Robot Professor
megan and I went into a social psychology class yesterday where there was a recording speaking to the room over a boombox, with the human professor standing aside as if she was merely the operator or caretaker of the machine. i imagined that the boombox could be merely the bug-faced head of a robot professor, where instead of the eyes taking up both sides of the face, it was in fact the mouth that protruded with its big semi-spheres from the sides of the container.
i found it fascinating that two hundred students were assembled together for seemingly no other reason than to listen to this recorded message, which could easily have been listened to at home. the class seemed nothing more than a gesture of respect for a learning system that coerces learning upon the students. by giving their undivided attention to the lecturing robot, the students lost an opportunity for live human interaction and discussion.
i found it fascinating that two hundred students were assembled together for seemingly no other reason than to listen to this recorded message, which could easily have been listened to at home. the class seemed nothing more than a gesture of respect for a learning system that coerces learning upon the students. by giving their undivided attention to the lecturing robot, the students lost an opportunity for live human interaction and discussion.
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