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The following quotes from Frankenstein, attributed to Dr. Frankenstein himself as he contemplates his future endeavors, expresses the continuum of learning cited by Ekoko, and underscores Frankenstein’s own relentless drive for learning and “outside the box” thinking:
“So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein–more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.” (Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, 3.14)
“In other studies, you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder.” (Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, 4.2)
Victor Frankenstein is setting his own agenda for his own learning. He has gone as far as others have led him, not he strikes out on his own. In the next section, I will discuss what our classrooms may become when humans are allowed to progress on the continuum of learning that may bring about the next phase of human evolution.
Ekoko’s continuum of learning is further illustrated and underscore the following quotes made by Victor Frankenstein regarding his relentless drive for discovery using “outside the box” thinking:
“So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein–more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.”
“In other studies, you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder.”
Like Frankenstein, students should have a hand in setting their own agenda for learning. Students will go as far as instructors can lead them, thus prompting new discoveries on their own. Though the ultimate result of Frankenstein’s quest was complete failure, it can be argued that the failure was the result of human frailty; the technological advances Frankenstein achieved however were, in fact, successful. Based upon this premise, students should be allowed to direct their own learning to a greater extent, and not fear the end result may be different than what had been initially planned.
Students also need to be taught how to use data they collect to make intelligent predictions on outcomes of learning. Makri et al (2014), in their studies, found that serendipity, or the unintended discovery of information or achieving some unforeseen positive result, would not likely happen if instruction and learning mechanisms were totally planned and implemented. There needs to be an unpredictable element implanted in the learning process.
As Shelley’s novel produced profound fear and hatred of The Monster and what it represented socially, teachers often express much of the same loathing to new technologies in classrooms. What is profound is the expression of unb