication techniques needed to show and tell people about it.

That brings us to the role of Conversation and Dialogue. Many generations (and I!) have suffered school systems where talk in class was forbidden and punished. Today however, conversations and dialogue are recognised as essential to development and learning. Dialogic literacy is recognised as a critical necessity in a revolutionary new pedagogy.

New research into brain development and socio-economic status suggests a possible link between talking to children and their ability to process visual stimuli.

There is much in the literature about the role of conversation and dialogue in fostering exchange, collaboration and learning. Many educationists have highlighted the role of the role of dialogue and the community of inquiry in facilitating self-evaluation and feedback. Lipman (1991:19) writes that “…ideally the relationship between teacher and students has this character of face to face dialogue…”

But how exactly does it work? You'll find an excellent overview and references to the subject in Engaging in Conversation and Dialogue and Conversation.

For an indepth discussion, read Robin Alexander's 2005 paper, Culture, Dialogue and Learning: Notes on an Emerging Pedagogy. He suggests that classroom talk tends to become mere recitation or pseudo-enquiry and points out that though"...classrooms are places where a great deal of talking goes on...Teachers rather than learners control what is said, who says it and to whom. Teachers rather than learners do most of the talking."

Shall we let the learners do the talking for a change? To be continued.

Learning vs Training

2008-11-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

Last year, many of my friends (and I) turned forty (!) and at every party, we reminisced about the numerous gaffes and blunders we had survived as we made our way through schools and colleges into our first experiences of work and life. Most of us (but not all!) had recovered sufficiently from these misadventures to be able to laugh as we looked back. In hindsight we were unanimous in saying, “If we had known then what we know now….”

This is exactly what education for employability is about. You can read about it in a series of publications called the Learning and Employability Series produced among others, the by the Pedagogy for Employability Group, in consultation with the Enhancing Student Employability Co-ordination Team (ESECT) and the Higher Education Academy (Generic Centre). You can also access some of these and other related papers here.

This series of publications, (edited by Professor Mantz Yorke) offers an in-depth, balanced and thought provoking discussion of the key issues in providing an education that ensures that learners can “hit the ground running fast”.

So what exactly is employability?

Most definitions say it's "a set of skills, knowledge and personal attributes” that improve an individual's chances of success in whatever path they may opt for after their education. It's essentially about teaching individuals to reflect on what makes them tick and finding out what they really want to do in life.

“Employability derives from complex learning, and is a concept of wider range than those of ‘core’ and ‘key’ skills.”

“Employability is not merely an attribute of the new graduate. It needs to be continuously refreshed throughout a person’s working life.”

Source: Employability and Curriculum Design (Kenneth Aitchison and Melanie Giles).

Moving beyond content mastery

While different teaching approaches can lead to similar levels of content mastery in a subject, they can lead to significant differences in other outcomes.

Conventional passive delivery approaches are not renown for fostering independent thought, creative problem solving, critical thinking, experimentation, reflection and transfer of learning to other contexts. Problem based or scenario based learning approaches may be better suited for such outcomes.

The underlying ethos of this series of publications is that there is no conflict of interest between promoting good learning and in promoting employability and that it essentially involves a shift in perspective and approach, a fine-tuning of the curriculum to include the development of skills and attributes in addition to and not in lieu of content mastery.

The primary purpose for the introduction of personal development planning (PDP) in schools is to develop in learners the capacity for reflection and self-awareness. The exercise is meant to help them gain clarity about their attitudes, aptitudes, personal goals and explore how they can work toward these goals.

Making explicit connections

It is now univerally acknowledged that for real understanding, learners must be made to see the big picture. It's critical to make clear the rationale behind these PDP exercises by means of explicit connection building, because,

“provision without student awareness is a missed opportunity. Students need to know that PDP has these purposes and to see how it can link to job-getting and employability generally. They need to see the significance of PDP for their personal development, rather than treat it as an externally imposed requirement (which might be perceived merely as a bureaucratic chore with no apparent benefit).” (Pedagogy for Employability, p. 14)

More to come. Once I’ve passed my driving test (critical to employability)!

Essential Learnings - Building Character

2008-10-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

One of the key goals of education that often does not find place in school curriculums and assessment is the development of character and fundamental moral values of truth and justice.

This goal is defined as an essential learning in the handbook for teachers produced by Saskatchewan Education - Understanding the Common Essential Learnings . It is articulated as the "development of compassionate and fair-minded persons who can make positive contributions to society as individuals and as members of groups"

This handbook delves into the framework necessary for the development of personal and social values and skills. In Chapter VI, it is stated that:

"the most basic moral value underlying development of this Common Essential Learning is that of respect for persons."

