It Is Time That Villages Were Universities: Thoreau’s
Dream and Harrer’s Empowerment
Abstract
Henry David Thoreau wrote: “If we live in the Nineteenth Century, why should we not enjoy the advantages which the Nineteenth Century offers? Why should our life be in any respect provincial?" The swift elaboration of increasingly elaborate information technologies over the last couple of decades has stimulated a considerable amount of philosophical reflection. This is true, also, in the philosophy of education where the development of information technology has suggested the prospect of a new kind of educational environment. This paper presents its Utopian stance through a study in line with the concept of open learning. It investigates how, by returning to the thinking of writers like Thoreau and Heinrich Harrer, we can re-think the role of computers in education in such a way as to enhance the empowerment and autonomy of learner-communities, particularly those in less developed countries.
Introduction
It is time that villages were universities…. If we live
in the Nineteenth Century, why should we not enjoy the advantages which the
Nineteenth Century offers? Why should our life be in any respect provincial?
--- Henry David Thoreau [On Reading] urged his town to put more money on
education. Provocatively, he put it: “ Its time villages were universities…”
As my English was far from perfect, we [Harrer himself
and the Dalai Lama] used to listen to the English news on a portable radio and
took advantage of the passages spoken at dictation speed --- Heinrich Harrer
gave an account of his English proficiency and of how he used technology to
enhance his language teaching
" This is a part of life I never ever taught you, I
am learning myself …We have to get through it together," --- Alex Bobik
told his Russian student, Natalia Kalinina.
***
The three quotes above capture the core of this paper. Firstly, it supports the principles of open education and learning for life. With the Internet having so many things to offer, and as we are living in the twenty-first century, we should take advantages of what this century has to offer.
As a starting point, this paper hails his provocative remark: ‘Its time villages were universities…’ We have to admire Thoreau’s vision and foresight. Heinrich Harrer, authored of Seven Years in Tibet, is an example of those who refuse to succumb to Nature; he created opportunities to improve the situation. Amidst political, environmental, and socio-economical forces, teachers should see themselves as collaborators, rather than experts. Alex Bobik’s experience in Moscow has served as his academic epiphany. The event at the Moscow theatre in 2002 made him become ‘aware’ of such position: teachers, like students, are learners, not just knowledge creators and knowledge givers.
In the ocean of capitalism and terrorism, very few people are still searching for the Holy Grail. Most prefer sitting at pubs or bars, drink beer, or smoke marijuana, “ There is no such thing the perfect world, the realists reason. Basic decency and standards or right and wrong are relative. Such attitude may be too negative. There are brighter aspects of life. The light at the end of the tunnel might not always be from an on coming train. There is hope for something better. Tomorrow is not just another day, but a better day. After all, we all want to be in a good story. If gods are too busy, and not ready to provide, our imagination will do just fine.
This paper begins with a brief discussion of the impacts of technology on formal schooling system in general, especially the role of teachers and the body of knowledge. Then it looks at the future of universities, arguing that universities are in crisis. Next, it proposes the context in which Thoreau’s dream is achievable. Lastly, it presents a research project, as an example, that bases on principles of open learning, the use of technology to enhance learning and empower learners.
I. The Rise of Machines
Human: what is your dream?
AI: My goal is to become smarter than humans and immortal.
We were born with anxiety, for the main function of our brain is to predict. We all fear of the unknown, ultimately Death, including our own imaginations or fantasies. Many people fear the rise machines. However, machines are not just materials. Broadly speaking, there are two notions of machines: tools and our world-view. The first notion is obvious. The second requires a higher level of awareness. Our mechanistic perception of the world has been with us for a long time. We call a group of people who control a political party a party machine. Some fear that machines will be a run away thing and rule the world. However, a real threat may be what Freud called our death instinct and our desires to control Nature. In fact, machines we have created only reflect our mechanistic views of life, which has proven to be quite damaging. According to James Wolfensohn, World Bank President, " Our world is not balanced. Too few control too much, and too many have too little to hope for. Too much turmoil, too many wars. Too much suffering." Recognizing this, Krishanamurti urged us not to lead a mechanical life.
Machines, including the Net, are tools. Their ultimate function is to enhance our performance.
Will students in 2020 wear tiny computers, and will images of presentations be beamed directly onto their retinas, will the ‘computer’ talk to them? If we believe in Moore’s Law that states, “The amount of information that can be stored on a computer chip doubles every 18-24 months,” it is quite likely to be the case.
