First of all, there was a lot of interesting food for thought in this post and I love the framework it offers for leisurely research. However; I don't agree with this:
> through audiovisual devices, which ask no discipline of the mind, and which are already giving the room the languor of an opium parlor.
I wish there was concrete evidence provided to support this. I suspect that learning outcomes are going to be more influenced by the quality of the material and the level of engagement of the learner, regardless of medium. Bad content is bad content, whether it's text or audiovisual, and I can passively read a book as easily as I can passively consume a video.
> through audiovisual devices, which ask no discipline of the mind, and which are already giving the room the languor of an opium parlor.
I wish there was concrete evidence provided to support this. I suspect that learning outcomes are going to be more influenced by the quality of the material and the level of engagement of the learner, regardless of medium. Bad content is bad content, whether it's text or audiovisual, and I can passively read a book as easily as I can passively consume a video.