Roger Schank

bio : One of the world's leading Artificial Intelligence researchers, Dr. Schank is the author of more than 125 articles and publications. His books include: Dynamic Memory: A Theory of Learning in Computers and People, Tell Me a Story: A New Look at Real and Artificial Memory, The Connoisseur's Guide to the Mind, and Engines for Education.

Educational Technology guru

The Disrespected Student

Educational Outrage series of columns

  • Mar'03 piece on standards, quality, and Branding for a Virtual University (Virtual School). (Economics Of Abundance)

  • earlier piece on potentials vs. failures of execution so far (e.g. Columbia's Fathom)

  • Feb'02 piece about training AirPort Security personnel in Dealing With Terrorism (Schank's son Joshua Schank worked for the Department Of Transportation, and was one of the guys actually testing the system by repeatedly smuggling weapons through the checkpoints. He finished his PhD in Urban Planning at Columbia University in Jan'03, I think.) In other words, the reward system (peer approval, or finding a nail clipper) is replaced by a deeper emotional bias that is not easily undone because it has been placed inside one's psyche. So, that having been said: how do we train airport security people? By scaring the hell out of them, that's how. By having them go onto their wanding act so frightened of what they might fail to find that they actually look where their emotions take them not where the reward system takes them.

    • his daughter Hana Schank was a web designer at some point. I think she's studying at Columbia right now...

Frank H W Edler's response to a Schank keynote stating "Nobody Learns in the Class Room"

http://www.ils.nwu.edu/e-for-e/people/RCS.html

Engines For Education: http://engines4ed.org/ free online hyperbook

Feb'02: Roger Schank recently left Cognitive Arts to launch SocraticArts, a company that specializes in creating Learning By Doing curriculum (Socratic) that doesn't rely on software but on high-quality, detailed stories, together with project work and one-on-one mentors. He is also working with Carnegie Mellon's online master's degree program.

Coloring Outside The Lines ISBN:0060930772 about Educating Kids


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