The Lesson Plan

1st edition, 24 February 2007

Google CEO Eric Schmidt once stated that, “Search is so highly personal that searching is empowering for humans like nothing else. It is the antithesis of being told or taught. It is self-empowerment; it is empowering individuals to do what they think best with the information they want.” (emphasis mine)

Unlike the classroom where education is structured, the internet has no rules. In the classroom, knowledge is affirmed by how it is received by the students, which in turn is determined by both the teacher’s authority and manner of teaching. On the internet, individuals choose the knowledge they affirm and here lies the danger.

In other words, you believe what you hear in the classroom because teacher said it or taught it very well. On the other hand, you believe what you read, see or here on the internet because a google result came out for it, or there exists a Wikipedia article on it, and you freely clicked on it to devour its information. And often, the information you consider as true or accurate are those which conform with your prejudices, prenotions, assumptions, inferences and hypotheses.

You google what you want to believe in.

This is how learning works on the internet. It is faster, more personal and more immersive but there is one problem. Most of the sources in the internet lack the authority and credibility that scholarly books and journals bear with them. The internet is so full of the derivatives of these works that they muddle the main material, causing confusion and raising questions of which is the true authoritative source. The internet lacks that credibility, especially when you rely on open sources which anyone can freely modify.

When learning is this personal, there is not much room to challenge the information that you learn. There is no teacher to ask follow up questions, there are no classmates from whom to hear different points of view. On the internet, you are at the center of the information you choose to listen to and that is the real danger.

Thus, learning on the internet can actually cloister you off from alternative points of view. As more facts and information build up on those ideas which you think you already know, this will make it more difficult for you to accept those ideas which are different from yours.

After all, learning to me is more than knowing a bunch of facts and stringing them together. Learning boils down to mastering a certain set of skills that range from critical thinking to practical application. In this you will need sources that are authoritative, definitive and credible. The internet can still be a source of that and this guide is designed to help you maximize and moderate how you learn on the internet.

——————————-

1. Use Wikipedia as an encyclopedia, nothing more

Despite having a healthy library for all my academic work, I still run through Wikipedia when I need quick facts, maps and raw data. This is really useful for class since I work with PowerPoint and Wiki makes it so easy to get everything I need.

However, I don’t wiki for something I don’t know. Let me explain.

Wikipedia is, in essence, an encyclopedia. Do not expect analyses, reviews or commentaries. The problem is that most articles do have this kind of information, however we are not sure of their sources and the intent of the contributor (unlike in books where the preface makes this clear). And considering how the articles are designed, opinions are often passed off as fact. That is the real danger.

Thus, here’s my rule of thumb: It’s cool to learn about something on Wikipedia, however Wikipedia is not recommended if you want to study something. There’s a big difference between the two.

Over the past year, I have learned to accept that fact. It’s totally alright for students to turn in researches from Wikipedia (that is why I never made them do a formal research paper this year). My subject benefits a lot from this since Wiki aggregates so many sources and pictures that it really adds on to what they learn in class. [Read this related article, "A History Department Bans Citing Wikipedia as a Research Source" -- thanks, Gian Acedo!]

However I would be very strict against them using Wikipedia when writing opinion pieces, essays and synthesis papers. They don’t know who and what they’re really quoting. I wouldn’t want to read any other person’s thoughts other than their own.

“Wikipedia knows all, but it is not always right.” Say it with me.

2. Blog what you know

The internet has changed how people learn and educate themselves that the flow of information has been transformed as well. There are no exams after you browse through a Wikipedia article. There is no pop quiz as you google. So what is the best way for you to countercheck your ideas with other people?

Blog what you know.

Not only can it help you improve your writing [read "How blogging improved my writing, and what it can do for yours"], but blogging exposes your ideas to the world, leaving your belief systems open for comment, revision and further learning.

This will also teach you to be more constructive and critical, two good skills to have when you have so much data and information in your fingertips.

Do remember something ggw, a reader of this blog once said, that blogging and debating ideas through it “is not about being ‘right’, but about getting to a better sense of what things might be.”

Truer words have never been said.

3. Use the internet to discover books you can access in the real world

For those building their own library, this should come as a no-brainer. Use the internet to keep track of new releases and printing of books from your favorite authors on your favorite subjects. My personal favorite when browsing for titles would be Barnes and Noble, but end up with Amazon if ever I need to actually order something.

So far, I’m not too happy with the websites of our bookstores here in the Philippines (Power Books, National Bookstore, Fully Booked) since their catalogs are irregularly updated and online shopping is non-existent. Nonetheless, they’re good to keep around for news on events and major releases.

Bottomline, use the internet to get in touch with truly credible sources. It’s convenient and scholarly. You may not have the information right away, but you’ll know what you’re reading. I often write down a wishlist based on my browses in B&N and Amazon then call up the local bookstore. If they don’t have it, they can get it for you (most of the time).

