Virtualization and Educational Technology in Post-industrial Society Ilya Levin & Andrei Kojukhov School of Education, Tel-Aviv University PATT-20, TEL-AVIV,

Outline Introduction. Post-Industrial society. Information Society or Virtualized Society Introduction. Post-Industrial society. Information Society or Virtualized Society Preliminaries. Dialectics in Stages of Society. Reification. Virtualization Preliminaries. Dialectics in Stages of Society. Reification. Virtualization Computerization as a social phenomenon and a drive for Virtualization of Society. Computerization as a social phenomenon and a drive for Virtualization of Society. Technology and Education versus Stages of Society Technology and Education versus Stages of Society Technology Education in Post-Industrial Society Technology Education in Post-Industrial Society Conclusions Conclusions

Introduction

Old Concept: Industrial society --> Post- Industrial Society: Information state.  The changes in present society: computerization and extensive information consumption  Capital-centered society -> Information-centered society  Social conflicts economic sphere -> cultural sphere  Conflict between “rich people” and “poor people” is replaced with a conflict between “informed” and “non-informed” people  The information infrastructure becomes dominating over the economic infrastructure  D. Ivanov: Alternative concept of Virtualized society – Computerization is secondary one

Scope We state:  While the computerization is a technological phenomenon, the virtualization is a social one  The conformance between three types of technology described by De Vries and the corresponding Society stages and their transition principles  Transition from one type of technology to another is changing ratio between the formal and informal (creative) components of the education.  Increasing role of the informal component and, consequently, transition to the principally new pedagogical paradigms

Preliminaries

Preliminary Concepts  Reification - the consideration of an abstraction or an object as if it had living existence and abilities; at the same time it implies the materialization of social relations  De-reification or Virtualization - the process when human essence is transferred into not social, but virtual reality, in which one deals not with things, but with simulations (images)  The dialectic idea - history progresses in stages of development where the driving force is the negation of previous stage by the new social stage Pre-industrial society Pre-industrial society Industrial Society Industrial Society Post-industrial society Post-industrial society

Stages of Society Development  Pre-industrial society before the rise of capitalism. Some features: limited production, limited communication between human communities, absence or primitive level of basic institutions: school, university, science etc.  Industrial society started with the rise of capitalism, has modern social structure. Mass-production required new predefined and formalized social relation and, as a result, creation of corresponding institutions. The main feature is the phenomenon of reification  Post-industrial society - the manufacturing looses its central role, the society loose its “real” character, de-reificates becoming a virtual society.

Virtualization of Society

Computerization as a Social Phenomenon  In computerization - computation have a lower priority than computerized simulation  A lot of commonly accepted and respectful institutions of the society are transforming into their virtual form and, actually, are de-materializing  Simulation being a virtual analog of a real social interaction implements interaction between a human and the society.  Computerized simulation of institutions with virtual interaction: virtual (social) communities, virtual corporations, virtual entertainments, virtual crime and virtual release of sins as well.

Virtualization and Virtual Reality  In Post-industrial society, the Virtualization becomes the dominant in all social institutes Politics: Image makers, PR agencies Politics: Image makers, PR agencies Economics: Virtual production, price, market etc. Economics: Virtual production, price, market etc. Science: Virtual models, verification, results Science: Virtual models, verification, results  In a Virtual Reality of any kind (economics, politics, science, education) a person deals not with a real object, but with a simulation/image  A person who finds himself/herself in a virtual social reality, takes it seriously, perceives it like something naturally given which he/she has to live in.  A person immersed in a virtual reality enthusiastically plays in it, realizing its conventionality, conditionality of its parameters and the possibility of quitting it

Technology and Education. Stages of Society

Three Technology Types  Experience-based technology known from very initial stages, corresponds to a intuitive, creativity-based education. The role of science is limited to knowledge of natural phenomena gained by experimentation  In Macro-technologies, the fundamental theories are the classical and are all concerned with macroscopic structures, correspond to the formal education. The non-formal, creative component is not significant and is not considered as a subject of teaching  The Microtechnologies are nowadays technology. Traditional science and education meet significant difficulties. Innovative and sometimes non-formal approaches are needed

Conformance: Society Stage – Technology Type  Experience based technology dominates in the Pre- Industrial society. The technology education is oriented to the experience-based learning, the absence of a formal curriculum and formal methods both in teaching methods and in a subject matter.  Macro-technology is dominant in the Industrial Society. All components of the Education (curriculum, teaching, learning and learning environment) have a trend to be formalized.  The technology of the Post-industrial Society is the Microtechnology (high-tech). The microtechnology, being a technological platform of the virtualization, stimulates the creative component.

Technology Education in Post- Industrial Society

Technology Education in Virtualized Society  A person immersed in an educating VR enthusiastically plays in it, realizing its conventionality, conditionality of its parameters and the possibility of quitting it.  Based on the concept of Virtualization and taking into account the global computerization, an innovative and completely person-oriented environment is proposed.  This is a powerful computerized simulation tool allowing emancipating the individual students from their troubles and shames, which would be non-avoidable in a conventional learning environment. This tool also supports developing creativity of individuals.

 We stated a correspondence between the human society, technology and education.  The today’s society becomes more and more virtual with domination of Virtual Reality in all areas of social life. This new reality significantly affects education.  Virtualization emancipates humans by freeing them from formal activities so creative activities become dominating, as a result, requires innovative, creativity oriented approaches for teaching, learning and curriculum development. Conclusions