According to Michael Schrage in the Financial Times of March 22, 2006, the edutainers (as he calls them) would merit a failing grade. According to him ruthless scepticism should be given to "edutopia". "Edutainment" is an ideology, according to the author, and technologists offer the false promise that learning should be fun and assert there is someting wrong if it is not. All this comes from a recognised "innovation researcher" at the MIT. A pitty of the investment made in this research over the last 25 years I suppose, no?
One good question is raised: according to him educational software has nothing to do with cultivating character, and this in fact redefines education. I miss a clear point of view on what the role of education is, what teaching could do and how learning functions. But in the mean time, there is no alternative offered.
And still we have no affordable solution to support the learning of many that are unable to take part in the elite educational excercises that our schools offer. Out of my experience and research it appears that virtual learning solutions (and yes that is different from educational software) could be a worthwhile alternative for those that have more difficulties with learning and those that anyway cannot attend an expensive classroom based alternative.
A missed opportunity and a needless attack. But I would be very interested to learn about any alternative.
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