The end of content

Z: I don't know what learning is.

A: You're doing it now by "not knowing what learning is" and finding out what learning is.

Z: Why make a thing of learning? Why pretend it's something to know and talk about? Why not simply explore doing it better and getting better results from doing it?

A: If you have a concept of "learning", then you can see that you're doing it and then consider other ways to do it and better ways to do it.

Z: Why can't I do it better by simply doing it, seeing what results I get and changing my approach accordingly? That's how I get better when I'm immersed in playing games.

A: If you are learning better without the concept of learning, you cannot conceive of how to change your approach. You can only change incrementally, inside the frame of reference of doing it now.

Z: That's if I am using the frame of reference of a machine, doing what I do consistently and repeatedly. What if I am using the epistemic frame of innovating?

A: What difference does that make?

Z: When I'm innovating, I am venturing into unknowns. I cannot proceed according to plan. I cannot "make a thing" of my process because I need to remain open to unforeseen possibilities. If I use the epistemic frame of a machine, I am blinding myself to opportunities, assuming this situation is the same as previous ones and relying on my concepts, tools and experience to produce results.

A: What are you relying on to produce results when you're using the epistemic frame of an innovator?

Z: My questions, my ability to read a situation, my continual experimenting, and my safeguards against falling for content, machine premises and limiting assumptions.

A: Do you see me falling for machine premises and limiting assumptions?

Z: Yes and no. By asking that question, you are learning without making a thing of it. You are challenging your assumptions and suspecting you are limiting yourself. You are using the epistemic frame of innovating. Yet when you talk about learning you are trusting your use of concepts to conceptualize, not to do something better and get different results. When you expect improvement from the content of your expertise, you are falling for machine premises.

A: Sounds like the end of content, instruction, education and formal learning.

Z: Let the playing continue.

Technorati tags: learning, epistemic games, innovating