"When we respect other people we acknowledge their language, their history and their culture as important aspects of their personal identity. While respect implies causing no harm and supporting the rights of individuals and groups to make decisions about what is in their best interest, it also involves active attempts to do well by others. "

"....While the abilities and understandings of this C.E.L. develop gradually and are shaped both by negative and by positive experiences with others, a single compassionate and fair-minded teacher has a powerful and long-lasting positive affect. "

So will you be that one?

Uranium, plutonium, critical mass and the atom bomb

2008-10-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

If you're a physics buff and even if you're not really, you'll be enthralled by these lectures by Richard Muller, who teaches physics at the University of California. These podcasts cover nuclear terrorism, cold fusion, climate change and something called "physics for future presidents" (he's also published a book by the same name if you're interested). You'll learn how the atom bomb was made and what nuclear fission can do.

Brilliant, lucid, and targeted as much to the layperson as to future presidents - a definite must hear.

Check out these podcasts now. Or go direct to the main UC Berkeley webcast page.

Self-directed Learning and Learning Dispositions

2008-08-26T01:13:00.000-07:00

We need to develop independent, self-directed learners who are able to adapt to the demands of this new world that is constantly in flux. Self-directed learning requires both capabilities (skills, strategies and abilities required for learning), as well as the disposition to learn.

Carr and Claxton (2002) recognised that learners must not just be able; they must be ready and willing to learn. It could be generalised that the relationship between capability and disposition is bidirectional and linear – ability in a particular arena generates success, which leads to a greater inclination toward the activity. Conversely, an inclination to persevere in an activity leads to greater engagement and the development of ability. The caveat to this is that,

“…the relationship is an uncertain one. Capability does not always produce disposition, nor vice versa. Education for lifelong learning has, therefore, to attend to the cultivation of positive learning dispositions, as well as of effective learning skills.”

While numerous writers have offered different opinions about the dispositions relevant for learning, Carr and Claxton (2002: 109) consider the three prime learning dispositions to be:

1. Resilience: the desire to persist with learning despite setbacks.
2. Playfulness: the ability to experiment and consider unlikely possibilities, a vital ingredient in creativity.
3. Reciprocity: seeking a variety of channels to express and exchange ideas.

Carr and Claxton (2002: 127) further suggest that the learning dispositions are “important building blocks for life-long learning” and that there is a need for educational settings that “exemplify and encourage their development”.

In the design of learning and learning environments, territories are often defined by learning objectives. It's critical to look beyond immediate objectives and offer avenues for the development of learning dispositions. This includes providing activities that build confidence and self-esteem, encourage search, exploration, enquiry, experimentation and play, rather than providing readymade answers. It's also important to ask why and how questions, to develop skills for justification of answers, and facilitate dialogue and discussion.

Reference:
Carr, M., & Claxton, G. (2002).Tracking the Development of Learning Dispositions, in Assessment in Education, Vol. 9, No.1, 2002. In Daniels H., & Edwards A., eds. (2004) The Routledge Farmer Reader in Psychology of Education (pp. 106 -131). RoutledgeFalmer.

Breaking patterns of learned helplessness

2008-07-03T04:44:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I'd reached a serious low after a major upheaval and disruption in my life. I had to make a choice, between a rock and a very hard place. With little to guide me but instinct, I opted for change. It was a tough decision. The consequences were far reaching, for me, my family and my infant son, as it took me without preparation into unanticipated single parenthood.

The early years were hard. I was struggling to stay afloat and cope with the physical, financial and emotional strain of raising a child in India on my own. One day, a well meaning aunt in her well meaning way said these words to me:

"Your life is finished -- you took a bad decision and you ruined your life. Why not just admit it and give up? Not everyone finds happiness - stop trying to fight your fate."

Thank you dear aunt. Your words words created in me the sort of reaction physicists are trying to create in the Large Hadron Collider. The Big Bang. It accelerated the atoms of my being out of the terrible black hole of apathy and helplessness. It was time to give my fate a good kick in the butt. That day, I broke free. No more thought was wasted on wondering whether I did right or I did wrong. I decided to trust myself and believe I did what needed to be done.

Learned Helplessness is a self-perpetuating and self-defeating plague that fosters in people the belief that they are helpless victims of circumstance and that they have no control over the things that happen in their lives. It is a conditioning mechanism that engenders passivity and subjugation. It disempowers us and destroys our connections with hope and joy.

Ken McLeod explains it beautifully in his article, Learned Helplessness

Learned helplessness is often rooted in the home. As parents and teachers, we unwittingly subscribe to the system that fosters learned helplessness. We often pass on our own learned helplessness as an inheritance to our young. Recognising this first will lead us to a way out.

And yes, there is a way out. It involves recognising obstacles and learning skills to overcome them.

