On the need to make clear distinctions
Demand side theory is based on a specific set of principles. From
demand side principles, quite
different inferences are made about learning as compared with supply
side. The nature of these differences must be understood before we
start the development of a national demand side information
infrastructure. As proposed in the Resilience Project White Paper
*<*>
this national infrastructure may be supported by a federal program so
that the tolls that would be placed if privatized will not control the
public communication medium. The argument here is not a socialist
argument, it is an argument about the social value of establishing a
better communication medium than what supply side capitalism has so far
produced. This is a philosophically challenging topic.
A good illustration of
principled differences is found in economics, where supply side
economics may be
compared with demand side economics. However, the concept of
demand side infrmation theory depends deeply on work in
mathematical models of biological response mechanisms. Of course,
demand
comes from the individual. Biological response mechanisms provide
a substrate for human communication. A similar response mechanism
may be designed into Internet sub-systems but this mechanism should be
free of private ownership, for reasons that may be discussed.
The emergance of phenomenon such as human
language represents what may be a charateristic "stratified"
architecture in natural systems. This is a topic covered in
Knowledge Foundations (Prueitt) *<*>
where soem historical roots are exposed leading to the current proposed
clean slate Internet specification. The architecture uses self
organization to create organizational scales
in which the particular finds meaning as part of large processes.
Demand side is more
difficult
to describe because causative forces are distributed and involves
many individuals.
The issue of locality, non-locality and emergence within organizational
stratum is considered by Prueitt to be the key to understanding why
demand side and supply side have difficulty co-existing. Because
the two viewpoints have co-existence difficulty, and because supply
side mechanisms are more primitive and easier to maintain, the supply
side theory often inhibits demand side theory. This inhibition is
seen in the form of polemics and mythology. A multi-coherent
viewpoint seems necessary to merge the two sides and to achieve a
balance.
The ideal is achieved when both supply side and demand side create
equilibrium where symmetries induce a stability far from either one of
the two extremes. The creation of symmetry induction mechanisms
is essential to transaction processing affording ask and bid economic
transactions. Perhaps the finanical crisis of October 2008 shows
us the consequences of imbalance. In order to maintain resilient
markets,
transactions must be transparent to both the large supply chains and to
the internal demands arising from particular individuals.
Symmetry induction is also seen in perhaps any emergence of
sub-structural aggregation to meet affording function, such as normal
everyday biological function. Substructural aggregation to meet
the utility of functional demands is an induction from the particular
to the universal, and is the central mechanism studied by second school
advocates. Specific examples from neurobiology are examined in a
1996 paper by Prueitt. <*>
A second illustration may be seen in a
comparison of various geometries, where the axiomatic foundation of
these geometries are altered. These different geometries have
very different axiomatic spans, and can not be mixed in most cases.
(One cannot assume both axioms forcing parallel lines to meet at
infinite and parallel lines to not meet at infinite.) Likewise one has
a set of deep assertions supporting supply side theory. In some
specific cases, these assertions may not be mixed with the assertions
of demand side theory. The two theories are "different"
theories.
The purpose of Prueitt's work is to define a new foundation for
educational practice which may serve as an alternative to the current
educational practice. Thus, the distinctions between demand side
and supply side must be kept clear, else the new work might be based,
in error, on principles that are supply side in nature.
For example, the use of computer aided tutorials is pure supply side as
is the multiple choice test. Both the problems and the answers
are supplied. Demand side requires the student to internalize an
entire curriculum and then to manifest problems and answers, from
within the individual. see <*>
Of course, the current practice is not "pure" supply side, and the
alternative is not "pure" demand side. However, dynamical systems
show that demand side and supply side do not easily co-exist and that
the tendency is to evolve towards one foundation or the other. A
similar situation exists with liberal and conservative
governance. The underlying dynamics has been modeled with neural
network models. In essence, the model's nature involves the
emergence of a coherent field which then serves as an attractor
region. Interpretation is then baised by one side or the
other.
Demand side theory applies to all disciplines; religion, science as
well as economics and information science.
Beginning in 1985,
Prueitt begin to find deep principles expressed in mathematical models
using dynamical systems. Principles from both discrete and continuum
dynamical systems were found as a means to understand specific failures
in "current" educational theory. As the work progressed, current
theory was seen as almost purely supply side in nature. The
system supplies the student with the knowledge derived from the
cultural heritage. The mismatch between what the student might
naturally "demand" creates a condition in which poor performance by the
schools, K-12, leads to an acquired learning disability. The
learning mechanims become broken.
Supply side theory is found in every academic discipline, including
information science. The work developed by Prueitt creates a
principled basis for criticism of Shannon information theory and most
computing theories as well as artificial intelligence and machine
reasoning paradigms. A demand side theory of information is
realized in computing architecture, as proposed in non-public technical
papers. This theory is the basis for the proposed national
Resilience
Project. <*>
Central Concepts
Demand side theory has the potential to provide a
branding for any college that adopts
this work. Thus the work must remain pure in how what is
represented is traced back to a set of central concepts.
Demand side core concepts collectively form a
coherent
paradigm. The notion of a paradigm follows the classical work of
Thomas Kuhn, and more recent works on explanatory coherence, such as
those developed by Paul Thagard. In Prueitt's work the notions of
explanatory coherence are extended through his familiarity of the
neural
network research literatures, particularly those works focused on
biologically feasible models of brain functioning.
The central concepts include the following:
1) Cognition depends on several
organizational stratum, each
functioning under principles that are visible as elements of
empirically verified natural science.
2) Human cognitive expression depends on self image,
e.g., self
efficacy, and this self efficacy may either accelerate or inhibit
learning.
3) An Acquired Learning Disability may be shown to
limit
many students' capability and motivation.
4) ALD has both a social and a personal
dimension.
5) It is possible to imagine a world where ALD does
not exist.
6) A specific demand side strategy may be designed
to overcome ALD and to
replace this disability with a clear understanding of the nature of
mathematics.
7) This strategy may be defined using the notion
that the
individual is unique in nature and is involved in creating universals
from particular experiences. The "induction" of universals from
particulars involves self efficacy. Thus the study of mathematics
may become related to the study of self.
8) Topic mapping assists in internalizing the curriculum
and thus in
producing universals that reinforce a positive self efficacy and/or
breaks down the acquired disability.
9) Testing using topic based written
expressions, e.g. blank paper
tests, allows the individualization of learning, the development of
positive self efficacy, and a focus on comprehension.
Elements
The core elements are:
The individual
Society
A curriculum
The teacher
The teacher's academic environment
These elements are used to create a cross product, or framework, using
the temporal modifiers:
Past
Present
Future