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In an amazing experiment a Delhi-based IT professional has proved that kids can learn computer skills on their own. Over the years the results of Dr. Mitra’s experiments have been so spectacular that the National Geographic Channel has made a film on his unique research.

Again, to his surprise he discovered that the slum kids quickly taught themselves how to surf the Internet, read news and download games and music. Dr. Mitra then replicated the experiment in other locations, with the same results---within hours the children would teach themselves how to use the Net.

"People go in under the guise of being long-term Muslims," he says.

Now, in theory, doing a 360 assessment (asking the people around the student, both before the formal learning program and, oh, six months after, for evaluations of behavior) is a pretty good technique. But 360's are also intrusive.

The bad news is that, well, who cares if someone can intellectually differentiate between different leadership styles? That is so old school. Further, simpler programs may get the same result, even if the knowledge is never used, (and the knowledge gleaned from old school programs also decays much more quickly after the program ends).

Multiple-choice questionnaires are biased towards proving what one knows, as opposed to presenting what one does. But I believe with some hacking of the medium, we can create better evaluations to guide us towards more productive programs.

diluted her role as an expert, reducing her to just another figure with limited video skills. That also limited her ability to act as an authority figure, one that plays an essential role in keeping the discussion from degenerating into chaos.

Albert-László Barabási states that “nodes always compete for connections because links represent survival in an interconnected world” (2002, p.106).

Some questions to explore in relation to learning theories and the impact of technology and new sciences (chaos and networks) on learning: How are learning theories impacted when knowledge is no longer acquired in the linear manner? What adjustments need to made with learning theories when technology performs many of the cognitive operations previously performed by learners (information storage and retrieval). How can we continue to stay current in a rapidly evolving information ecology? How do learning theories address moments where performance is needed in the absence of complete understanding? What is the impact of networks and complexity theories on learning? What is the impact of chaos as a complex pattern recognition process on learning? With increased recognition of interconnections in differing fields of knowledge, how are systems and ecology theories perceived in light of learning tasks?

Constructivism suggests that learners create knowledge as they attempt to understand their experiences (Driscoll, 2000, p. 376).

The British government has created a computer-literacy test that challenges teens to solve realistic problems (how to control crowds at a soccer match, for instance) using online resources. The more sophisticated these tools become, and the more adeptly test makers use them, the better assessment will be.

Parents, families, communities and governments all have an obligation to help children flourish and to connect them to opportunities.

I'm not saying these are necessarily bad things. I'm just saying they no longer exist as they once did b/c they relied on an inaccessibility/scarcity of information and the difficulty of forming and maintaining groups: two things media networks obviously do very well.