Norm Friesen

It is commonly asserted that “knowledge,” “information,” or more abstractly, “the networked” or “the postindustrial” are eponymous for our society, age, or economy. These broad and often unquestioned assertions have significant social and political implications. They bring with them urgent implications for all levels and forms of education—from the preparation of children as “knowledge builders,” through the reconfiguration of higher educational institutions, to support for different forms “lifelong learning.” This paper, appearing in Ubiquity in May critiques some of these ideologies or myths. It owes much to Frankfurt School member Jürgen Habermas (right), who is better known for his social theory than his hotdogs :-).

Recent and ongoing political and military developments have presented ethically-charged questions for both academics and technologists. Protests have recently rocked organizations like the American Psychological Association, and controversy has dogged high-tech work in cyber-cryptography. The question that often underlies this protest and contention is that of the complicity or resistance of researchers with the imperial projects of the American government. In consultation with Dr. Robert Teigrob, an assistant professor in American history at Ryerson University in Toronto (and a recent visitor at the SCOTT Centre), I developed a paper that looks at this question as it relates specifically to e-learning. The latest version is available as a PDF document. It is currently under review for publication of a special issue on technology, ethics and aesthetics of AI & Society.