A Friendly Discussion on: Educational Technology in the 1990s

1
A Friendly Discussion on Educational Technology
in the 1990s

• Gentry Csete
• adapted from a presentation originally
  constructed by Gene Kowch

2
10 Problems from our Educational Technology
past...
3
The boundaries of the Educational Technology
field will remain poorly drawn.
Problems
1

• ETers have had little success in selling their
  wares to the establishment.
• Certification efforts have failed.
• Definitional boundaries of the field are vague
  with respect to other disciplines.

4
The curricular core of academic programs designed
to prepare the ET will remain ill-defined and
inconsistent.
Problems
2

• Genisis of ET ( Hutchinson, 1989)

Great Diversity
5
Problems
2

• Hutchinson suggests a new approach for
  national curriculum based on a new design with
  components like
• organisation
• design and development
• ergonomics
• business management
• strategic planning

... A PERFORMANCE based paradigm... ( What is
performance?)
6
The bulk of research in the field will continue
to be sporadic and diffuse.
Problems
3

• scandalously narrow and superficial
• professors need to establish clear research
  goals.
• professors need to coordinate efforts.
• we are too preoccupied with productivity.
• only a small of professors do research.
• Schwiers aside American ET largely ignores
  international contributions.

7
There will continue to be only limited use of
primary criteria for evaluating the instructional
development process, product or implementation.
Problems
4

• accountablity is a problem
• our profession lacks a needs analysis
• a commitment to cost-effectiveness and
  cost-benefit analysis is necessary

8
Undesirable side-effects of the entrepreneurial
practices of individual practitioners of
educational technology will continue to
negatively affect credibility and effectiveness.
Problems
5

• high dependence on others for resources is a
  causal factor.
• promises beyond what can be delivered-- the
  television will replace the teacher..

9
There will continue to be inconsistent support
for educational technology from administrators,
educators and trainers.
Problems
6

• the no budget budget prevails
• spending decisions are often emotionally based
• radical reform to productivity suggested

10

• Perleman ( 1987) suggests
• As long as educational technology is
  considered peripheral, the support of its
  activities will remain circumspect.

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There will continue to be division between ETs
and other educators over the theories of learning
to which they adhere.
Problems
7

• too many cook book courses exist.
• we need a sound base in learning theory
• Cognitive and Information processing theories in
  vogue (1990). Now constructivism and
  post-modernism taking hold.

12

• We should be more involved in
• Learning Transfer Theories (Pea, 1988)
• Learning in out of the school context (Resnick,
  1987)
• Expert/Novice learner differences (Lovell, 1987)
• We should do more in theoretical areas such as
  systems, instruction, design, evaluation,
  communication and change theory.

13
There will continue to be an inadequate response
to the critics of Educational Technology.
Problems
8

• Oettinger says that computer applications have
  been force-fed, over-sold and often premature
  quick-fix.
• ET people must promise short and long term
  deliverables.

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• Mumford ( 1934)
• the clock is not merely a means of keeping
  track of the hours, but of synchronizing the
  actions of women.

( Women didnt use clocks in 1934 ? )
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Are we still friends ?
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Confusion over the definition of and need for
technological literacy will continue...
Problems
9
What is technological literacy ?

• Executives in the Northwest states say workers
  need TL (Crohn, 1983).
• Workers must react with machines and computers
  know math, science and communication skills..

17

• Devore (1985) defines Technology and
  Technological Literacy.
• Technology The creation, utilization and
  behavior of adaptive systems including tools,
  machines, materials, techniques and technical
  means and the behavior of these elements anjd
  systems in relation to human beings, the society
  and environment.
• Technological Literacy
• The understanding of the primary elements stated
  in the definition.

How can we create a common curriculum without
common definitions of our activities?
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The predilection of educational technologists and
other educators to reinvent the wheel will not
significantly lessen...
10
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10 Possibilites for our Educational Technology
future ...
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The growing diversity of the student population
will encourage the development of alternative
Instructional delivery programs.
Possibilities
1

• more older students exist in part time
  education today.
• more non-traditional students exist
• teleconferencing systems ...

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Pressure from business, industry and the
government will force the educational
establishment to better prepare the workplace.
Possibilities
2

• Service jobs knowledge sector have high demand
• of High School students, 30 dont graduate...
  75 of workforce for yr 2000 are already out of
  school...
• private sector is pushing for remedial
  teaching... opportunities for ET folks...

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Business and industry will recruit increasing
numbers from among their current employees--and
will subsidize their degrees in educational
technology...
Possibilities
3

• exporting Canadians may not be best..
• importing foreign nationals, training them and
  then exporting them may be better..

23
Increasing access to electronically delivered
Instruction .. will provide channels for delivery
of instruction developed independently of
traditional education systems.
Possibilities
4
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• Naisbitt
• - new jobs will be in the service sector people
  should be trained for this sector.
• - costs computer advance make it possible for
  independent design to compete with production
  houses.

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• Quote from Cleveland (1985)
• While the shift from an agricultural society
  took 100 years, the present restructuring from an
  industrial to an information - based society took
  only two decades.

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Expert systems and artificial intelligence will
find increasing application in education and
training establishments.
Possibilities
5

• Tutored students learn significantly more than
  non-tutored students (Bloom, 1984).
• ...advances... may make ordinary people capable
  of extraordinary things...

27
Educators who are presently frustrated by
educational technology applications will become
adopters as applications become more user
friendly.
Possibilities
6

• navigation and HCI concepts ease use
• computers are relatively trouble free...
• Norman (1998) introduces information appliances

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• Glesne suggests that technophobia has 3 causes
  
• limited technical aptitude
• not wanting to contribute time
• history of hardware and software failure

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Pressure for adoption of high tech instructional
delivery systems will come from a more
knowledgable student body..
Possibilities
7

• is there pressure now?
• at what levels elementary/secondary/college/univ
  ersity/industry/??

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Independent learning skills will become
increasingly important to students and to society.
Possibilities
8

• job obsolescence lifelong learning issues
• independent learning systems are more attractive
  
• the need for some independent learning skills
  may be reduced by AI
• we will be engaged in validating self-learning
  systems in the future..

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The natural desire of individuals to control
their environments can be aided by technology...
Possibilities
9

• Every system design should be made to fit the
  diversity of people using it, rather than
  standardize the people to assume conformity.
  Strassman, 1985.

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Educational technology will assist educational
institutions in their response to changing
societal needs.
Possibilities
10

• dropout, drug and alcohol abuse and teen suicide
  could be helped by ET.
• ( Keough)
• ET could handle routine instructional tasks and
  free up human contact.

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Conclusions ?

• We need to think about many aspects of ET,
  constantly
• New issues include the technocritizing of the
  classroom what impact do portable PCs and home
  exposure have?
• What is the impact continuing non-standardization
  of software and hardware ?

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A little analysis...
10 Problems 10 Possibilities can be grouped
into 5 Categories
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Categories of Issues for ET ( after Gentry
Csete)
Admin
Identity
External Forces
Research
Curriculum Instruction
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Issue Concentration ( Gentry)