Abstract
This paper describes the effect that assistive technologies, such as paper, printing, protractors, logarithm tables, computers, and the Internet, have on pedagogy. It reports the results of experiments with self-organising systems in primary education and develops the concept of a self-organised learning environment (SOLE). It then describes how SOLEs operate, and their possible effects on primary education in remote areas, and discusses the implications of the physics of complex systems and their possible connection with self-organised learning amongst children. Finally, it proposes a change in the examination system that would incorporate the Internet and concepts of self-organisation into schooling.
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The work described in this paper was made possible through the support of Newcastle University, the 2013 TED Prize, Microsoft Corporation, and James Tooley. I gratefully acknowledge their contributions and those of my colleagues in England and India, along with comments from referees.
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Mitra, S. The future of schooling: Children and learning at the edge of chaos. Prospects 44, 547–558 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-014-9327-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-014-9327-9