created, & modified, =this.modified
Abstraction, intuition, and the “monad tutorial fallacy”
Thought
Monad as infrathin objects?
Summary:
What I term the “monad tutorial fallacy,” then, consists in failing to recognize the critical role that struggling through fundamental details plays in the building of intuition.
I’ve had the opportunity to think about how people learn and gain intuition for abstraction, and the implications for pedagogy. The heart of the matter is that people begin with the concrete, and move to the abstract. Humans are very good at pattern recognition, so this is a natural progression. By examining concrete objects in detail, one begins to notice similarities and patterns, until one comes to understand on a more abstract, intuitive level. This is why it’s such good pedagogical practice to demonstrate examples of concepts you are trying to teach.
When presented with a mathematical definition for the first time, most people (me included) don’t “get it” immediately: it is only after examining some specific instances of the definition, and working through the implications of the definition in detail, that one begins to appreciate the definition and gain an understanding of what it “really says.”
The learner has an “a-ha!” moment where they believe it is so simple now, and that if they had this key to understanding (in the text, “x is like burritos) they would have understood soon.
But, the week of toil was necessary for his to form that intuition.
Thought
Reminds of complex systems and misapplying conclusions (the error is in the object, rather than the relationship) in Drift into failure by Sidney Dekker.
But, I do understand that certain conceptual tools might be more applicable to learners and unlock or engage at different rates.
The tutorial creator then creates a tutorial that “X are Burritos” believing that people will follow his insight. He hides the actual details which overwhelm as a well-intentioned effort to protect and give access to his readers.
But all this has done has made it more difficult and confusing for the the new leaners.
If you find yourself astounded that someone doesn’t understand a concept as easily and intuitively as you do, (“look it’s really quite simple”) then you are suffering from the monad tutorial fallacy.