MOOC's grandma
As I've noted often, 'futurists' always envision a new communication system as Serving The Public Good, helping to spread High Culture And Education to the Benighted Masses. Never happens that way. In real life a new system develops and grows with porn or pro wrestling.

After pro wrestling takes over, the futurists keep trying new subsystems. Here's an odd forgotten subsystem, in the form of a UHF band allocation in 1964.

From a trade journal for cable TV operators, who were still new, still feeling their way through unfamiliar terrain.

This part of a page gives the sense:



The Instructional Television Fixed Service band, starting at 2500 Mc. It was specifically meant for internal usage within one school system or university. Because it was internal, two-way communication would be practical. And because the band was specified as non-broadcast, legal secrecy provisions were enforced. Unauthorized listeners weren't allowed to divulge what they saw or heard, so private discussions and medical training were possible. (And yes, those provisions did work in 1963 because we had a culture of trust. Diversity and litigation hadn't yet destroyed the culture.)

Needless to say 1, this never happened. Schools were happy enough with direct teaching and in-class movie projectors, and they were basically right. The expense and complexity of this vision weren't worth the gain. Hands-on teaching, even when the teachers aren't superstars, is always better.

Needless to say 2, the 2500 Mc band is now used for satellite radio. Porn and pro wrestling.

Needless to say 3, the same idea has come back via the web as MOOC, with the same vision of superstar lectures. Secrecy provisions are enforced physically by VPN systems, because trust is extinct.

Needless to say 4, MOOC is already passing its peak as colleges start to realize, yet again, that direct teaching works.

Labels: Experiential education

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