🚀 go-pugleaf

The discussion on evaluation of resources has been interesting,
however I believe that we have left out one perspective, at least from
the adult education angle. (I recognize that not everyone is involved
in teaching adults, and that these observations may not apply.)

From the standpoint of adult learners, adults are "primarily"
interested in things they can use today to solve actual problems, and
whose information fits into their previous experience. For example, if
you tell a person that a primary color component of the sky is green,
and they have no experience with art and the mixing of colors, it will
be difficult to convince them there is a great deal of green in the
blue sky they are used to seeing.

I would like to believe that these tendencies extend to information on
the internet as well. The example of the medical profession for
example: I certainly hope my doctor would not prescribe a drug or try
a new treatment on me with which he has no previous experience based
on one search through the net, regardless of whether that information
came from a .com, .gov, .edu, OR .net extension site, tilde or no!

Likewise, I don't believe he would do the same based on one article in
a medical journal, or a lunch discussion with a respected colleague.
Otherwise, I would be looking for a new doctor!

Perhaps we should keep this in mind -- at least from the adult side --
when we try to identify "good" information on the net. Let's not
sacrifice our common sense, or expect that our audience has given up
their's, simply because the net provides us so much more information.
If we do, we should plan our first convention in Oklahoma, where we
can pick up some wonderful wine for the occasion!

Ken Seemann
MCI WorldCom
Distance Learning Specialist
HR Training & Development