Against The Tide: Critics Of Digitalisation; Warners, Sceptics, Scaremongers, Apocalypticists; 20 Portraits 15

Otto Peters is one of the most prominent writers on distance education theory. His work spans from the late sixties when he developed his theory of distance education as 'most industrial form of education' to this decade when he explored the 'new learning spaces' afforded by digital technology. In this book Peters changed his vantage point: He introduces 21 authors critical of digitalization who examine the collateral damage done by the digital technology on which the new forms of learning at a distance, of which Peters was one of the most prominent theoreticians, depend. According to the motto he choose for this volume that "nothing is true anymore without its opposite" he wants distance education enthusiasts to brave the amiguities and trade-offs. Only then the distance educator is able to recognize the profound impact and breadth of digitalization without being nai͏̈ve about it. Editors’ Foreword......Page 6 Introduction......Page 8 Motivation......Page 16 First approaches.......Page 18 The dominance of science.......Page 19 Reception......Page 22 Comments......Page 24 References......Page 25 Main features of the criticism......Page 28 Reception......Page 30 Comments......Page 31 References......Page 32 Motivation......Page 34 Foundations of his criticism......Page 35 Special points of criticism......Page 36 Comments......Page 38 References......Page 40 Motivation......Page 42 Present dangers......Page 43 Future dangers......Page 44 Reception......Page 45 Comments......Page 46 References......Page 47 Motivation......Page 50 Main features of his critique......Page 51 "Grown up Digital"......Page 53 Reception......Page 55 Comments......Page 56 References......Page 57 Motivation......Page 60 Critique of technology......Page 61 The Automation of Higher Education......Page 62 Reception......Page 63 Comments......Page 64 References......Page 66 Motivation......Page 68 Main features of his critique......Page 69 Reception......Page 70 Comments......Page 71 References......Page 72 Motivation......Page 74 The "cult of the amateur"......Page 75 Entrapment in lies and deception......Page 77 Signs of cultural decline......Page 78 Reception......Page 79 Comments......Page 80 Reference......Page 82 Motivation......Page 84 Neurophysiological aspects......Page 85 Psychological aspects......Page 86 Pedagogical aspects......Page 87 Specific predictions......Page 88 Specific predictions......Page 89 Virtual identity......Page 90 Specific predictions......Page 91 Comments......Page 92 Motivation......Page 96 Selection of subjects......Page 97 "Overload"......Page 99 "Dossiers"......Page 100 “Security"......Page 101 "Pirates"......Page 102 Comments......Page 103 Motivation......Page 108 The false ratio of ends and means......Page 109 Mediatization and technical civilization......Page 110 The educational concept "standing up to technical civilization"......Page 111 Deficits in the family......Page 112 "Irrational expectations"......Page 113 Reception......Page 115 Comments......Page 116 Critique of digitalization......Page 120 The vision of eternal life......Page 121 Comments......Page 122 Motivation......Page 124 How does digitalization affect political life?......Page 125 Can we do without the "old media"?......Page 126 The relevance of reading and reading skills......Page 127 The dissolution of the traditional definition of education......Page 128 Radical social changes......Page 130 Reception......Page 131 Comments......Page 132 Main features of his critique......Page 136 Comments......Page 143 Motivation......Page 148 Emotional dimension......Page 149 Three ideologies......Page 150 The calculability of people......Page 151 Empirical backup......Page 152 What can we do?......Page 153 Reception......Page 155 Comments......Page 156 Motivation......Page 162 The "revolt against the secondary world"......Page 163 Critique of technology......Page 164 Structural dangers of digitalization......Page 165 Cultural criticism......Page 166 Das blinde Geschehen (play)......Page 167 Is resistance possible?......Page 168 Reception......Page 169 Comments......Page 170 Motivation......Page 174 Early unease......Page 175 Critique of technology......Page 176 Didactical undesirable developments.......Page 177 At the turning point......Page 178 Hesitant re-evaluation......Page 181 Reception......Page 182 Comments......Page 183 References......Page 185 Motivation......Page 188 Modern periods of simulation......Page 189 A world without people......Page 190 Findings......Page 191 Reception......Page 192 Comments......Page 193 References......Page 194 Motivation......Page 196 Theoretical foundation......Page 197 Critique of technology......Page 198 Speed of light......Page 199 Special critique......Page 200 Comments......Page 201 References......Page 203 Motivation......Page 205 Undesirable side effects......Page 206 The "happiness of being beyond reach"......Page 207 A digital world without us......Page 209 "Progress" on the road to the system world......Page 210 On the road to the digital system world: experiences of loss......Page 211 A catalogue of fundamental losses......Page 212 Comments......Page 214 References......Page 217 Withstanding cognitive dissonances and emotional ambivalences.......Page 220 Conclusion......Page 223 References......Page 224 Social change......Page 226 References......Page 230 Index......Page 232