The Google dictionary (via Oxford Languages) defines learning as: \u201cthe acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our most recent class we were invited to compare two AI generated images of \u201clearning\u201d and of \u201con-line learning\u201d (image coming soon).\u00a0 It\u2019s worth noting that these are newly generated images, as opposed to a search result, which yields many more results.\u00a0 My very first reaction to the slide was: Do we still need to hyphenate the word \u201conline\u201d; and I immediately wondered how the image might be different. Notwithstanding, the images contrast well and highlight a few important biases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brenna made the most obvious distinction between the two images, noting that the computer is at the center of the \u201con-line learning\u201d image. She also noted that while she didn\u2019t get the Web CT connection embedded within it, she joked that \u201cat least the computer is graduating\u201d. It\u2019s a funny joke, but that steers into some Essentialism v. Instrumentalism biases. Hamilton and Friesen (2013) argue that the educational value of new technologies is limited by the philosophical approach taken to evaluate them. Is the computer doing the teaching and learning, or is it simply a tool to access additional resources? As mentioned earlier in the same class, it isn\u2019t an either\/or proposition but more of a spectrum depending on the individual artifact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which takes me back to the definition of the word learning and the biases in the first image “learning”.\u00a0 Learning is not limited to books.\u00a0 We might learn in order to obtain a diploma, or we might learn in order to communicate needs, throw a ball, or use chopsticks.\u00a0 This learning often happens through mentorship, lived experience, or trial and error, but there\u2019s nothing of the sort in either image.\u00a0 Both images focus solely on the \u201cstudy\u201d element of learning.\u00a0 In the world of Education that makes sense but learning isn\u2019t limited to the domain of Education, and if we consider the larger social and cultural considerations at play we can bring awareness to the biases of AI and challenge its perspective (and our own) on what it means to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hamilton, E., & Friesen, N. (2013). Online Education: A Science and Technology Studies Perspective \/ \u00c9ducation en ligne: Perspective des \u00e9tudes en science et technologie. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology \/ La Revue Canadienne de l\u2019apprentissage et de La Technologie<\/em>, 39<\/em>(2). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.21432\/T2001C<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Google dictionary (via Oxford Languages) defines learning as: \u201cthe acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught.\u201d In our most recent class we were invited to compare two AI generated images of \u201clearning\u201d and of \u201con-line learning\u201d (image coming soon).\u00a0 It\u2019s worth noting that these are newly generated images, as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":301,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lrnt526"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0284\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0284\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0284\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0284\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/301"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0284\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0284\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":271,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0284\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269\/revisions\/271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0284\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0284\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0284\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}