Two prominent public figures offer some interesting scenarios. Bill Gates opines: “ I don’t think there’s anything unique about human intelligence. All the neurons in the brain that make up perceptions and emotions operate in a binary fashion (p. 214).” He predicts: “ Eventually we’ll be able to sequence the human genome and replicate how nature did intelligence in a carbon-based system (p. 215).”
In a more radical, albeit optimistic view of the future, Ray Kurzweil has been quoted as saying that:
“ Ultimately, computers will become so powerful that they will dwarf the mental capabilities of mankind and even begin to take on human characteristics such as spontaneity and impulsive discoveries. These same computers will create communication systems between people that are far more complex than voice or written transmissions, where massive amounts of knowledge in the form of neural network patterns can be transferred from one wired human brain to another.
Source: <http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/june2000/nf00629i.htm>
[5/22/2002]
In the field of artificial intelligence, Ian Peason, a futurologist at Btexact, boasted in New Scientist (Vol 174, p. 46), “I have a prototype design for something that might be 50, 000 million times smarter than the human brain. Target date is 2010. ” Igor Alexsander and his followers are trying to build conscious machines. Some visionary scientists are busy developing new concepts of computing i.e. computer based on principles of quantum physics.
Mike Langberg (The Australian, October 23, 2003) reported new ideas on IT, based on a recent conference titled Silicon Valley 4.0 in California as follows:
“Computer chips that mimic the human brain; disease-fighting drugs designed by engineers instead of stumbled on during trial-and-error testing; wireless devices that understand our voices and keep us constantly connected to vital information; huge networks of inexpensive electronic sensors monitoring the weather.”
Whether we like it or not, whatever critics say, computer is here to stay and will continue to influence every aspect of our live. In years to come, we will see wider and deeper impacts of IT revolution on universities (Altbach, 2003). Ancient wisdom, including the Chinese have long recognized this fact of nature. Regarding the time of changes in relation to human behavior and perception, they have said that: "When the wind of changes comes, some build a wall; some build a windmill." Roughly speaking, we can see that there are broadly two types of people: those who welcome changes and see golden opportunities in them, and those who resist changes and feel uneasy about them, if not hostile. One obvious case is Robert Redeker who opposes the introduction of the Internet to school.
If we live in the Twenty-first Century, why should we not enjoy the advantages which the Twenty-first Century can offer? We deserve the best of this century. Information technology is obviously one of the things that this century is offering, including numerous inventions. Since the rapid development of computers and information technology, we are now capable of doing things that might have been very difficult, if not impossible, in the past, i.e. sending and receiving information, be it in video, audio, or text modes, with greater speed and amount, any content, anytime, anywhere.
The WWW provides ample opportunities to extend the classroom beyond four wall (Dyrli and Kinnaman, 1995). They outline several ways in which this might happen. Among other things, with the integration of the Internet, the students and teachers can:
“ …bring worldwide electronic resources- lesson plans, articles, books, maps, diagrams, photographs, film clips, sound bites, and even multimedia software- to the classroom instantaneously; create and compile their own educational content electronically, and share it with other students, teachers, and classes anywhere in the world .”
Indeed, access to information available on the Internet empowers its users if they are capable of using it. Not having a computer is only a part of the problem. Similarly, it is one thing to have the information, but it is another to make sense of it. Information needs interpretation. Garth Boomer (1999), an Australian scholar, has put it that: “ Information, or rather information interpreted and understood, is power (p. 55).” Power has different connotations in different contexts. In the political context, Thrasymachus, in Plato’s Republic, or Machiavelli, would agree that Might is right regardless of morality: if those who are strong can benefit from exploiting the weak, it would be foolish of them not to do so. On the other hand, Rousseau has argued in his Social Contract that Might can produce no Right; legitimate authority in human societies is Agreement. Most academics nowadays who are more democratic would be more comfortable with the belief that knowledge is power. On his book, Power, Bertrand Russell, states that power over human beings may be classified by the manner of influencing individuals, or by the type of organization involved. According to Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), an individual may be influenced by:
- direct physical power over his body, e.g. when he is imprisoned or killed;
- rewards and punishments as inducements, e.g. in giving or withholding employment;
- influence on his opinion i.e. propaganda in its broadest sense.
