Stephen Colbert interviews Salman Khan; the founder of Khan Academy.

[PrinceofWands]

Lecture has its place.. but it's so much better in video form...

The only lecture I would consider useful is the ones that does demonstrations, such as in physics.

Oh I dunno...I'm thinking a few basic grammar lectures would be EXTREMELY useful for you.

 

[yhelothar]

Oh I dunno...I'm think a few basic grammar lectures would be EXTREMELY useful for you.

Blah, that always happens to me when I type the first half of the sentence before I think of the words for the second half.

But grammar issues aside, I'm sure you agree with me Mr. Wands, who detests public education with a fiery passion.

 

[Meghan54]

Oh I dunno...I'm think a few basic grammar lectures would be EXTREMELY useful for you.

I'd think you'd have cleaned up your obviously poor grammar before criticizing others.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Blah, that always happens to me when I type the first half of the sentence before I think of the words for the second half.

But grammar issues aside, I'm sure you agree with me Mr. Wands, who detests public education with a fiery passion.

Well, lecture has its place. Some people are auditory learners, so lecture is worth more to them than texts, hands-on, relational, or interactive methods. What's needed is a proper combination of all those different teaching methods so that each person can find their comfort to make sure the information is absorbed, while also practicing other forms of learning. Of course, this all presumes it's a well designed, and delivered lectured.

 

[PrinceofWands]

I'd think you'd have cleaned up your obviously poor grammar before criticizing others.

Hahahaha. Nice! Got going a bit too fast there. Thanks.

 

[Zebo]

Someday we will use this internet for something useful like saving half states budgets from teachers, schoolhouses, buses, administrators, etc...

 

[yhelothar]

PrinceofWands... heh I noticed the typo but I assumed you were being sarcastic.

But even for auditory learners, they would benefit from the video more than an in class lecture due to the ability to go at their own pace.

 

[qliveur]

Let's leave this right here.

 

[PrinceofWands]

PrinceofWands... heh I noticed the typo but I assumed you were being sarcastic.

But even for auditory learners, they would benefit from the video more than an in class lecture due to the ability to go at their own pace.

Nope, I'm just that much of an ironic dumbass.

Actually they're not the same thing. Auditory learning is still communication, and all communication involves both parties being active. While the ability to rewind is great, it can't replace an active lecturer who can adjust, improvise, connect, etc.

Also, there are different brain functions involved with listening to a recording than there are with being in someone's presence. I don't know of any studies specifically gauging the benefits with regards to learning preference, but I know it's two entirely different processes in the brain.

What would be optimal is to have personal lectures which are recorded and made immediately available to students for review...something that is simple, cheap, and accessible right now if people chose to actually educate rather than administrate.

 

[yhelothar]

Nope, I'm just that much of an ironic dumbass.

Actually they're not the same thing. Auditory learning is still communication, and all communication involves both parties being active. While the ability to rewind is great, it can't replace an active lecturer who can adjust, improvise, connect, etc.

Also, there are different brain functions involved with listening to a recording than there are with being in someone's presence. I don't know of any studies specifically gauging the benefits with regards to learning preference, but I know it's two entirely different processes in the brain.

What would be optimal is to have personal lectures which are recorded and made immediately available to students for review...something that is simple, cheap, and accessible right now if people chose to actually educate rather than administrate.

You do raise a good point that there are a certain percentage of people that may benefit more from a live lecture over watching videos. But in an education system that's designed to be a one-size-fits-all, I have little doubt that overall, the entire education would benefit with lectures transferred to videos and freeing the live time for interaction. On the other hand, we're really due for an alternative to this one-size-fits-all system, and it's awesome that Khan is doing something about it.

 

[Ichigo]

Nope, I'm just that much of an ironic dumbass.

Actually they're not the same thing. Auditory learning is still communication, and all communication involves both parties being active. While the ability to rewind is great, it can't replace an active lecturer who can adjust, improvise, connect, etc.

Also, there are different brain functions involved with listening to a recording than there are with being in someone's presence. I don't know of any studies specifically gauging the benefits with regards to learning preference, but I know it's two entirely different processes in the brain.

What would be optimal is to have personal lectures which are recorded and made immediately available to students for review...something that is simple, cheap, and accessible right now if people chose to actually educate rather than administrate.

For people stuck with a lecturer who can't adjust, improvise, connect, I'm sure this is fucking amazing.

I don't know why you're arguing about this. No one is saying this trumps a good, live teacher.

 

[PrinceofWands]

For people stuck with a lecturer who can't adjust, improvise, connect, I'm sure this is fucking amazing.

I don't know why you're arguing about this. No one is saying this trumps a good, live teacher.

I'm not disparaging anything. I love Khan Academy and use it extensively. I merely responded to the idea that lecture was inferior to video classes, which I don't believe it always is.