In McLeod's words,

"The cost, however, is high. We can only undo learned helplessness by severing our internal connection with the system that gave rise to it. "

Where else do we see learned helplessness? In schools, in educational institutions, and societies where differences and questioning minds are not tolerated. Wherever patterns of belief and thought have become calcified and brittle. Wherever hunger and poverty prevail. Wherever there is exploitation and corruption, violence and abuse.

To sever connections with such systems is to leave behind and let go of everything you may have ever known. It's lonely journey. And the only person you will please is you. But don't give up. And don't teach anyone else to either.

Go out there and fight your fate. The truth is no one else can fight this fight for you. Break free and discover a whole new world!

Explore the Universe

2008-05-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

I'm an unashamed Dr Who fan.

For those of you who may not know, this is a science fiction TV series about the last of the Time Lords (Dr Who of course) travelling through time and space in his amazing Tardis which looks like a small blue box on the outside but hosts unbelievably delicious technologies on the inside. Apart from the multitude of extra-terrestrial beings he introduces us to, I like the series because its underlying ethos is about looking beyond our beliefs and accepting the different worlds "out there" and that it's not very different from "in here". A little mind-bending is always good for the soul.

Now, the Tardis has come to us.

The WorldWide Telescope will give many of us a glimpse of the universe as we sit at our computers. Check out the Web site and free downloadable software at:

Explore and remember to look beyond your beliefs!

A Revolution in E-learning

2008-04-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

We are witnessing a revolution in E-learning, thanks to Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle. Nearly a million people are able to come together via Skype every Monday and take part in their amazing sessions discussing Tolle's A New Earth. Those who can't make it at the right time can always watch it on demand.

Oprah has actually created the collaborative, coooperative learning community that has been written about in educational literature for years. She has made it happen. Where e-learning is often perceived to be a lonely, isolating experience, she has shown how it can be an exhilarating, exciting, inspiring and social experience. She has broken barriers and crossed borders.

She has shown us how a whole country and a whole world can be brought together to learn and talk. Think of the possibilities! Is India listening?

Watch it now!

Enjoy!

Self Worth: The Antidote for the Dowry Plague

2008-02-18T02:11:00.000-08:00

Dowry cases still continue to make headlines. There is however, little discussion about the underlying malaise that the dowry phenomena is really a symptom of: The inherent lack of self-worth in women.

This is belief that is planted and instilled in women from the moment of their birth. And we as mothers and fathers do much to strengthen and further entrench this false and damaging self-perception.

To many today, the lesser evolved of our species, the worth of a woman is measured by her (or her father's) bank balance and the assets she brings to the kitty. Is it not amazing how the fragile relationship between a man and woman who choose to make a life together and to raise a family, can be sustained by the payment of this toll tax?

It is not a new thing that for many, both men and women, marriage is a stepping stone to economic benefits. Call it dowry or call it marrying well. Money has always a part of the equation. So when do these expectations cross the limit and become criminal? Where is the line to be drawn? How is a girl to know and when is she to put her foot down?

It all boils down to being given a choice. Even today, how many women really have a choice? By offering women avenues to build their lives on their own, without having to resort to marriages based on dowry we will be striking at the root of it. And such evil must be removed from its roots. By offering women education and skills, we give them choices.

Women must be shown and made to appreciate their own self-worth and their limitless capabilities. Both men and women must recognise and realise this. Let us teach our children these values and eliminate this evil for good.

Read about an initiative that helped women set up their own businesses and gave them the confidence to make their own choices.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/17/MNUFV3EO3.DTL

Suppliers of Independence and Mobility

2007-12-11T01:24:00.000-08:00

I saw this sign as I walked through the city centre in Llanelli on the way to the Tinopolis office. "Suppliers of Independence and Mobility". Oh how wonderful to be able to buy these in a shop! How many of us have faced and live with limits to independence and mobility? Some of us may even wonder what these words really mean. To be able to stand on one's own feet, financial, emotional, physical independence. To be able to move as one wills. Move physically, grow emotionally, explore, experiment, and find one's niche and place in this world. That's what education can provide. Independence and Mobility.

Adobe Tools

2007-11-29T06:07:00.000-08:00

This is a good site for you if you're interested in learning something about web design tools from Adobe.

Design, Illustration and Photography

Ever heard of Moleskines? You can find out more at this site!

Explore!

A small world: Cultural Inclusion

2007-11-22T04:54:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I last blogged. I was writing my dissertation and it'll be submitted next week. The Nature of Learning from Science Theatre. Always had a passion for theatre and do love spending time at the Science Centre. What better way to get the best of both worlds?

Have learned a lot. Will share it slowly on this blog. For the moment, a little more about the need for inclusion. Learn more in this article by Alex Kozulin, et.al.:

Cognitive Enrichment of Culturally Different Students: Feuerstein's Theory

Every little bit toward inclusion helps. Remember, it's a small world after all.