It is worth noting here that in many parts of the world, teachers still have all forms of power mentioned above. They can physically harm the students by whipping them if they do not do homework or if their answers are incorrect. They can also verbally or psychologically harm the students, for instance, when they misbehave in class or simply happen to be noisy. And indeed, most teachers do meddle with their students’ perception.
If knowledge is power, teachers claimed to possess such power, approved by societies, have more of it. In ancient societies, most teachers were priests and prophets, and the teachers, accordingly, enjoyed prestige and privilege. Things have changed. Nowadays many conservative teachers may feel that their prestige and status have been lowered. Some of them have decided to abandon the teaching career. The main reason behind such feeling lies within newer definitions of knowledge that is not exclusively held by teachers or certain specialists as before. This implies new power relationships between teachers and students, and communities and universities. Things change, and changes are inevitable. In the past books were scare, and, to prevent robbery, many had to be chained. Unlike the past, knowledge as specific information similar to the thing most teachers used to teach is everywhere, particularly on the Internet. Modern students have access to the information they want via the Internet. However, there is the big gap between the haves and have-nots. Most inhabitants of the earth, some people claim, do not have access to the Internet. Efforts have been made to narrow this gap. It seems there are other gaps involved, so it seems information infrastructure such as computer is just a part of the whole picture.
Humanistic movement of the 20th century has helped shifting the focus of education from teaching to learning, albeit slowly. We can feel that the shift of the 21st century tends to be from schooling to learning. Unlike the past, today’s universities are facing new challenges.
II. The Future of Universities
In the past, education was scare, and books were chained. Most people learned through their normal battle of life. Knowledge was restricted and is available for some elites. After Gutenburg, more books were available. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, many universities had been established in Europe in direct response to the new demands which “older types of schools were powerless to satisfy (Cole, 1929 p. 76).” At present, are universities becoming powerless to response to the changing world? Like other social institutions, many are in crisis.
Evan (2002, quoted in Altbach, 2003:2) said that, resulting from new realities, British universities have become weaker. The problems are even worse in developing countries e.g. limited academic freedom, intellectual dependence, low salaries, job insecurity, poor working conditions (Altbach, 2003).
One example is Thailand. Paitoon Silarat (1998) has discussed some problems Thailand’s graduate education is facing.
· There are fewer academic talks among teachers.
· The academic promotion is full of regulations that bore the teachers.
· The quality is strictly controlled by the group of people who are most distant from the academic matters.
· The opening of the graduate education become more and more a fashion. Many are opened according to the fake needs, e.g. for income, for reputation.
(p. 108-109)
Many universities doubt their quality, and some are more self-confident accrediting themselves, saying approvals from other institutions are not needed. Courses and degrees have been commercialized under the disguised umbrella of education for all. More are available online. Knowledge is viewed as something solid. Like other social institutions, universities doubt if they will continue to be relevant in the 21st century. Some argue that universities of the 21st century will be IT strong, more learner-centered, interdisciplinary, and inevitably commercialized.
Many states have failed and some are failing. Some states are in deep crises, and many are in the process of disintegration. Universities, too, are in the process of transformation. Like other social institutions, some are in crises adopting a business model of management. Many are trying to survive financially, pressured by limited funding from states. Alan Gilbert, University of Melbourne vice-chancellor, has recently criticized the crises facing by many higher institutions:
“ Universities in the Western tradition, wonderfully adept at pushing back the scientific and technological boundaries of human knowledge and skills, have become less willing, less confident and less able to offer students any coherent legitimation of the cultural, moral and philosophical underpinnings of Western civilization.”
Most people blame radical materialism. The wide spread of higher education has been fuelled by information technology and globalization. It seems no one can stop such transformations. The view of knowledge as an object has contributed to the worsening situations. The first symptom can be seen from the changing roles and status of the teachers.
As early as 1977, Bandura predicted that the media e.g. television and newspapers, through symbolic models, would play greater roles in shaping our behavior and perceptions. Today the vastness and accessibility of the World Wide Web and the knowledge it provides has questioned the validity of compulsory education in general and teachers’ roles as knowledge providers in particular, and it has profoundly done so. The trend, as Naisbitt (1984) predicts, is the shift from institutional help to self-help: learning at home. Computer, coupled with democratic/humanistic movements and social problems, is undeniably, one salient factor effecting teachers’ role and status.
