FAQ
Qualia and learning
Qualia are a key part of our experience that play a significant role in learning. Understanding this concept allows us to better grasp how we process information and interpret the world.
About me:
My History of Studying Qualia
I first encountered the concept of qualia in 2009 when a friend gave me a wonderful book by Gerald Edelman [1].
When I read about qualia, I had an epiphany moment.
I suddenly realized the colossal importance of the concept of qualia in the scientific justification of direct experience in the learning process and the connections between the qualia of media messages and the elements of the message's form, which I wrote about in 1995 [2] and researched during my doctoral dissertation [3].
Further literature studies and the creation of a theory of using the concept of qualia in education were related to work on my book [4] published in 2011. Later work included, among others, the development of a categorization of qualia, which I included in the book [5] from 2019.
[1] G.M. Edelman (2004), Wider Then the Sky. The Phenomenal Gift of Consciousness, Yale University Press, New Haven–London.
[2] M. Kąkolewicz (1995) Klasyfikacja form komunikatów dydaktycznych. [Classification of forms of didactic messages] Neodidagmata XXII, wyd.UAM,
[3] M. Kąkolewicz (1996), Struktura programów multimedialnych a ich przydatność dydaktyczna, [The structure of multimedia programs and their didactic usefulness, doctoral thesis] – unpublished, UAM, Poznań.
[4] M. Kakolewicz (2011) Uczenie się jako konstruowanie wiedzy. Świadomość, qualia i technologie informacyjne, [Learning as knowledge construction. Consciousness, qualia and information technologies] Pub.: WN UAM Poznań
[5] M. Kakolewicz (2019) Media, technologie informacyjne i sztuczna inteligencja we wspomaganiu procesów uczenia się. Ujęcie kognitywistyczne, [Media, information technologies and artificial intelligence in supporting learning processes. Cognitive approach] Pub. eMPi2, Poznań
What makes this portal unique?
The uniqueness of the portal results from my deep understanding of the phenomenon of qualia and their significance in the process of subjective construction of knowledge by the learner.
The aim of the portal is to disseminate the concept and knowledge about qualia, which should result in selecting experiential learning methods adapted to the individual needs and capabilities of students.
FAQ
So qualia are subjective?
[Marek / Mark]
ANSWER
They are subjective because. they constitute your individual mental representation of the experienced object or phenomenon.
If you have a headache, only you experience it [this pain] through qualia, which "create" in your consciousness the feeling of "specific pain" - because you can have different headaches.
Objective pain sensation is therefore "objective", individual, because only you experience these qualia. Your pain - your qualia.
I experience my headache in my own way. ;-)
How do qualia affect learning?
[Zosia / Sophia]
ANSWER
Qualia themselves do not affect anything.
However, they determine our consciousness of EVERYTHING.
If you are aware of anything, it is only through qualia, because they constitute your consciousness. Some philosophers of mind even identify qualia with consciousness.
Only you are fully, completely and exclusively responsible for your individual process of constructing your own knowledge.
Everyone makes their own choices about what sources they choose and how they learn. As a source of knowledge, you can choose to watch films on a science TV channel or mind-numbing videos on TikTok. You can read about physical or chemical experiments or watch them on YouTube videos. You can also try to perform some experiments yourself.
Just understanding what the phenomenon of qualia is, can have a significant impact on learning. That is, for example, that different sources of knowledge (experiencing in the "real world" or learning from books) in different ways trigger emotional involvement in the learning process and they together are "characterized" by different qualia.
The conscious selection of sources of knowledge, the learning activities undertaken, and the level of involvement in the learning process determine how we construct and rebuild our cognitive schemas and structures and what emotions are triggered.
These choices determine what ("sets of") qualia we build into cognitive schemas and structures as they are internalized.
This further results in different, possible levels of understanding and durability of knowledge.
It is important to choose learning methods that will be best for a specific learner. This is related to individual differences in cognitive style, sensory preferences, level of linguistic knowledge, and knowledge about the world (the knowledge you have in a new learning situation is referred to as pre-knowledge).
So just understanding what qualia are can have a significant impact on the learning process.
In the text, I have included links to materials on my pages that will allow you to better understand what I wrote about.
Does understanding qualia improve teaching methods?
[Weronika / Veronica]
ANSWER
The first answer should be yes. But this is contrary to my views on education because I believe that TEACHING understood in common sense and in schools DOES NOT EXIST.
It does not exist because YOU CANNOT TEACH ANYTHING TO ANYONE.
I am deeply convinced that THERE IS ONLY LEARNING, supporting learning, and sharing knowledge, whether through face-to-face interactions or media messages such as books or films.
And here is the field for referring to the phenomenon of qualia. We can choose such methods of learning, supporting learning, stimulating and initiating learning, which will, through direct or media qualia and those related to positive social interactions (sharing knowledge) and emotions, enable more effective learning, more lasting knowledge, easier recall, and positive emotional engagement.
Learning and knowledge give JOY!!!
Mariusz Kakolewicz
📞 +48 505 377 726
Mentoring, support, courses, webinars, development
www.qualia.edu.pl
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