Langdon Winner's presentation entitled "The Automatic Professor Machine" depicted a company promoting automated education via an excessive technology platform going as far as to propose users' brains connect directly to the database for information downloads. I interpret Langdon’s main point to be that we need to evaluate the intentions, actions and consequences of new technology. By presenting this excessive approach to a good concept we were forced to witness how an individual or company motivated by control and money can take a good concept and create a negative solution.
The concept of downloading information to accelerate a process and providing that product via seamless integration within global coverage is that intent of any business that sells any product. A company must posses the best product at the lowest cost and have that product accessible to its consumers in order to be profitable. I’m not writing this because I like school and I would much rather prefer to be given the “injection” and be done with school.
The problem is the product we are talking about is education. By using downloads we take away an individual’s perspective and ability to internalize the information. Education is learning how to think. If we all have the same amount of data and it was derived from the same source we will all apply that data in the same manner. Who’s going to think outside of the box to develop new products and medicines that will enhance our lives? What would differentiate us from our peers?
The last question I had was who is regulating the data that is being downloaded? If we do not know how to think and apply the information we hold then what prevents “the company” from applying data that has specific designs to promote their bottom line or even control our thought process? From the outset we could see that this company is less than reputable and motivated by money and control (everything must be privatized). I wouldn’t leave them in my apartment alone, forget about my brain.
What I like about this is that you get into the issue of what defines education, and how it relates to this commodified idea that Winner satirizes. Are students consumers? This is a crucial question, and I'm very pleased you raise it explicitly here.
ReplyDeleteNice start to your blog!