Exclusion

2007-09-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

Exclusion is a terrible evil. It is terrible as an act and terrible as a state of being. It isolates both perpetrator and victim.

Deprivation and disadvantages in early life have strong implications for future life chances. There is also the pattern of perpetuation -- deprivation in one generation is usually passed on to the next.

Here in the UK, the Social Exclusion Unit has prepared an Action Plan on Social Exclusion. It is recognised "that social exclusion and the subsequent waste of human potential is bad for the whole country, as well as for those individuals suffering from it.....Tackling social exclusion also matters because failing to do so creates a cost for society." This document also recognises that social exclusion cannot be tackled by the government alone. There is a clear role for individuals, and the wider community. Further, "people who are suffering social exclusion must want progress for themselves and those around them. By working together we can ensure that even the most excluded have a stake in the society and economy of tomorrow by seizing the opportunities that life...offers today."

Read the Executive Summary of this Action Plan at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/social_exclusion_task_force/publications/reaching_out/

Stop. Think. Act. Let's never participate in exclusion. And for that, we must consciously implement and work toward Inclusion.

Learning Snippets

2007-07-20T06:24:00.001-07:00

Take a look at these beautiful samples of effective and engaging learning design! A must see -- not only for the technologically challenged, but for all those interested in creating learning. Racy style, simple, elegant! This is what reuseable learning objects are all about!

Wikis in Plain English
http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english

RSS in Plain English
http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

Designing for Usability

2007-07-20T03:34:00.000-07:00

Not everyone knows what an Instructional Designer does. I am often asked to clarify. People rarely guess it's anything to do with learning or even E-learning. I also often trip on the word 'instructional'. So now, I've started using the term E-learning Architect. Sounds much better, and at least they know it's about E-learning! Of course, Learning Designer sums it all up rather nicely as well. Content specialist is rather drab. It is a lot more than just content! Then what about Learner Experience Enhancer? Or Learner Journey Coordinator? Or simply Learning Analyst? But it's more than just analysis, it's also about translating that analysis into a real experience.

Well, call it what we will, the design of instruction on the web must always be based on a thorough understanding of learner psychology, and web usability. It's also about layout, graphics, interactivity, navigation and above all, learner engagement. At the end of it all, the experience must add to or change the learner in some way. Rule number one: Understand your audience and their changing needs.

To learn more about design, usability and the user experience visit these links that offer resources and good insights into user testing of Websites:

http://www.big.uk.com/knowledgebase/research/web_user_testing.htm

http://www.gotomedia.com/resources_olia.html

You'll also get some great insights on communicating design, the pathos and ethos of design and richness from Uday Gajendar at:

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/what-does-rich-mean

Chief Justice

2007-06-29T02:32:00.000-07:00

Leila Seth is the "first woman chief justice of a high court in India, first woman judge of Delhi High Court and first woman to top the Bar exams in London " (Times News Network, June 24, 2007, Pioneer in the courtroom).

Women's achievements still make the headlines as though it's extraordinary and amazing for a woman to be achieving like this. Let's now cross over from a decade of firsts to a decade of regular and always and but of course it's got to be a woman and who else could do it?! Kudos to Leila Seth, and all who strive for the cause! And I know quite a few.

As I think more, women have always flourished in the business of justice. Famous women and less famous women and even some infamous women have had opportunities to grace the bench. Mothers must mete out justice when their children fight. Teachers must ensure justice in class and between students. When children see justice being done, they implicitly learn the ways of justice. That is how a fair and just society is built brick by brick -- by example.

You and I are often faced with situations everyday where a decision must be made about right and wrong and what is fair and what is unfair. We may not always be conscious that we are members of an Honourable Bench, but yes we are. And justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done. Does this apply to you?

11 Dimensions

2007-06-19T03:39:00.000-07:00

There's an excellent teaching and learning resource that many may find useful - Nova - The Elegant Universe offers amazingly elegant explanations about science, the universe and quantum physics - a must for all those interested in science, teachers, learning designers and everyone in between.

I especially loved the explanations of The String Theory, Resonance in Strings, and the interactive mathematical exercise exploring a world of ten dimensions. The site also offers teachers guides and online viewing of the program The Elegant Universe.

Potential and The Field of Infinite Possibilities

2007-06-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

A million ups and downs and detours and retreats and recoupings bring me to this blog. Six Degrees of Potential stems from the idea that human potential is limitless and takes a bit of nurturing in order to translate into six degrees of freedom.

Here, I will explore and park thoughts related to learning, teaching, education systems, and the achievement of human potential. Most people dont even come close to achieving their amazing, innate potential. Environment, education, and mentoring and motivation have a lot to do with it. I'm interested in learning, how it happens, why it doesn't happen, how we inadvertently build and how we can break down barriers to learning. How learning happens all the time, learning without boundaries, and learning in all dimensions.