...In the year 2164, Earth is a blissful paradise where the pursuit of knowledge and self-elevation has motivated the whole of humanity to a state of Utopian design. Somewhere, in the Museum of ID [Ignorant Descendants] a tour is going through the Hall of Twenty-First Century Wonders. We join them now mid-way through the hall. [I will explain some of their terms in case you are unfamiliar with twenty-second century terminology].
"And as you can see, on our left is an ancient device used for entertainment known as a 'video game console'. As some of you may have noticed it bears a striking resemblance to our LAKE [that stands for a Learning Annex and Knowledge Repository. In 2084 the letter "r" become a vowel and substituted for "e"].
"Back in the twenty-first century people would use this device for entertainment purposes, never fully realizing the teaching potential the interaction with information had, nor the impact playing these 'games,' as they called them, had on the human mind. People would connect crude plastic boxes to the device to interact with them in a fashion similar to the E-METERS we use today. [Retinal Match Response and Tacit Recognition of Reality and Stuff].
"We now know today that this rudimentary 'play' was in fact the most complete and complex learning available to the IDs [Ignorant Descendants] who lack even the possibility of learning through affordances." ["Affordances are relationships between the world and actors." ~James Paul Gee]
The tour group gasps. One man faints from the shock.
"Is everyone ok? Good, let's continue.
"On the right is another 'game console' and as you can see from this one, it had a more intricate way of interacting with the 'game' by using sensory input from the user's body to guide the simulation. Many of these 'games' had a simple introductory level. From research we have determined it was called a 'Box Sand' mode... no wait that's not it... It was called a... 'Sand Box' mode. Ah yes, that's the term. Silly isn't it?"
Everyone chuckles briefly at the archaic terminology.
"This 'sand box' level is an early predecessor of our WI machine. [The What-If machine which allows people to explore any decision to it's final conclusion in a safe environment with no consequences.] Although the ID's did not know it at the time, this was their first practical use of horizontal learning, which is what? Anyone?
A young girl up front with an antenna coming out of her ear speaks up "Horizontal learning is the bassss... bassessesss... basis of our school."
"Very good." Continues the tour guide. "Yes horizontal learning allows people to learn and practice in a safe environment before having to continue on. They progress only when they feel they are ready to do so. I like to call it 'Performance before competence,' but I am not sure where I heard the phrase. [James Paul Gee]
"After the gaming console bubble broke we can see here up front the next machine from the ID's. A device which allowed a person to enter into so called cyberspace and..."
...Well that's it for the tour. As you can see we are on the cusp of a new frontier and soon we will be living like science fiction has dreamed of for dozens of years.
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