This discussion focuses on the challenges to teaching and communicating in a polarized world. It is moderated by Dr. Lilian H. Hill.
The field of adult education has historic connections to education for citizenship and for building democracy. This kind of education introduced people wishing to achieve citizenship to information that includes literacy in the language of that country, as well as its organization, ways of work and production, and cultural heritage. On this episode, Dr. Lilian Hill explores how to educate citizens about algorithms. Listen to the episode and join in the online forum.
We have discussed the dangers embedded in algorithms in previous episodes. Therefore, there is a need for oversight and regulation. On this episode, Dr. Lilian Hill talks about the efforts to regulate algorithms, provides a historical perspective, and explains what is being done in the U.S. and other countries.
By Lilian H. Hill
It is important to use simple language to help people comprehend information of all types. Plain language is one way to communicate information that is easily accessible to people with a variety of educational levels. The U.S. PLAIN Language Guidelines recognize the importance of clear written communication. PLAIN stands for Plain Language Action and Information Network, a group of federal employees who believed that citizens deserve to receive clear communications from their government. The guidelines are based on three principles: citizens should be able to “find what they need, understand what they find; and use what they find to meet their needs” in any document published by the government (Federal Plain Language Guidelines, 2011, p. 1).
At first, the guidelines were used to provide guidance for government employees writing documents for the public. The guidelines were designed to promote the social benefits of clear communications including improving access to justice and enabling consumers to make more informed decisions. Later they were adopted by many commercial, medical, accounting, and legal companies for similar reasons. They are now spreading worldwide.
The PLAIN Language guidelines provide useful guidance about writing that anyone can use. The document includes information about sentence and paragraph structure, punctuation, organization, tables and graphs, and vocabulary. They stated that: “Words matter. They are the most basic building blocks of written and spoken communication. Choose your words carefully – be precise and concise” (Federal Plain Language Guidelines, 2011, p. 18). You can read the guidelines for yourself.
The best writing is designed to communicate to a specific audience. Effective writers study their audience and use vocabulary they know the audience will understand. They don’t use complicated words just to show off their impressive vocabulary. Famous writer Mark Twain said, “Don't use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do” (Simons, 2016). In other words, writing is meant to communicate and not to intimidate readers. Stephen King, author of 73 suspense, fantasy, horror, and science fiction books, commented,
One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed” (King, 2000, pp. 117-118).
 |
| Dog Wearing Tuxedo |
One of the main reasons for using more complex vocabulary is that it communicates precise and specific meanings. They are used when there is a need to clearly distinguish between one idea or another. For example, figure skaters execute several complicated jumps on ice. The skaters, coaches, and competition judges need specialized words to describe the different jumps to communicate with each other. For example, the salchow (a jump from the skate blade’s edge), the lutz (a toe jump), and the axel (an edge jump) are some of the different jumps that skaters use. Most sports have their own terminology that you will learn because you are playing the sport or because you love to follow your favorite players or teams playing the sport.
Different professions develop their own sets of
terms. For example, physicians will diagnose a child with otitis media,
but then tell the parent that it’s an ear infection because they know that most
parents will understand the latter diagnosis. Otitis media refers to an infection
of the middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum that contains the
tiny vibrating bones of the ear. Doctors use this specific term with other
medical professionals because infections occur in other locations in and near the ear and treatments
may need to be tailored to that. This is only one example of medical terms that
are specific. Many of the terms used are based in Latin.
Latin words are also used in biology where new species names are named with words based in Latin. For example, Aleiodes shakirae is a species of parasitic wasp belonging to the family Braconidae. The species is named after Shakira, the singer/songwriter known for her song Hips Don’t Lie. Aleiodes is the family name for a type of wasp. After the wasp injects its egg into a caterpillar, the caterpillar will shake and wiggle uncontrollably. While the term is used to refer to the specific type of wasp described here, it is also clear that scientists like to have a little fun when naming new species. The scientific convention is that when someone discovers a new species, they can name it after themselves. Sometimes, they bestow the honor on someone else. So, Agaporomorphus colberti is a beetle named after Stephen Colbert, Aleiodes gaga is a wasp named after Lady Gaga, and Aptostichus barackobamai is a spider named after Barack Obama. You can view many other examples of organisms named after famous people.
Novel writers tend to use a lot of descriptive vocabulary to give readers a sense of where and when the events in their book take place. They also use vocabulary to provide a lot of detail about their characters’ experiences and their feelings. The vocabulary they use makes the story more vivid so that readers can visualize what happens in the book.
Writers may also use complex vocabulary to insert variety in their writing because it can make reading more interesting. Reading the same words over and over can make a reading seem boring. However, authors can go too far and make their writing more difficult to read for many people.
Federal Plain Language Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.plainlanguage.gov/media/FederalPLGuidelines.pdf
King, S. (2000). On writing: A memoir of the craft. Scribner.
Simons, T. (2016). Mark Twain's secret to success: "Use Better Words." Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organisms_named_after_famous_people_(born_1950%E2%80%93present)
Wikipedia. (2023). List of organisms named after famous people (born 1950–present). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organisms_named_after_famous_people_(born_1950%E2%80%93present)
Gender bias pervades many aspects of our daily experiences, and even our thinking, it is no surprise that it also exists in algorithms. Algorithms affects our lives. On this episode, Dr. Lilian Hill talks about how gender bias influences algorithmic outcomes.
