From Skinner to computer-based education: Can machines teach?

From Skinner to computer-based education: Can machines teach?

Author: Ethical Schools January 21, 2022 Duration: 44:30

We speak with independent journalist Audrey Watters, author of “Teaching machines: The history of personalized learning,” about the origins of teaching machines and the pedagogies that incorporate mechanical devices for teaching and learning. Ms. Watters explains how BF Skinner’s emphasis on behaviorism, in combination with commercial opportunism, has led in some cases to the supplanting of teachers by computer software.

Overview

00:00-00:37 Intros

00:37-01:33 Significance of the book title

01:33-04:19 What personalized learning is

04:19-05:40 Teaching machines and today’s computers

05:40-09:06 Encouraging students to find their interests: how humans are better than computers

09:06-10:29 How choices are presented in personalized study tools

10:29-12:10 Responsibility of adults to help students experience things they don’t even know they don’t know

12:10-15:35 “Dewey lost and Thorndike won,” “Skinner won and Papert lost”

15:35-17:58 B.F. Skinner

17:58-21:04 Economics of technology in schools

21:04-26:38 “Technology shapes education; education shapes technology and capitalism and white supremacy shape both”

26:38-30:01 Algorithms and their problems

30:01-32:35 Can software be a useful supplement to constructivist or project-based learning; why don’t we invest in humans?

32:35-34:39 Underlying reasons why Dewy and Papert lost to Thorndike and Skinner

34:39-36:51 Education is the “practice of care”

36:51-40:23...


Conversations about education often focus on test scores and curriculum, but there’s a deeper layer that truly shapes a student’s experience. Ethical Schools digs into that layer, exploring what it means to build a learning community grounded in integrity and care. Each week, hosts Amy and Jon sit down with educators and innovators who are actively reimagining schools. You’ll hear specific, grounded discussions about the practical work of creating environments where every student feels safe and respected. The dialogue frequently addresses how to support young people dealing with trauma, moving beyond theory to share actionable strategies that teachers are using right now. More than just problem-solving, this podcast highlights how to empower students themselves to become advocates and changemakers in their own communities. It’s a series that connects philosophy with daily practice, looking at the social and cultural structures within schools through a lens of ethics. For anyone invested in the future of education-whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or simply a concerned community member-this podcast offers a thoughtful and necessary perspective on the foundational values that make education meaningful.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 240

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
Teaching the “isms”: Students’ lived experiences in context [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:15
We speak with Jillian McRae and Sam North, English and history teachers at Ossining (NY) High School, and their student, Alaysha. For 15 years, Sam and Jillian have co-taught a college-level course called “racism, sexism…
Antiracist school leadership: Courage and commitment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:30
Dr. Bradley Carpenter, associate professor of educational leadership at Baylor University, speaks about developing and supporting antiracist school principals. Very few leadership prep programs prioritize or embed antira…
Student record privacy: Danger looms from police and hackers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:30
We speak with Mark Lieberman, Education Week tech reporter. Pasco County FL schools give the sheriff records of students deemed “destined to a life of crime.” NYS Education Department funded facial recognition of school…
Districtwide decisions: Day to day ethical considerations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:00
We speak with Dan Callahan, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education in Peekskill City School District, 45 minutes north of Manhattan. The low-income district in wealthy Westchester is 70% Latino, including many…
Policing attendance boundaries: Education as private property [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:15
We speak with Dr. LaToya Baldwin Clark, assistant professor at UCLA School of Law. Dr. Baldwin Clark explains how school boundaries are used for racial exclusion. In many cases, schools don’t just reflect, but cause, seg…
Supporting English Learners: pandemic and post-pandemic solutions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:45
We speak with Dr. Julie Sugarman of the Migration Policy Institute about meeting the needs of English Learners. We discuss the meaning and implications of ELs “falling behind” during virtual instruction and difficulties…
Students as experts: Diversity, equity, and inclusion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:30
We speak with Dr. Judith King-Calnek, United Nations International School’s first Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Since UNIS faculty and students come from all over the world, they draw on one another’s bac…