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Originally Posted by Chris Hillman
That is actually one of the very points I made. But I added that I am concerned that not everyone at BAUT may clearly realize the limitations of BAUT and similar forums as an educational resource.
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This I agree with completely. And I understand too, that many people use that fact to portray themselves in a better light.
On a Mars forum, I got caught up in 'intelli-speak' arguments with folks trying to 'act like the learned scientist' when assessing visible 'fossils on Mars.'
Also the TU24 forum was a good example of this.
I do think BAUT is a cut above the rest however.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Hillman
I think we agree that no-one can acquire a solid scientific education or genuine appreciation of the more subtle issues in modern science simply from reading Wikipedia or participating in BAUT and similar fora.
My concern is that I see, or think I see, a lot of evidence suggesting that quite a few youngsters don't realize why this is the case, and even worse, that some may literaly be trying to supplement or even replace a formal education with participation in fora like BAUT.
Strange indeed. If you hang around faculty lounges you may hear some discussion of a related concern: do our students ever read -books- any more?
There was a relevant NOVA episode recently which explored how high school and college teachers are reacting to the advent of internet "resources" such as Wikipedia. Some of the things being said are IMO utterly appalling.
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Part of teaching includes expression.
I remember one of the smartest professors I ever knew- an MIT graduate- once told me that a true sign of intellect is when a person could express the increasingly complex on a simple level.
The reason being, a person will not learn a complex lesson in a moment. Like adding bricks to build a wall, it takes time and study.
My roommate was trying to get a customer to understand a complex computer operation. After a while she said , "Think File Cabinet!" The customer exclaimed, "OH! Limited space!"
Click*
Without going into the details of the complicated computer workings, they used a simple analogy that served the purpose.
When it comes to the learning of another, I think that it's all about the baby steps and we cannot always barrage people with the Full Knowledge until they have the foundation to support it- Self Included.
If someone starts talking to me about certain things, I'll end up drooling with a thousand yard stare and trying to play with a ball of lint I found on my shirt.