Gartner Says Nearly Half of CIOs are Planning to Deploy Artificial Intelligence. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2018-02-13-gartner-says-nearly-half-of-cios-are-planning-to-deploy-artificial-intelligence
Gender Discrimination in the Algorithmic Field: A Look at The Algorithms in The Oasi Register (2022, March 14). ETICAS Foundation. Retrieved https://Eticasfoundation.Org/Gender-discrimination-in-the-algorithmic-field-a-look-at-the-algorithms-in-the-oasi-register/
Niethammer, C. (2020, March 2), AI Bias could put women’s lives at risk—A challenge for regulators. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carmenniethammer/2020/03/02/ai-bias-could-put-womens-lives-at-riska-challenge-for-regulators/?sh=fcd5ac534f27
Perez, C. C. (2019). Invisible women: Data bias in a world designed for men. Abrams Press.
Smith, G., & Rustagi, I. (2021, March 21). When Good Algorithms Go Sexist: Why and How to Advance AI Gender Equity. Stanford Social Innovation Review. Retrieved https://ssir.org/articles/entry/when_good_algorithms_go_sexist_why_and_how_to_advance_ai_gender_equity
By Lilian H. Hill
A lot of uses of algorithms are beneficial; however, there are dangers involved. Decisions about admissions, scholarship awards, and hiring have been turned over to algorithms. Flaws in programming can cost individuals the opportunity to attend their college of choice because their entrance exams were graded based on a faulty metric. Hiring decisions can be negatively influenced if metrics involved are biased against minorities. People’s privacy can be violated if the algorithms designed to share individual’s information are inaccurate.
In an interesting news story, Northeastern University installed heat sensor devices undergraduate students’ desks to track usage (Ongweso, 2022). Given that the students were enrolled in Northeaster’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute, it should not be surprising that the students detected the presence of the devices, hacked into them, developed an open-source guide so that other students could hack them. They then removed the devices and displayed them in an art exhibit spelling the word NO! The university had installed the devices at night without informing the students and without Institutional Review Board (IRB) permission. The students found that the devices were not as secure as the university claimed.
The Center for Democracy and Technology recommends the following:
Center for Democracy and Technology. Algorithmic systems in education: Incorporating equity and fairness when using student data. Retrieved from https://cdt.org/insights/algorithmic-systems-in-education-incorporating-equity-and-fairness-when-using-student-data/
Ongweso, E. (2022, December 2). ‘NO’: Grad students analyze, hack, and remove under-desk surveillance devices designed to track them. https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7gwy3/no-grad-students-analyze-hack-and-remove-under-desk-surveillance-devices-designed-to-track-them
As algorithms permeate many aspects of everyday life. Algorithms influence culture. On this episode, Dr. Lilian Hill discusses the relationship of algorithms and culture. Listen to the episode and join in the discussion.
Carah, N. (2017, August 16). Algorithmic culture and machine learning. http://nicholascarah.com/log/2017/8/15/algorithmic-culture-and-machine-learning
NBC. (2023 January 1). Meet the Press - January 1, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-january-1-2023-n1302274
Seaver, N. (2017, November 9). Algorithms as culture: Some tactics for the ethnography of algorithmic systems. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2053951717738104
Striphas, T. (2015). Algorithmic culture. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 18(4-5). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1367549415577392
By Lilian H. Hill
Algorithms were essential in maintaining educational activity during the pandemic isolation that caused many students to learn from home through educational technology. We are only just finding out what has been gained and lost in terms of students’ learning, knowledge, and abilities. I heard a recent NPR report about children entering kindergarten who were lacking in knowledge, social skills, and even fine motor coordination because they had spent so much time interacting with devices (Feiereisel, 2022). Adult students may have similarly lost ground in learning, but the results are much harder to track because adults are learning in more diverse settings and are working toward many different goals).
The OECD (2021) estimates that “many forms of learning, in particular informal learning, were inevitably lost, as workplaces remained physically closed,” educational institutions switched to remote learning, and people were isolating themselves to protect their health. Reliance on technology for educational delivery magnified the digital divide.
Feiereisel, A. (2022, December 1). Kindergarten teachers observe speech and physical delays in young students. NPR Radio Broadcast. https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2022/12/01/kindergarten-student-delays
OECD (2021, March 25). Adult Learning and COVID-19: How much informal and non-formal learning are workers missing? https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/adult-learning-and-covid-19-how-much-informal-and-non-formal-learning-are-workers-missing-56a96569/#snotes-d4e393
Algorithms are highly efficient at automating laborious functions and have permeated into many aspects of our everyday life, but their characteristics can have devastating consequences. On this episode, Dr. Lilian Hill discusses the characteristics of algorithms and why adult educators should be concerned about them.
References
Bennett, E. E., & McWhorter, R. R. (2020). Digital technologies for teaching and learning. In T. S. Rocco, M. C. Smith, R. C. Mizzi, L. R. Merriweather, & J. D. Hawley (Eds,), The Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education (pp. 177-186). Stylus.
O’Neill, C. (2017). Weapons of math destruction: How big data increases inequality and threatens democracy. Crown Publishing Group.
By Lilian H. Hill
Algorithms are also used to support the Flipped classroom in which students learn content independently so that facilitator can use class time for activities that support meaning making, applying information, and retaining knowledge.
Platforms that allow students to practice basic skills are also benefited by algorithmic responses. Programs used in adult basic and literacy education make use of algorithms to provide personalized content for students, tailored to their level of achievement. Software to support learning can provide pronunciation guides for language learning. It can even engage in simplified conversations.
Computer algorithms are essential to simulated learning. They are used to replicate complex and dangerous situations while allowing students, and the public, to remain safe. For students to practice appropriate responses for stressful situations, algorithms determine symptoms displayed by robotic simulated patients for health professions students, automate flight practice for pilot trainees, and orchestrate the atmosphere of war to train soldiers.
Collins, R. (2020). Interdisplinarity in adult and continuing education. In Rocco, T. S., Smith, M. C., Mizzi, R. C., Merriweather, L. R., & Hawley, J. D. (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education (pp. 31-37). Stylus.
