There is a recent trend in people that rather than participating in the international conferences they prefer virtual/online participation. We learn alot while travelling but if researchers would start participating online only would it affect the learning?
There are two questions here, one in bold print and the other in standard.
Information technology is a collection of manually operated machines that have the ability to process data for a number of purposes. IT is the processor of knowledge. Knowledge itself is the content IT processes. The IT world is changing in the sense of advances in instrumentation that processes and distributes knowledge. The system is concrete. Knowledge is abstract and has an infinite quality.. The more that is known leads to knowing the more that is unknown. The question is can knowledge of how to advance IT be acquired that leads to more effective processing and therefore more knowledge. The system is dynamic and never will be stagnant.
The second question has two parts. People do learn a lot by traveling but but there is no necessary relationship between learning through traveling and learning through attending an international conference. Attending a conference is different from on-line participation. One has the quality of face to face interaction and the other is interaction over mechanical means. Both contribute to learning but in diffrent ways. How learning takes place is based on the learning style of the learner. Some learn through direct experience, some through reading and some through listening. Therefore some may learn less because of the limitation of each relative to their learning style. So the answer to the question about on-line learning is "it depends."
Incidentally research on learning through distance education supports the conclusion that learning levels are equal or better with DE compared to the classroom. Of course the level of sophtication of the equipment is a variable when comparing DE to classroom and to other DE programs.
Anam is right. IT increases sharing and production of knowledge. No risk of stagnation
Knowledge can be never stagnant, because it is impossible to forbide thinking.
But, knowledge can be made stagnant (at least temporarily) quite easily, one fool or disinterested person in key position can manage that with no effort at all.
General knowledge might be stagnant, but area specific knowledge will increase and its scope will be probably narrower and narrower.
IT systems are just advanced form of library, because in the end it is allways human person who must decide, if information is relevant and then if it is good information or just nonsense.
Some international meetings are still necessary, especially with regard to negotiations and decision-making, where direct interpersonal communication might be important.
However, for processing of document the exchange via electronic means is more effective already.
Using ICT tools to engage interactively in research activities or learning can certainly be considered as an additional support for researchers to exchange and discuss issues related to their common interests. However, it should be considered as an additional resource rather than a substitute for real participations in conferences and real life events.
Online learning supports other forms of learning, but I am not sure it can replace the human experience of being in a place interacting with other people. Let us "not forget" that learning has an intangible dimension related to human subjectivity and emotions. And such conditions cannot really be reproduced by artefacts. So again I think that ICT tools can be a useful support for learning, but not a substitute.
Hello,
If we look at the history of internet we find that the most important reason for connecting remote computers was connecting remote brains and cognitive capabilities and established science particles in order to increase speed of science production. (Please see Licklider, J. C. R. 1960. Man-computer symbiosis. Human Factors in Electronics, IRE Transactions on, (1), 4-11.)
This is a quite old debate and in any case ICT increase science productivity and efficiency
- Badges
- Science method
- Similar topics
- Methodology
- Research Methodology
- Qualitative Research