Presentation at Northeast Oklahoma State University, May 13, 1999
by Dr. Steve Bett, candidate for the position of coordinator of technology

I N D E X    P A G E
Table of Contents

The innovative use of information technology and its
potential to improve educational access, expand horizons
of awareness, and enhance the delivery of instruction

The changes that are taking place in our culture are changing educational expectations.
They are also changing the availability of technologies that can facilitate course development
and make the delivery of "just in time" life-long distance learning learning a real possibility.

Thesis: Technology changes cost/benefit ratios

F O R W A R D


 


I am not a technological determinist.  I don't think that technology is good or bad.  I don't think that it forces a particular future or a particular culture.  It plays a role but we are the ones who ultimately determine that role.  Putting computers and other technology in the schools certainly does not necessarily improve educational outcomes.  Quite often it is the deployment of a tool in search of an application. 

Is technology improving education?  It is too early to tell.  There has always been a gap between the potential of technology to do good and actual realization. Technology can certainly improve many aspects of education and the educational process but it also has the potential of draining resources. 

What technology does is change a number of important cost / benefit ratios.  Some ways of organizing the classroom, the school system, the development and distribution of materials, and the instructional delivery system become less costly relative to other alternatives -- particularly when one considers many of the hardware expenditures as a sunk cost. 

For instance, we can develop an international distance education capability (a web university) for the cost of a new classroom. The reason that this is possible is because we are piggybacking on a tremendous investment in electronic infrastructure. 

Education still has a "bricks and mortar" mindset and there are good arguments that a virtual university is no substitute for a residential university.  For those of this persuasion, I will address how technology can enable us to do what we have always done with less effort and greater effectiveness.  The CHE is currently trying to get a discussion going on this topic.

Before addressing the list of topics below, I would like to take a detour and address the question:  What kind of educational environment do we want?  What kind of educational outcome are we trying to achieve?  It may be that certain educational processes that were once considered too costly for public education are now affordable.

After this review you may agree with me that technology has the potential to facilitate the kind of educational environment we want.  Or at least you may agree that it has the potential to improve certain types of interaction between individuals who share a common interests or a common goal and expands the opportunities for those who have expertise they are willing to share to share it. 

Table of Contents (TOC)       TOC-remote       Infoage-Ed

Sitemap-Lingistics related pages     Sitemap-Remote

Map-IPA - Mapping alternative orthographies into the notations used by the International Phonetics Association (IPA).

  For a further development of these ideas, see Dr. Bett's chapters in the new book from Stylus Publishing, Internet Based Learning, 1999  (draft chapter from book)

Please give me your email address on the sign-up sheet that is being passed around 
if you would like to receive an electronic copy of this talk.  What I will do is post it on the Internet and email each of you the URL and the password to access a series of web pages. You will also received an unsolicited plug for my latest book - IBL - Internet Based Learning. If you want more information on any of the technologies mentioned, just send email to [email protected]