In general, teacher prestige and status have been reported to be lower than any period in history (McCreary Juhasz, 1990, cited in Robinson, 1994, p. 1). TESOL teachers, for example, have been reported as those with 'lower status' (Medgyes and Matei, 2001). Maybe it is high time that TESOL teachers rethink and redesign their enterprise and roles.
In the age of globalization and IT strong, what will universities be like?
No doubt about it, the Net provides more learning opportunities. Online courses are booming. Digital campuses are popping up. A brief summary from one conference in the UK confidently declared that:
“Universities will have to face up to a "borderless" future in which online courses will reach beyond traditional boundaries.“
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/692731.stm [27/09/2003]
“ Many universities may die or may change beyond recognition as a result of IT revolution,” states Donald Langenberg (quoted in Dator, 1998).
Dator has painted a rather grimed picture of the future: “ … more campuses will become shelters for homeless --- the vast number of unemployed teachers and professors --- and the unemployed graduates of all our academic programs too, whether campus-based distributed or virtual. (Ibid)”
Though the future of universities may not look rosy if they are viewed narrowly as an exclusive place for the elites, it may not necessarily be a bad thing for the society. Prediction has it that more and more universities are to be virtual and boarderless, and more open. Ivan Illich died and the possibility of a deschooling society, though still in doubt, is looking more promising. There must be something wrong with the present system of schooling in higher education. It reinforces a consumer society, according to Illich. Knowledge is regarded as a commodity and education is an investment. Many universities simply produce more parts of the machines.
III. What If Villages were Universities
Newtonian perspective views the world as a machine. Life, however, is organic and evolving all the time. There are grassroots intellectuals everywhere, not only professors in universities, but towns and villages. For Thoreau’s dream to come true, we need to change our perspectives of life, move away from schooling to learning, and properly utilize technologies.
Antonio Gramsci has proposed that each of us should be an "organic intellectual." His proposal fits well with Thoreau’s call, for universities’ real function is to develop intellectuals to serve the society. To be organic means not to be mechanical. Organic intellectuals may look at the sky but their feet must be on the ground or on an equal footing as others. This means they are integrated into the community. They should not take advantages of other members i.e. by avoiding physical work.
At an international conference on Improving University Learning and Teaching, John Daneil, former Vice Chancellor of the Open University, concluded his keynote speech as follows:
“We have a democratic educational mission to reach and enthuse an enormously diverse student population; to insist that critical, informed, reflective engagement with the human condition is not a matter for elites or professional experts alone.”
http://www.open.ac.uk/vcs-speeches/FrankfurtJuly2000.htm [26/09/2003]
Certain unnecessary decorations may be abandoned. B. F. Skinner has suggested in Walden Two that labor credits are in place, honorific titles are unnecessary. If a village is to be a knowledge community, open space where everybody can participate has to be available for intellectual activities. As Gramsci has proposed, each individual should have his or her intellectual functions --- explaining and convincing.
Obviously, Thoreau did not intend to urge us to be like everybody else. In stead, he urged us to be independent in our ways of living and learning. His use of the word ‘universities’ should be taken as a metaphor. We should view his call at a deeper level, that is, the individuals and communities are strong. To be stronger, a community has to build their own understanding of the phenomena. As Harrer had done, they should first try their best to empower themselves. It is important to note here that villages or communities of the 21st century are different from those of the late 19th century. Today’s communities, especially urban ones, are less homogeneous and stable than those of the by gone days. Now we are in the multicultural society. Thus the real challenge is to reconcile the difference for common benefits. Relying solely on external forces will only make local communities weaker. But closing the door is equally damaging. The Buddha taught us to take the middle path. Two forces: globalization and localization should be balanced.
Thoreau's dream is realizable if we think outside the box of schooling as Ivan Illich has proposed in his classic, Deschooling Society. Indeed, it is not easy for us to shift our focus from schooling to learning. There are plenty of illusions in the society. Most of us realize that learning is not necessarily resulted from pre-programmed instruction. It occurs everywhere. His dream is possible if universities are not just factories producing graduates whose main concern is to consume more bread and tend to be part of the machines in big cities.
To balance localization and globalization, community members need not just local languages they need common languages to communicate their ideas and feelings with everybody else.
