5 ms·

> The evidence for transfer learning is weak to the point of non-existence. Citation needed. But transfer learning is a term specific to the ML field anyway, s

> The evidence for transfer learning is weak to the point of non-existence. Citation needed. But transfer learning is a term specific to the ML field anyway, so I'm not sure why you used it. > teaching nationalism is a much easier sell as to the purpose of school I don't think most people believe this is the purpose of school, not even nationalists.

barry-cotter 7y ago
Sorry, meant transfer of learning. Re: schooling as a means of promoting nationalism > Education and Military Rivalry > Using data from the last 150 years in a small set of countries, and from the postwar period in a large set of countries, we show that large investments in state primary education systems tend to occur when countries face military rivals or threats from their neighbors. By con- trast, we find that democratic transitions are negatively associated with education investments, while the presence of democratic politi- cal institutions magnifies the positive effect of military rivalries. These empirical results are robust to a number of statistical concerns and continue to hold when we instrument military rivalries with commod- ity prices or rivalries in a certain country’s immediate neighborhood. We also present historical case studies, as well as a simple model, that are consistent with the econometric evidence. https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/27759015/education_and_military_rivalry.pdf?sequence=1 https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/27759015/educati...
- friendlybus 7y ago
  That paper is a decent description of how autocratic or militaristic governments invest in education, the purpose of a school is a separate meaning though. The paper itself states that threats to democracy increase enrolment and not funding, showing that parents or kids find value in applying to school even when it is not invested in. The paper goes on to note that expansion into studying economic threats as a motive for investment into schooling could be explored. The paper is too narrow to be a 'better sell' than transfer of learning, as dubious as that is.
paganel 7y ago
Nationalists most certainly believe that, for example every small change to our children’s history books that can be seen as not conforming to our glorious past (or what the nationalists see as our “glorious past”) is seen by our local nationalists (I live in a Eastern Europe) as potentially the end of the world as we know it. Europe can be interesting like that, good thing that we (almost) stopped killing each other after WW2 over stupid things like imaginary lines drawn on soil.
- barry-cotter 7y ago
  > Europe can be interesting like that, good thing that we (almost) stopped killing each other after WW2 over stupid things like imaginary lines drawn on soil. Yes, that happens when ethnic cleansing is completed so that what were previously multi-ethnic empires are now mono-ethnic nation states.
- growlist 7y ago
  > stupid things like imaginary lines drawn on soil. So let's erase all borders and see how we get on. Orwell: 'men can only be highly civilized while other men, inevitably less civilized, are there to guard and feed them.'
  - paganel 7y ago
    Actually we get on quite well in Europe, thank you very much. I suggest you take a car-ride through Northern France, close to Verdun, if those numberless WW1 cemeteries don’t change your mind I don’t know what else will.
    - growlist 7y ago
      > Actually we get on quite well in Europe, thank you very much. I suggest you take a car-ride through Northern France, close to Verdun, if those numberless WW1 cemeteries don’t change your mind I don’t know what else will. That'll be the same France that has nuclear weapons?
      - 7y ago
murkle 7y ago
How do you cite lack of evidence? :)

barry-cotter 7y ago

Sorry, meant transfer of learning. Re: schooling as a means of promoting nationalism > Education and Military Rivalry > Using data from the last 150 years in a small set of countries, and from the postwar period in a large set of countries, we show that large investments in state primary education systems tend to occur when countries face military rivals or threats from their neighbors. By con- trast, we find that democratic transitions are negatively associated with education investments, while the presence of democratic politi- cal institutions magnifies the positive effect of military rivalries. These empirical results are robust to a number of statistical concerns and continue to hold when we instrument military rivalries with commod- ity prices or rivalries in a certain country’s immediate neighborhood. We also present historical case studies, as well as a simple model, that are consistent with the econometric evidence. https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/27759015/education_and_military_rivalry.pdf?sequence=1 https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/27759015/educati...

friendlybus 7y ago
That paper is a decent description of how autocratic or militaristic governments invest in education, the purpose of a school is a separate meaning though. The paper itself states that threats to democracy increase enrolment and not funding, showing that parents or kids find value in applying to school even when it is not invested in. The paper goes on to note that expansion into studying economic threats as a motive for investment into schooling could be explored. The paper is too narrow to be a 'better sell' than transfer of learning, as dubious as that is.

paganel 7y ago

Nationalists most certainly believe that, for example every small change to our children’s history books that can be seen as not conforming to our glorious past (or what the nationalists see as our “glorious past”) is seen by our local nationalists (I live in a Eastern Europe) as potentially the end of the world as we know it. Europe can be interesting like that, good thing that we (almost) stopped killing each other after WW2 over stupid things like imaginary lines drawn on soil.

barry-cotter 7y ago
> Europe can be interesting like that, good thing that we (almost) stopped killing each other after WW2 over stupid things like imaginary lines drawn on soil. Yes, that happens when ethnic cleansing is completed so that what were previously multi-ethnic empires are now mono-ethnic nation states.
growlist 7y ago
> stupid things like imaginary lines drawn on soil. So let's erase all borders and see how we get on. Orwell: 'men can only be highly civilized while other men, inevitably less civilized, are there to guard and feed them.'
- paganel 7y ago
  Actually we get on quite well in Europe, thank you very much. I suggest you take a car-ride through Northern France, close to Verdun, if those numberless WW1 cemeteries don’t change your mind I don’t know what else will.
  - growlist 7y ago
    > Actually we get on quite well in Europe, thank you very much. I suggest you take a car-ride through Northern France, close to Verdun, if those numberless WW1 cemeteries don’t change your mind I don’t know what else will. That'll be the same France that has nuclear weapons?
    - 7y ago

murkle 7y ago

How do you cite lack of evidence? :)