Solving the Distance Learning Problem Through "Super-Teaching"

跨学科(99)远程学习正迅速流行起来。但是，这样的学习“和”传统学习一样好吗？它与传统学习到底有什么不同？有没有可能在远程模式下成功地呈现高度互动的课程(例如，通过苏格拉底方法和动手机器人等教学技术)？这个重要的问题仍然没有答案。一个原因是，关于这个主题的许多研究在某些特定的方面存在缺陷--最近在“有什么不同？”中总结了这些缺陷。《高等教育远程教育有效性的当代研究综述》(美国教师联合会和国家教育协会高等教育政策研究所，1999年)。该项目正在测试一个解决方案的可行性，该解决方案至少包括两个部分：(1)第一部分是利用四种先进的信息技术--“2D”虚拟现实、化身、人工代理和高带宽网络--通过启用我们所说的“超级教学”来扭转局面，使远程教育具有优质课堂教育久经考验的独特特征。“人的因素”在今天的远程教育中是缺失的(或者至少被严重地淡化了)。超级教学致力于让远程学习像传统的面对面教学一样亲密。(2)进行三个实验，三门课各一门(1.逻辑概论；2.人工智能哲学；3.认知机器人导论)。每个实验都是一个对照实验，涵盖了每门课程的大部分内容。(科目的分配是根据相关领域的能力和技能进行的，调查人员正在审查测试后的表现和满意度(如调查所示)。)虽然这三门课程拥有共同的知识基础(逻辑和计算)，但它们在前景看好的方面却存在根本差异。第一门课程是一门招生人数较多的课程，不重视学生和教师之间的面对面互动；该课程寻求培养一种非常具体的技能：证据建构。第二门课程，人工智能哲学，是一门以苏格拉底方法为中心的传统哲学课程；这门课程可能是一门课程所能达到的最具互动性的课程。本课程的重点是用清晰的英语进行令人信服的论证。第三门课程也是互动的，但方式不同：学生和教师一起围绕物理对象(传感器、效应器、逻辑控制器等)工作。其目的是确定一流的远程学习是否可以进行像第二和第三种课程那样的互动强烈的课程。我们假设，我们的结果将表明，在我们的校园里，超级教学几乎与激烈互动的面对面教学一样有效。解决方案的最后部分将涉及推广超级教学，并与美国其他国家分享，但这样做的计划将是未来全面发展努力的一部分。

Interdisciplinary (99) Distance learning is exploding in popularity. But is such learning "as good as" traditional learning? How, exactly, is it different than traditional learning? And is it possible that intensely interactive courses (via, e.g., such pedagogical techniques as the Socratic method and hands-on robotics) can be successfully rendered in the distance mode? There are still no answers to this important question. One reason is that much research on this subject has been flawed in certain specific ways -- ways recently summarized in "What's the Difference? A Review of Contemporary Research on the Effectiveness of Distance Learning in Higher Education (Institute for Higher Education Policy for the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, 1999). This project is testing the feasibility of a solution that comes in (at least) two parts: (1) The first part is to harness a quartet of advanced information technologies -- "2D" virtual reality, avatars, artificial agents, and high-bandwidth networks -- to turn the tables on the problem by enabling what we call "super-teaching," which allows distance education to have the tried-and-true distinguishing features of quality classroom education. The "human factor" is absent in today's distance education (or at least severely minimized). Super-teaching is devoted to giving distance learning the same intimate feel as traditional face-to-face instruction. (2) Carry out three experiments, one for each of three courses (1. Introduction to Logic; 2 Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence; 3 Introduction to Cognitive Robotics). Each experiment is a controlled one covering a substantial part of each course. (Subjects are being assigned on the basis of aptitude and skill in the relevant domains, and the PIs are examining both performance on post-tests and satisfaction (as expressed in surveys).) While these three courses share an intellectual foundation (logic and computation), they are nonetheless fundamentally different in promising ways. The first course is a large-enrollment course that does not put a premium on face-to-face interaction between student and instructor; and the course seeks to cultivate a very specific skill: proof construction. The second course, Philosophy of AI, is a traditional philosophy course centered around the Socratic method; this course is perhaps as interactive as a course can get. The emphasis in this course is on cogent argumentation in clear English. The third course is also interactive, but in a different way: students and instructor work together around physical objects (sensors, effectors, logic controllers, etc.). The objective is to determine whether or not first-rate distance learning can take place for courses as intensely interactive as the second and third. We hypothesize that our results will show super-teaching to be nearly as effective as intensely interactive face-to-face instruction on our campus. The final part of the solution would involve generalizing and sharing super-teaching with others in the United States, but a plan for doing so would be part of a full scale development effort that lies in the future.