How To Learn in a Globalized World
We live in a globalized world where technology is always advancing and reaching someone from across the globe has never been easier due to the development of the internet. With the rise of the internet the way we people learn is beginning to be questioned. Cathy Davidson in her essay “The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age” questions whether or not traditional learning methods are productive in our globalized world. Davidson debates that we must stray from learning environments where a teacher is just feeding students information through lectures and not benefiting from technology.
The reason why technology is so useful when it comes to learning is because not everybody learns the same way for example some people may be visual learners while others may be hands on learners. The internet, specifically, has many different platforms which allow all different kinds of learners to learn. I am a hands on learner as well as a visual learner so when I watch a YouTube tutorial on someone, for example, making a craft, it is a lot easier for me to understand what the person is doing rather than have someone telling me how to make the craft.
Davidson mentions ten principles for the future of learning five of which stuck out to me: self learning, horizontal structure, from presumed authority to collective credibility, networked learning, and lifelong learning. The reason why I find these particular principles important is because they support the fact that the internet makes it easier to learn and connect with others but people need to make sure that the sites they are using are actually credible. In my own life I practice a lot of self learning by reading articles online and watching a variety of YouTube videos. Learning through networking is something that I am still trying to get into but I know that it is a very beneficial way of learning since listening to others ideas may spark some of my creativity. Since the internet makes it easy for anyone to write articles people should try to make sure that what they are reading comes from a credible author. I believe that the future of learning definitely includes the five principles I mentioned because as technology advances traditional learning methods will end up having to catch up to the type of learning made possible by technology such as the internet.