Just a little practical tip.

4. Use the internet to learn more about the authors and books you read

While at first this sounds similar to #3, it’s really something else.

I recommend using the internet to read up on the authors and books you currently follow. Check out their reviews and pore through all their praises and criticisms. Wikipedia is really helpful in this regard since most articles cite the sources of their reviews.

This is one way to expand what you know — learn what other people think. A book you love may be abhorred by others, and vice versa. Perhaps you’re getting too biased to one side of the issue? Read up on the other. The internet allows you to discover more dimensions to your book than you would normally find from cover to cover.

5. Look up your sources; know who you’re reading

There are a lot of essays and commentaries on the net. While most of them are ordinary bloggers like me, there are some who have become an authority in their respective field. Most blogs will give you an idea on who the blogger is so take your time to find out.

And of course, scholars, academics and thinkers also publish on the internet. Articles written by them should bear their name and more or less a link to the institution they are part of. If there is no link whatsoever, google or wiki.

Bottomline, know who you’re reading. Read up on whether they have published anything before and what other people thought (so do #4 in conjunction with this), what their affiliations are, and what their positions have been in issues and events. This information is so easy to come by now, and this will help us make better judgments about the ideas we learn and espouse.

6. While reading, google

I usually do this while reading autobiographies, travelogues, and fiction — any text or story that is steep in either history, imagery or continuity (or all).

This makes the reading experience much richer, regardless of the skill of the writer in describing narrating people, places and narrating events.

In the end you walk away with a much more complete experience, with a fuller sense of “having been really there.”

7. Consult a teacher or mentor to sort out contradictory views

When studying new ideas, theories and perspectives, the internet has the information to help you sort them all out but does not have the authoritativeness to point you in the right direction. One site says one thing; another says the other. This is where the traditional role of a teacher or mentor comes in.

When it comes to a point that you feel that you’re struggling to make sense out of too many ideas, consult someone whom you know is more knowledgable in the field.

8. Rely on news sites you would trust in the real world

News reportage is not always objective, fair and honest. There is no such thing as a ‘balanced view’since we all look at the world differently. News can be spun in so many ways and told from many different angles. Nonetheless, there are a lot of sources famous for at least giving reliable news information.

I suggest that when searching for news on the internet, start with the sources you are already familiar with. For me, it’s either Inquirer or Philippine Star for Philippine news and CNN or TIME for international news. I would also trust sources which quote Reuters, AP (Associated Press) or the AFP (Agence France-Presse).

But that’s just me. News caters to different views and ideologies and Google News aggregates a very good sampling of these.

9. Beware the Google Fallacy!

There is now what I call the Google Fallacy. There are two parts:

(a) If it’s not on google, it doesn’t exist

(b) If it’s the first on google, it is the truth / the most accurate / the most reliable

Both are hasty generalizations, which some people actually fall prey to. While there is some truth to the second point, some sites have tapped into ’search engine optimizers’ to bring their page to the top of the rankings. So tread lightly.

The first part of the fallacy is just bad judgment but it is one often made albeit to turn a blind eye to other perspectives and ‘truths’. Mark LeVine in his book, “Why They Don’t Hate Us” has this anecdote to share:

I used this latter tactic [using Google searches to erroneously call honest professors liars on national radio] when I claimed during a debate with a right-wing radio-show host named Dennis Prager that I’d witnessed a Palestinian demonstration against Hamas-sponsored suicide bombings while living in Israel and the Occupied Territories. But when he couldn’t find evidence of such a demonstration on Google.com he called me a liar.

As absurd as Prager’s argument might seem, it had the intended effect on his listeners, who expressed disgust at my “looseness with the truth” (as one caller described it). This exchange taught me how dangerous what I call a “Google standard of history” is for rational and well-seasoned public debate of crucial issues facing a society.

CONCLUSION: Knowledge is no longer power

That anecdote summarizes the point of this post. While I hope to update this in the future, I believe I have made my point: that while there is so much to learn from the internet, there is even more we need to learn about it. Before we can use it to learn, we must learn how to use it effectively.

It’s common sense really. In the same way that there are techniques in taking down notes, studying for exams and listening to lectures, there is a technique in surfing the internet in order to acquire knowledge.

And that brings me to this thought. Pardon if I go philosophical.
Knowledge is power, but what weight does that carry now that knowledge is everywhere? With knowledge so readily available to anyone now, this classic adage no longer holds true. Instead, power lies in those who know how to evaluate and use that knowledge they acquire.

Truly, the internet has changed the fundamentals of human history. Or rather, has this ‘world with no walls’ brought us back to a more primitive order where it’s every man for himself?

I don’t think so. This also allows for the creation of a new internet ethic, a new ethos so to speak, which we all contribute to.

This post is my little piece for that puzzle. It’s up to you to find where it belongs.