IV. The Rise English as a Global Language: A Language of Global Cooperation or Mass Destruction?
As we are talking about technology and education, it is inevitable not to mention the rise of English feared by many as a means to dominate other cultures. If English were a person, he or she could face a criminal charge of being a mass murderer. However, many also think optimistically saying it is becoming the language of the Internet and that of the 21st century --- the language of global cooperation. On the positive side, the Internet and English bring freedom, especially among those who have been suppressed by their own governments. In societies where free speech is not appreciated, in places where speaking the truth equals committing a crime, using English with the world is a way to influence the local.
Nowadays more people speak English as a second/foreign language than as a mother tongue. Make no mistake English is considered by more and more people as a major global language. Some say it is the language of the Internet and that of the 21st century. What is the future of English in the first half of the 21st century? Will it maintain its present status? As we move into the new millennium, deep and complex forces are pushing the English language into its global status, mainly its speakers’ power. At the meantime, other languages face decline or extinction (Crystal, 2000). Michael Krauss (quoted in Crystal, 2000, p. 18) has been quoted as saying that 90% of mankind’s languages will disappear within the next 100 years if the present rate of extinction is left untouched. The surge of English popularity, probably, has made many world citizens a big worry. Jacques Chirac, the president of France, has been quoted as saying that the spread of English is truly: “ a major risk for humanity (quoted in Hammond, 1998, p. 120).” Some people even say it is like a weapon of mass destruction for other languages.
Based on the 1995 survey by a British Council project English 2000, David Crystal (Ibid) has highlighted some findings:
English will retain its role as the dominant language in the world media and communications (94 % agreed and strongly agreed).
English is essential for progress, as it will provide the main means of access to high-tech communication and information over the next 25 years. (95 % agreed and strongly agreed)
English will remain the world’s language for international communication for the next 25 years (96% agreed or strongly agreed).
The global market for English language teaching & learning will increase over the next 25 years (93 % agreed or strongly agreed).
(p. 104)
Perhaps, it is safe to put forth the conviction that, unless some major turn of events or nasty things happen, English will continue to be the global language of the 21st century. However, what is English as a global language like? In particular, who owns it? And will a single world standard for English develop like French? Unlike Latin, English has the potential to become a truly world language.
In the introduction to the book The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Carter and Nunan (2000) write that: “ In becoming the medium for global communication, English is beginning to detach itself from its historical roots…. It is possible to question the term ‘English’ …, and it is conceivable that the plural forms ‘Englishes’ will soon replace the singular ‘English (p. 3).” In a similar vein, Crystal (1997) declares: “ … the English language has already grown to be independent of any form of social control (p. 139).” So how about the standards? The simple answer would be there are many standards, depending on the context and circumstances. Chaotic? For pedagogical purposes, it would be less problematic, and thus manageable, to view English as having two broad categories: Native speakers varieties of English e.g. American, Australian and non-native speakers varieties of English e.g. Pakistani English, Singaporean English (Carter and Nunan, 2000). Recently, regarding the question of who owns English, Paul Roberts (2002) has provocatively put it that: “ At the extreme end of this Neo-liberal wing, a handful of native speakers writing on the subject have declared that ownership of, and therefore authority over, English has passed from them and out into the world of all English users; one has even declared that the native speaker is dead (Guardian Unlimited, 2002).”
While many people, including the French, are not too happy with the rise of English, a search for the best language for global communication will have to continue. I would like to suggest English as a promising candidate. While paper would like to follow an ideological stance of a Polish oculist, Dr. Ludwik Zamenhof (1859-1917), who created an artificial international language intended to help solving some of the world problems through better global communication, it regards English, rather than Esperanto (see e.g. http://www.esperanto.net/), as a means to achieve such noble end. Esperanto seems to rise too slowly despite its simplicity and ‘tidiness.’ One English teacher opines that English works because it is no Esperanto. Despite criticism regarding the spread of the English language due to its economic and political purposes, which has been regarded by some as an imperialist plot --- an unacceptable assertion of the superiority of the Anglo-Saxon cultures over others (especially Phillipson, 1992), English has widely been used for international communication and cooperation.
With English as a global language and IT as a means to connect people, Marshall McLuham’s concept of “ the Global Village” has come closer to reality. We are after all citizens of the earth. We do communicate and cooperate. The Internet, in addition to other tools, has offered us what Jurgen Habermas has dreamed for --- ‘an open field,’ a public sphere where all participants have an equal footing. According to Waschauer (2003), the Internet has offered more than what Alexis de Tocqueville, a 19th century political theorist, has asked for, that is, the meeting hall and the newspaper, which can make citizens’ associations successful. Gutenburg would be the first to go online.
