La Classe di Bayes: note metodologiche, epistemologiche ed operative per una reale digitalizzazione della didattica nella scuola italiana

Abstract

Bayes’ Classroom: Methodological, Epistemological and Operational Notes for a Real Digitalization of Teaching in the Italian School System The gap between the new «digital natives» learning styles and teaching strategies and practices – still very traditional in Italy – is wide. We need to radically re-think the teaching and learning setting, at least, with regard to three fundamental issues: (a) the physical spaces of education; (b) the methodological approaches; (c) the technologies involved in the learning process. The aim is to sketch a possible design for the new digitally augmented education, based on a social-constructivist approach. The analysis of data and evidence related to behavioral and cognitive styles of the younger generations have led us to identify the logic of scientific discovery (in this case, understood in terms of Bayesian epistemology) as the best suited cultural matrix to develop a model of augmented education. In order to illustrate our proposal, we first describe how and why the brain-frame of «digital natives» is different when compared to our Gutenberg-based way of teaching. The second part describes the design of our methodological and technological proposal, and outlines its three step-structure: tool box, cooperative problem-solving, and situation room. The third part provides some remarks on the impact of this approach on the concept of democratic citizenship.

Keywords

• bayesian epistemology, didactics, digitalization, digital natives learning styles, italian school, didattica, digitalizzazione, epistemologia bayesiana, scuola italiana, stili di apprendimento dei nativi digitali