by Dr. Joel Gardner, EdTech Dojo co-curator
I thought it would be worth sharing this TED talk video of Salman Khan. He has been doing some interesting things with instructional videos and interactive testing. It is definitely worth watching!
I thought it would be worth sharing this TED talk video of Salman Khan. He has been doing some interesting things with instructional videos and interactive testing. It is definitely worth watching!
The real power behind this approach is the way it leverages technology in two key ways:
First, it allow students to progress at their own pace. This is crucial because the current school structure assumes that everyone progresses at mostly the same pace, which is just not true. This thinking is a product of the industrial age, a time of mass production of products and learning. We now live in the knowledge age, and individualized instruction becomes more and more vital.
Second, it enables teachers to assist students at achieving at their own pace. Since teachers are freed from actually presenting material, they have much more time to move from student to student and provide them with needed feedback and guidance. This enables the students to move forward more efficiently in a more personal manner.
While this system is not perfect, I find it’s potential very compelling. What is your reaction? Is it an effective approach? What are the strengths and weaknesses? Is this approach scalable? We would love to read your thoughts and ideas.
First, it allow students to progress at their own pace. This is crucial because the current school structure assumes that everyone progresses at mostly the same pace, which is just not true. This thinking is a product of the industrial age, a time of mass production of products and learning. We now live in the knowledge age, and individualized instruction becomes more and more vital.
Second, it enables teachers to assist students at achieving at their own pace. Since teachers are freed from actually presenting material, they have much more time to move from student to student and provide them with needed feedback and guidance. This enables the students to move forward more efficiently in a more personal manner.
While this system is not perfect, I find it’s potential very compelling. What is your reaction? Is it an effective approach? What are the strengths and weaknesses? Is this approach scalable? We would love to read your thoughts and ideas.