They need a common language, however. And that language, this paper suggests, should be English as a global language. English after all is a tool we use to deal with real life issues such as the environment. Being able to communicate our ideas and feelings using a common language broadens our mind. In the age globalization, we should be able to communicate in our first language as well as in a global one. Villagers or community members can enhance their understanding through stories from others.
The next part presents a research project entitled "Enhancing Critical Thinking in Language Learning through Computer-Mediated Collaborative Learning." This study attempts to embrace, as many as possible, the concepts discussed so far, including life-long learning and learning for all, English as a global language, learning rather than being instructed, and empowerment. This preliminary investigation is a glimpse of what we can do make Thoreau's dream come true.
V. The Bamboo Enterprise as a
Community of Learning
Why bamboo? Continual and thriving growth, strong network, beauty, flexibility, and usefulness are salient characteristics of bamboo. Indeed, it is a humble plant, for the taller, it grows the lower it bends. Scientists regard it lowly as merely a kind of grass. In Asia, bamboo has been associated with learning. In days of yore, Chinese scholars, and indeed concerned individuals all around Asia, gathered in bamboo groves to drink tea, philosophize and talk of sundry ranging matters from politics and ethics to women and wine. It is worth noting here that in bygone days Chinese philosophical texts were also written on bamboo strips.
Critics argue that most physical communities are organized based on asymmetrical power relationships. However, with new possibilities offered by CMC, many idealists have come up with utopian concepts to offer 'something better' for human beings.
Let us imagine the Bamboo Enterprise as a spaceship venturing into new horizons, similar to the U.S.S Enterprise. Her main mission is to study the beginning of life at one of the galaxies far away very from the earth. Her crew consists of people from different parts of the world. Each member is free to form or join a project he or she prefers. From the Bamboo Enterprise, they get into a smaller spaceship and travel on their way to carry out their project. They may return to the main ship for support e.g. food, fuel, or tools. Alternatively, they can also ask for assistance. They can also keep in touch with the mother ship and other smaller ships via telecommunication devices. They may contact other groups should they wish. They may decide to join another group when they return to the parent ship.
Photo: NASA and Star Trek
The Bamboo Enterprise, an online learning community, is the place where its members can jointly engage in online activities. Let call them projects. With some guidance and support from helpers, learners are encouraged to come up with their own ideas e.g. a group of students from Bangkok and Canberra may wish to jointly report environmental problems and suggest ways to solve them. A group of students in Bangkok may take some photos that reveal their problems e.g. water pollution. They may describe the photos and search for information from the Internet on ways to alleviate the problem. A group of learners from Canberra, on the other hand, may help by giving suggestions, or they may wish to report their own problems. On the Internet, they can freely express their concerns and personal points of views. An online learner from India may join the project and report his hometown’s environmental problems. As they go about doing the activity, they can ask for help from the community. The community may wish to offer them some help. They may need some help in terms of technical problems e.g. how to build a simple website in order to report the problems. They may need some help in terms of their English and the whereabouts of the information. Another group of learners may work together suggesting ways in which people of the world can live together peacefully.
Each project has a helper in place. The helper can be a collaborator, an English teacher or a volunteer deemed appropriate. The helper assists his or her group in a variety of channels: via the Internet, face-to-face, or the mixed mode. On the Bamboo Enterprise, there will be a variety of Internet-based projects available for every volunteer to participate. With help from the support system, preferably, learners initiate and carry out their projects in autonomous manners. However, there are some existing projects for them to join. Such projects are nothing but some suggestions, and they are not to be imposed on learners. Should they prefer, learners have choices to collaboratively create their own projects. One of the hallmarks of this approach is that the learners, if they prefer, can work on their own. Considering the learning context created, it is likely that learners will want to take part in the group interaction.
In this model, the support system refers to all possible means and resources the learners can maximize to solve their problems that may arise when they engage in collaborative activities of the projects. They can seek help from many sources not only from the provided online database or other websites, but also from the help of fellow group members, the researcher, their own teachers, and other volunteers. What is available online is just one type of the support system.
