The Educational Software Paradox: Can We Learn To Unlearn?

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Opinion

The Educational Software Paradox: Can We Learn To Unlearn?

6/25/2008

By Trent Batson

New "educational" software and applications are usually not as educational as one might think. As a whole, applications developed in the name of learning have ended up favoring the institution and preserving the status quo. Given existing dynamics, it could not be otherwise.

The Paradox

True technology change is and should be disruptive of the core beliefs, assumptions, practices, and the knowledge-generation processes of higher education institutions and, indeed, of the whole culture of higher education. But, in any human population, only a small minority is comfortable with change and willing to take the risks that allow real changes to happen. Therefore, if applications are broadly accepted, they will almost certainly be of the kind that reinforces current higher education culture, and they will cause the least disruption possible.

We thought, for example (though it still could be true) that open source -- applications arising from inventive developers freer from economic constraints than those employed by more traditional companies -- would break the mold and present us with forward-looking educational software. Yet, we've seen that for open source applications beyond the gadget category to stay current and add features, some type of organization -- a company or a foundation, for example -- must become involved. And then many of the same dynamics as in traditional companies (with proprietary agendas) apply.

Numbers of users, in the end, becomes especially important. Who can justify a large effort aimed at 10 percent of the higher education population? The numbers (and economics) are just too small-scale. So, inevitably, the application will be aimed at the 90 percent mainstream, that very population which is risk-averse and largely committed to the status quo. Thus, we end up with the paradox that most educational software and applications do not serve the ends of education in the way we had hoped or imagined.

Is There a Way Out of the Paradox?

The most exciting and vibrant development surrounding educational applications is Web 2.0. In this broader market, ventures can aim at 10 percent of the market and still have a viable business plan. This is where higher education has to turn for the vital changes we've been expecting from information technology.

But, to do so means going against a very strong bias -- the ivory tower bias -- that learning must be controlled, monitored, and can't be fun. If we continue in the sway of this bias, we'll miss an obvious opportunity.