modality = 'kind'

[Victor Steinbok]

I'm quite used to reference to "modalities" by chiropractors and
physical therapists, who use the term to describe different procedures
on [different organs of the] patients (and, thus, different billing
codes). But in 20 or so years in ed research I have never encountered
this terminology. Perhaps we had been exposed to different parts of the
field.

But Wiki does mention "modalities" under Education:

> It is currently fashionable to divide education into different
> learning "modes". The learning modalities are probably the most common:
> * Visual: learning based on observation and seeing what is being learned.
> * Auditory: learning based on listening to instructions/information.
> * Kinesthetic: learning based on hands-on work and engaging in activities.

This just looks as some sort of variation on various "multiple
intelligence" theories, personality types (MBTI), etc.--all of which are
mentioned in the paragraph immediately preceding the one quoted. But
this makes much more sense than the statement on CNN, as given. I'd need
to see the full quote to verify if he meant some sort of two-dimensional
analysis (social groups vs. modalities), but it certainly does not
appear to be the case.

     VS-)

On 1/27/2011 3:00 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
> At 12:28 PM -0500 1/27/11, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>> '...especially social class, gender orientation, or ethnicity.'
>>
>> A well-educated guest on CNN was explaining that, in his his last job, he
>> had "prepared educational curricula for people of all modalities."
> You don't think he was referring to possible people, likely and
> unlikely people, necessary people, and the like?
>
> LH
>
>> Before we ridicule this usage, consider that he (and presumably others) may
>> assume that even naming such "modalities" might be considered
>> "controversial" by some.
>>
>> The speaker was hoping that his appearance on CNN might lead to a good new
>> job.
>>
>> OK, now we can ridicule.
>>
>> JL

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