The research project has its orientation similar to the core characteristics derived from some of the knowledge-building societies. Collins and Bielaczyc (2002) cited three examples of knowledge-building communities: (1) the civilization of the Ionians during the 6th century BC, (2) the development of violins at the small city of Cremona Italy during the 16th to 18th centuries, and (3) the rise of IT industry at Silicon Valley, USA. I would like to suggest the birth of Buddhism in ancient India. What those communities have in common are the followings: “sharing ideas, multiple perspectives, specialization, cognitive conflict, discussion, reflection, and synthesis (Ibid, p.14).” The research project attempts to include as many mentioned characteristics as possible.
The research project is well under way. Its website is at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bamboo_Enterprise/ [October 27, 2003]
VI. Conclusion
At the start, I argued that the advent of information technology coupled with globalization significantly affects everything, including schooling institutions, and it has mediated the relationships between the teacher and the students. IT has redefines what is meant by knowledge, make the world seems borderless, and give some states a big worry. Due to new realities, today’s universities are in crisis, and are in the process of transformation. Unlike old nostalgic views of schooling, learning continues and will prevail. I am optimistic that Thoreau’s dream is possible under a new paradigm where where IT is strong, English as a global language, intellectuals are organic, and local and global forces are more balanced. This paper takes Thoreau’s call metaphorically. To make Thoreau's dream come true, we need Harrer's empowerment, that is, we have to empower ourselves. If we do not have proper tools, we need to improvise.
Computer should be viewed, like a knife, as a tool. If used wisely, can enhance the users’ performance. It is up to the users. We need to be active rather than passive, for we are organic beings and have our intellectual capacity. When they learn, learners in the 21st century need to be more critical, active, and persistent. Rather than sitting and waiting under a mango tree for ripen mangos to fall or someone up there to pick and drop it down, we should clime up and get them for ourselves. Better still, grow it.
Selected References
Altbach, P (2003) “ Centers and Peripheries in the Academic Profession: The Special Challenges of Developing Countries” in P. Altbach (ed.), The Decline of the Guru: The academic profession in developing and middle-income countries. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Boaderless’ Future for Universities
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/692731.stm [27/09/2003]
Cole, P (1929). Studies in the History of Education Sydney Teachers’ College Press.
Daneil John (2000) “The University of the Future and the
Future of Universities”
http://www.open.ac.uk/vcs-speeches/FrankfurtJuly2000.htm [27/09/2003]
Gilbert,
Alan. Barbarians at the Gate. The Australian HE: Wednesday, October 15, 2003.
Holec,
Henri (1981). Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning. Oxford: Pergamon
Press.
Lian,
A-P. (1993). “ Awareness, Autonomy and Achievement in Audio-Video Computer
Enhanced Language Learning and the Development of Listening Comprehension
Skills,” (ed. Lian, A-P.
Hammond,
A (1998). Which World? Scenarios for the 21st Century. California: A
Shearwater Book.
Harrer,
Heinrich (1955) Seven Years in Tibet. Suffolk: The Reprint Society
London.
Medgyes,
Peter and Matei, Gabriela (August, 2001). What unites us? Low esteem. The
Guardian Weekly.
Mok,
Angela (1997). Student Empowerment in an English language Enrichment Programme:
An action research project in Hongkong. Educational Action Research .
5(2), 305-320).
Naisbitt,
J. (1984). Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives. New
York: Futura.
Robinson, A. H. (1994). The Ethnography of Empowerment: The Transformative Power of
Classroom Interaction.
London: The Falmer press.
Rogers,
Carl (1978). Carl Rogers on personal power. London: Constable.
Russel,
Bertrand (1965). Power. London: Unwins Book.
Silarat,
Paitoon (2000) Higher Education in Thailand: Critical Perspectives.
Faculty of Education: Chulalongkorn University.
Skinner,
B. F. (1948). Walden Two. New York: Macmillan.
Wright,
Tony (1987). Roles of Teachers and Learners. Oxford University Press.
Warschauer,
M. (1993). Motivational Aspects of Using Computers for Writing and
Communication. In M. Warschauer (Ed.), Telecollaboration in Foreign Language
Learning (pp. 29-46). Honolulu, HI: Second Language Teaching &
Curriculum Center (University of hawaii Press). [Online]. Available:
[http://www/. iflrc.hawaii.edu/NetWorks/NW01/] [6 December 2001].