Why education software is still not good?
When I was reading this post, about new ways how Microsoft Windows 7 is enabling teachers to improve the way of teaching, I had something like “this will not work!”. Why I think that way?
Software in these days is smarter and smarter. At least, the gaming software AI is best then ever. You can fight with enemies that are behaving almost like humans. Incredible! But what has changed in education software? We have some stuff on the market like Super Memo, Mind Maps software, very big platforms for educational institution like Moodle. Microsoft with their own software for teachers and huge platforms also tries to take some share in e-learning market. On the education market, the biggest know application/website is Wikipedia.
Why Wikipedia is so great and Microsoft will never beat it?
Wikipedia strength is in people who are creating it. Not only in people but it is a combination of good and simple tool and people who are willing to use it because they feel that it is easy. Making next releases of the Windows UI that is just similar to the previous ones is not making any sense to me. The education software has to change in more user oriented one.
Why people are attending on e-learning classes and the results are poor?
They are not focused enough? Yes, this is the main reason. They are not focused because they have no motivation. The motivation is very tightly related to attractiveness’ of the topic that the person has to posses. If the topic is boring, the results are poor unless you almost force the person to study. And that is the truth of the current educational software. It is trying to push us, the users into animation-question-answer world where everything is explained in the same way.
How to unleash your educational power?
Sounds almost like commercial. I was studying for quite a long time the brain and its functions. I know for sure one thing. That each of us, has specific abilities and also disabilities that are realeted to our left and right side of the brain. By making simple tests , you can check which brain part is more used by you.
Why this is important?
It is very important because if you are not able to listen due to the fact that your brain is the best in pictures and moving animation, you will never be good on lectures lessons. And this is why I am so negative about the software that is currently on the market. It is not checking your brain capabilities and rearing the study plan for it.
The best would be, if before you start your e-learning course, the application will check what strong abilities you have. If you like watching to animations, you should have only these way of presenting the knowledge. Other is just not effective.
Software should inform you, when material is not best fitting to your brain capabilities
and advise you, how you can translate it for your purposes. For instance, if the lesson is full of text and you are strong in listening, you should get a hint that the best for you is just reading loudly what is written to understand it better.
I am just looking to future to develop such software for us. This could finally change our way of studying.
I think that you have hit the nail on the head with your post. Even the best of operating system will not replace the innovation and the proper approach in teaching.
Besides, the article that you reference at the beginning seems to be a blatant advertisment for Windows 7 and Microsoft and not an axplanation of how this operating system is going to revolutionize the way we teach students.