Criticism And Transcension

In the 1990s, with "Internet" as its rudiment, the "Information Highway" was founded, which announced the coming of "information era". In the McLuhanism's tribute to "the body of electric " , arose the wave of "the modernization of education driven by the information-based education" in the basic education in our country. Starting from this background, this dissertation interprets the various current theories of "information-based basic education" and critically analyzes the real condition of basic education. With these, this paper discovers the main reasons for the formalization and technicalization of the usage of IT in the area of basic education: we fall into the trap of "technology instrumentalism" in handling the relationship between education and technology. Based on this discovery, this paper critically interprets the value of IT from the points of view of technical philosophy and media ecology, and then from the point of view of pedagogy, reconstructs the educational value of IT, and demonstrates the necessary precondition value and practical direction to realize its potential educational value. Concretely speaking, this dissertation consists of five logic parts:The first chapter describes the series of problems evoked by the encounter of basic education with information era, and the underlying reasons behind these problems. In this part, firstly the author concisely classifies the various theories about "the information era", and then gives a deeply theoretical analyses on the responses from the basic education of our country. Based on all these, the dissertation points out that presently the formalization of usage of IT in education and the technicalization of education are the main problems. By comparing the theories and the reality, this dissertation points out the main reasons leading to the above two problems: on one hand, we blindly worship technology and overestimate the educational value of information technology; on the other hand, we overlook the nature of "education" and the cultural conflict between the cultural quality of education and information technology.The second chapter critically interprets the value of IT from the points of view of technical philosophy and media ecology. In this part, the author firstly interprets the connotation and characters of technology from the view of phenomenological Philosophy of Technology, and concisely classifies the popular views about technology's value in the area of philosophy of technology. With these as the base, this paper particularly discusses the connotation of "information" and "information technology". Then the author discusses the value of electronic media in the early time from the point of view of media ecology (McLuhan & Neil Postman) , and the value of computer and internet from the point of view of technology philosophy. At last with the help of the relative theory of "technical consciousness" from Don Ihde, this chapter critically interprets the relationship between IT and the change of people's consciousness. According to this paper, IT can not bring people into the happy heaven as the optimist expects. When bringing the whole "world" before us, it also cheats us to leave behind the real, practical and colorful world.Based on the second chapter, the third chapter points out that IT isn't the "God" to save everything for the development of education, even it helps in some extent. In this part, the author analyzes the relationship between education and information technology in the broaden meaning from the view of history and the pedagogy, and points out that as "social activity", education pays more attention to "information technology". Then with pedagogy as the starting point, this chapter criticizes such logic as "education can not develop without traditional IT, therefore the modern IT will bring benefits for the development of education". Based on this critique, the author discusses the underlying value of IT for the ends and methods of education, the educator and educate. After all these, this chapter points out that for education, the reasonable position of the value of information technology should be "as curriculum", "as education technology" and "as study technology". For education these three identities work not as base, but as remedy.Chapter four points out the preconditioned core values for IT to realize its underlying educational value: critical attitude, people foremost and educationalization of IT. In this part, the author first criticizes the radical idea of IT, and points out that we should transcend the radical idea and look on IT with the attitude of Luddism through the reinterpretation of Luddism in history. Then the author analyzes the modern difficult position and the new difficulty in information era, and points out that the education activity, having always taken an ultimate care of people's freedom and happiness, should help people get out of these difficulties. But the education is not the modern one which has been reasonably invaded by instrumental rationality, or the informationalized one, but the one that has always been people-foremost. At last, this chapter explains that another important precondition for information technology to realize its underlying value is the "educationalization of IT".Chapter five explains the practical direction for information technology to realize its underlying values, or the supporting conditions it needs. According to author, for this realization, school, family and society are necessary to supply their institutional cares. That is, to consciously keep children a certain distance from information technology. Besides, we should also build a good environment of soft and hard wares, the efficient system to improve the IT literacy of teachers and to inspire them.