[mod.comp-soc] More on computer universities

taylor@hplabsc.UUCP (06/28/86)

 many AI enthusiasts predicted would happen years ago.  Right
now, we are still at a fairly primitive, and expensive, level of
translation technology, usually limited to certain topic domains
and vocabularies, and still blemished by occassional (5-10%)
misinterpretations or mistranslations, even with the best of
translation programs.
				Will Doherty
				sun!oscar!wild

taylor@hplabsc.UUCP (07/01/86)

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This article is from sun!oscar!wild (Will Doherty)
 and was received on Thu Jun 19 09:29:16 1986
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The most valuable learning experience at a university
is the social contact one engages in there.

I don't believe that computer and communications technology is
within 20 years of being able to duplicate the advantages of
human contact in education and communication.

Perhaps eventually, with real-time audio-visual contact between
people, and simultaneous access to computers with sophisticated
user interfaces, a learning environment that provides most of
the advantages of person-to-person contact will evolve.

Does anyone know of studies done on the character of computer-
based education vs. people-based education?  For at least the next 
few decades, I believe it makes more sense to have a mix of both.

Instantaneous computer translation of human languages is something
that many AI enthusiasts predicted would happen years ago.  Right
now, we are still at a fairly primitive, and expensive, level of
translation technology, usually limited to certain topic domains
and vocabularies, and still blemished by occassional (5-10%)
misinterpretations or mistranslations, even with the best of
translation programs.
				Will Doherty
				sun!oscar!wild