by Michael D. Johnson

    The evolution of interactive technology could not have come along at a more volatile period of debate over the fate of our nation's education system. The media continually echo the warnings issued by such data gatherers as the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) concerning American schools and teachers. Of paramount concern is the fact that high school students in this country consistently show themselves to be inferior to others in such areas as math and science. For instance, in 1995 12th graders scored below the international average and among the lowest of the 21 nations participating in the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) (http://www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts). Although higher education in the United States continues to prosper and even attract a large number of foreign students, at the primary and secondary school levels the U.S. continues to lag behind. One of the primary culprits in this trend is a glaring dichotomy between the haves and the have-nots in American schools. The NCES has found that public schools with the highest minority enrollment tended to have a larger class size than both large public schools and those schools with a low minority enrollment (http://www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts). The problem is further compounded when you take into consideration the fact that such schools tend to have the highest concentration of "at-risk" pupils. In an age in which "what you know" presides over "what you have," such trends are doubly alarming. Esther Dyson, long regarded as one of the most influential thinkers in the computing industry, addresses this issue: "[These days] the task of fostering equality . . . is more complex than a simple redistribution of assets. The only feasible approach is education, which requires not just giving, but helping people to take, and to learn" (Dyson, 1997). Computer technology, and more specifically the Internet, seem to offer some promise to the Achilles' heel that has long been the American education system.

    The issue of school choice has been contentious as a potential solution to the education crisis (http://www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts). While as a society we are still very reluctant to subscribe to a voucher system, the Internet seems to offer a possible venue for competition that may help to get American schools into gear (Dyson, 1997). Another use for the computer addressed by educators is that of its integration into the classroom as a teaching tool. While there are still some who question the interests of those who are anxious to put a computer in every classroom (Roszak, 1994), there is a growing body of supporters attesting to the ability of the computer to facilitate the introduction of a fundamentally different learning style for students (Pedroni, 1996), (http://edweb.gsn.org/web.effects.html), (http://edweb.gsn.org/web.future.html) and (Tapscott, 1998). This new learning style is interactive in nature and promises to promote not only the kind of learning that students can put to use in the new information-driven economy (Pedroni, 1996), but also appears likely to provide them with greater motivation and context-based learning formats (http://edweb.gsn.org/web.effects.html) and (Bergin et al., 1993). Aside from the evidence that the current generation of youngsters is eager to take on a more proactive role in their learning (Murray, 1997), it has also been concluded in a number of studies that Computer Assisted Instruction has both psychosocial and cognitive benefits to offer (Bergin et al., 1993), (Shute and Miksad, 1997), and (Haugland, 1996). Moreover, given the most recent repost from the NCES, the previous gap that existed between affluent and poor schools in terms of Internet access is quickly receding (http://www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts), due in large part to the generous contributions of businesses (http://edweb.gsn.org/web.future.html). As recently as fifteen or twenty years ago, few probably would have imagined the challenges and opportunities facing today's generation of youngsters. It seems as if there exists a heightened pressure these days for educators to prepare their students more pragmatically for the world that they are entering into at an ever younger age. The assertion that we need to delay or altogether prevent the inclusion of Computer Assisted Instruction into modern curricula is not only ill-informed, but hopelessly naive.

References

    Bergin, D.A., M.E. Ford, and R.D. Hess (1993). Patterns of Motivation and Social Behavior Associated with Microcomputer Use Among Young Children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(3), 437-445.

    Corporation for Public Broadcasting (1998). "EdWeb Homeroom: Exploring technology and School Reform." Retrieved March 9, 1999 from the World Wide Web: http://edweb.gsn.or/web.effects.html.

    Corporation for Public Broadcasting (1998). "EdWeb Homeroom: Exploring Technology and School Reform." Retrieved March 9, 1999 from the World Wide Web: http://edweb.gsn.or/web.future.html.

    Dyson, E. (1997). Release 2.0: A design for living in the digital age. NY: Broadway Books.

    GeoCities (1998). "The Importance of the World Wide Web in Education K-12" by G.E. Pedroni. Retrieved March 12, 1999 from the World Wide Web: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5461/paper_1.html#Top.

    Haugland, S. (1996). Enhancing Children's Sense of Self and Community Through Utilizing Computers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 23(4), 227-230.

    Jenkins, H. (1997) Empowering Children in the Digital Age: Towards a Radical Media Pedagogy. Radical Teacher, no. 50, 30-35.

    Murray, N. (1997). Enter the Millenials. The Journal of Career Planning and Employment, 57(53), 40-42.

    National Center for Education Statistics (1999). "NCES homepage." Retrieved  April 17, 1999 from the World Wide Web: http://www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts.

    Roszak, T. (1994). The hidden curriculum. In T. Roszak,The Cult of Information (pp. 47-71). NY: Pantheon Books.

    Shute, R. and J. Miksad (1997). Computer Assisted Instruction and Cognitive Development in Preschoolers. Child Study Journal, 27(3), 237-253.

    Tapscott, D. (1998). N-Gen Learning. In D. Tapscott, Growing Up Digital. NY: McGraw Hill.

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