Click here to learn about Dave Moursund's free book on science and technology education for teaches and parents of K-8 children.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

The idea of GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) is suggested by the following statement by Charles Babbage:

 On two occasions I have been asked—"Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?" ... I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.  (Charles Babbage; English mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer; 1791–1871).

 It is easy to see how GIGO applies to computers. Indeed, consider using a simple handheld calculator. It is quite easy to depress an incorrect key, depress two keys at the same time, or not depress a key far enough, resulting in “garbage in” with respect to the calculation you are trying to perform. The result will usually be an incorrect answer—garbage out.

There is also the possibility of a hardware or software error—electronic digital calculators and computers are not infallible. In that case we can have good data in, and garbage out.

The GIGO challenge to the human user of a calculator or computer is to detect errors in the data to be processed or the input of this data. This can be done at the input end of the process, by careful checking and great care in the input process. It can also be done at the output end, by simple and more complex checks to see if the results make sense.

Now, consider the same ideas, but with input to a human brain, processing by a human brain, and then output first to the brain and perhaps also via oral, written, or other physical actions. Think about the correctness of the data stored in your brain. I don’t know about you, but I know that there are errors in my memorized data and/or I sometimes make errors in retrieving (remembering) the data. Next, think about how good your brain is at processing data. It can make mistakes both through incorrectly remembering processes and by making errors in carrying out processes.

By now, all of you astute readers will see a parallel between using computers and using your human brain. With a little deeper thinking, you will see an obvious problem with a rote memory approach to education. Without the “sense making and understanding” components of learning, human mechanisms for detecting errors in remembered data and errors in remembered procedures for processing the data are greatly handicapped.

This type of analysis provides some useful information in designing a good education system. There are many things that a computer brain can do far faster and far more accurately than a human brain. However, even in these situations it is highly desirable for the human user of computer-produced results to have a level of understanding that is useful in detecting incorrect results. There are also many situations in which a human brain is much better than a computer brain.

In addition, we are making steadily increasing use of computers to solve problems in situations where we know that the level of accuracy of a computer solution is limited. As an example, consider voice input from a computer, computer translation of natural languages, and computer recognition of people from photographs or video footage. A good education prepares students to deal with capabilities and limitations of human and computer brains.

What You Can Do

You know that the message sent is not necessarily the message received. You, for example, have “constructed” a personal meaning to my message given above. My overall intent is to provide you with some information and ideas that you will act upon in a manner that leads to improving our informal and formal education system.

So, pause for a few seconds and think about the meaning you have constructed from my message and some possible action that you might take based on the meaning you have constructed. What occurs to you that you, personally, will try out in your quest to improve our education system?

As a personal example, I pay attention to the numbers 9quantities) that I see and hear in advertising and in publications., and also attempts to "lie with statistics." I frequently encounter errors in data and logic—garbage in and garbage out.

Final Remarks

Spend a bit of time reflecting on what you have just read. How does the information fit in with your current knowledge, beliefs, and activities? How can you make use of the information to help improve our informal and formal educational systems? Who do you know that might benefit from reading the IAE Blog entry?

If the IAE blog entries are useful to you, then consider signing up for a Free Subscription. (See the menu on the left side of the page). You will automatically receive email about new postings to the blog. Typically, there are about three new postings per week.

Links to Related IAE Documents

Chesslandia. A fable about changing needs in the content of education.

Information Underload and Overload.

Neuromythologies (brain science mythologies) in education.

Presenting statistical data in meaningful, dynamic, and colorful manner.

Science is Repeatable and Accurate Measurements.  IAE Newsletter - Issue # 56 December 2010.