Rousseau

The main characteristics of this period, as compared to the Skinner and Piaget periods, is the absence of pedagogical control. In the Piaget period we did for pedagogical reasons give up the control of the sequencing of learning, but we kept the control over the boundaries of the world . In the Rousseau period we don't control this. We can not predict or control what will be learned or in which sequence it will be learned. The contrast to the "microworlds" are apparent.

The pupil and the teacher are facing a situation where the technology for learning cannot be separated, neither in form nor in accessibility, from the technology for entertainment or communication in general.

We started this article by pointing out that technological possibilities is not the only condition for the technology to be used, and that it is difficult to foresee exactly when and how a technological possibility will be utilised. There are however little doubt that the changes inherent in the present technology is more dramatic in many areas than most of us can imagine. The possibilities are there, far beyond what we actually utilise, and the market seems to be ready for new services and new types of applications.

The question whether information technology will be used in education and learning has no meaning. Technology is, and will increasingly be, used within or outside the organised school society.

I did choose Rousseau as label on this period based on an analogy between nature and a complex information technology that surrounds us, and which we tend to relate to as if it were nature. There are other associations to Rousseau that may be interesting and fruitful as a bases for reasoning.

It is clear that the absence of control related to nature does not match Rousseau's thoughts of education as it is expressed in Emile. Rousseau argued in favour of a detailed control of the education and introduction to "the natural".

Secondly we may observe some interesting parallels to Rousseau's view of the conflict between nature and civilisation. There are signs that the free access to information and communication tends to create conflicts between our established institutions and the individual.

I will discuss these and other challenges in the next section.