[quoting Bonham's paper] Constructivism is a worldview or paradigm that defines learning as the process of constructing meaning about, or making sense of, our experiences. A number of learning theories are related to this worldview...
Perception theory was the forerunner of constructivism, being based on understandings derived from common or shared experience.
Constructivism is widely used as a philosophy/theory base within instructional technology. What is your response to this application of the idea?
Are we not dusting off prior work and adding a current context to it? Is the employment of constructivist theory not, as well, what most good teachers try to do when they teach--bridge difficult concepts through understanding of it by examples given, i.e., remember when you were little, you always stood up when an older person entered the room, etc.
Long diatribes...
I hope my contributions don't rate such a description.
...or emotional outbursts are considered inappropriate in this emerging culture.
As relates to emotional outbursts, I think we need to sometimes share such, if it can be done with some amount of decorum. To not encourage emotion is constricting, especially if we want to get at more of what's really inside of someone. I encourage my students to be as open, frank, and honest as possible when they communicate with me via e-mail--and they do! I have yet, given the caveat of decency, experienced shock or distaste by what they say, but I have experienced angst, fear, joy, pride in accomplishment, shame, sorrow, frustration, and sometimes near-panic in their messages to me. By being free to be themselves, they clearly make themselves vulnerable, true, but the foundation of mutual trust, respect, and like quickly surpasses the concern for adherence to more formal protocols. I include this comment for now as well as later in your article wherein you express hope that teachers using e-mail and other technologies will model positive behaviors. To me, this is the essence of "high touch" and one I would not like to see being looked down upon by some of our more style-conscious associates. Perhaps I am taking your description of "emotional outbursts" beyond what you intended but there is another side to that story.
Do you think of other sources of cultural development, outside of the group which actually creates the culture? What examples can you offer about how culture is being created?
How about the influence of films on primitive or impoverished peoples? McLuhan had some interesting observations about the influence of media, in general, upon other cultures.
What are you doing within your own field of practice to facilitate the forming of cultures within various modes of distance learning?
I continually stress this notion, especially given that so many students almost quake at the prospect of trying to sign onto Internet or e-mail in general. We need to move with caution and care if we are to construct a technological culture for the emerging century in which ALL participants will have access and feel comfortable in the doing.