Informational Technology and Its Impact on John Andelin, Assistant Director, OTA Stephen E. Doyle* and Sam Hale,** Interim Program Manager Prudence S. Adler, Assistant Project Director*** Beth A. Brown, In-House Consultant Contractors Christopher Dede, University of Houston Kathryn M. White, Editor, Writer Renee G. Ford, Tifford Producers, Ltd., Editor, Writer OTA Publishing Staff John C. Holmes, Publishing Officer John Bergling Kathie S. Boss Debra M. Datcher Joe Henson *Program Manager served through February 1981. **Interim Program Manager from March 1981 through March 1982. Fred W. Weingarten has served as Program Manager since then. ***Served as Assistant Project Director since March 1982. Informational Technology and Its Impact on American Education Modern society is undergoing profound technological and social changes brought about by what has been called the information revolution. This revolution is characterized by explosive developments in electronic information technologies and by their integration into complex information systems that span the globe. The impacts of this revolution affect individuals, institutions, and governments-altering what they do, how they do it, and how they relate to one another. If individuals are to thrive economically and socially in a world that will be shaped, to a large degree, by these technological developments, they must adapt through education and training. Already there is evidence of demands for new types of education and training, and of new institutions emerging to fill these demands. The historical relationship between education and Government will be affected by the role that Government plays in enabling educational institutions to respond to the changes created by these technologies. Background Historically, the Federal Government's interest in educational technology has been sporadic-rising as some promising new technology appeared and falling as that technology failed to achieve its promise. Attention was focused, more Computer-based education is the use of computers for 1. Computer-Managed Instruction (CMI).-Wherein learn- 2. Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI).-Wherein the stu- Over the last decade, Federal funding for research and development (R&D) in educational information technology has dropped precipitously. At the same time, development and applications of information technology have advanced rapidly in many sectors. Public schools, beset by problems that such technology might mitigate, have lagged behind in adapting to technological changes. In view of this situation, OTA was asked in October 1980 to reexamine the potential role of new information technology in education. The assessment was initiated at the request of: 1) the Subcommittee on Select Education of the House Committee on Education and Labor; and 2) the House Subcommittee on Science, Research, and Technology of the Committee on Science and Technology. This report examines both the demands the information revolution will make on education and the opportunities afforded to respond to those demands. Included in its scope are a survey of the major providers of education and training, both traditional and new, and an examination of their changing roles. The full range of new information products and services rather than any single technology is examined, since the major impact on education will most likely stem from the integration of these technologies into instructional systems. For this report OTA has defined education to include programs provided through a variety of institutions and in a variety of settings, including public schools; private, nonprofit institutions that operate on the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels; proprietary schools; training and education by industry and labor unions; instruction through the military; and services provided through libraries and museums or delivered directly to the home. Information technology is defined to include communication systems such as direct broadcast satellite, two-way interactive cable, low-power broadcasting, computers (including personal computers and the new hand-held computers), and television (including video disk and video tape cassette). The assessment was premised on three initial observations and assumptions: • The United States is undergoing an information revolution, as documented in an OTA assessment, Computer-Based National Information Systems. • There is a public perception that the public schools are "in trouble," and are not responding well to the normal educational demands being placed on them. Public schools in many parts of the country are faced with severe economic problems in the form of rapidly rising costs and reduced taxpayer support. These pressures are forcing a new search for ways to improve the productivity and effectiveness of schooling. • A host of new information technology products and services that appeared capable of fulfilling the educational promises anticipated earlier are entering the marketplace with affordably low cost and easy accessibility. Findings OTA found that the real situation is far more complex than assumed above. In summary, the assessment's findings are: • The growing use of information technology throughout society is creating major new demands for education and training in the United States and is increasing the potential economic and social penalty for not responding to those demands. The information revolution is creating new stresses on many societal institutions, particularly those such as public schools and libraries that traditionally have borne the major responsibility for providing education and other public information services. • Information technology is already beginning to play an important role in providing education and training in some sectors. • Information technology holds significant promise as a mechanism for responding to the education and training needs of society, and it will likely become a major vehicle for doing so in the next few decades. • Much remains to be learned about the educational and psychological effects of technological approaches to instruction. Not enough experience has been gained with the new information technology to determine completely how that technology can most benefit learners or to predict possible negative effects of its use. Given this insufficient experience, caution should be exercised in undertaking any major national effort, whether federally inspired or not, to introduce these new technologies into education. |