This article was written by Andrew Molnar and was published more than a decade ago, in 1997, which makes it a little more interesting to see how much has changed since its publication, computers in education wise. It’s a very brief historical piece chronicling some of the more noteworthy developments that serves as a foundation for the evolution of computer programming. The article kicked off with a couple of general viewpoints about computers in education. Some of the depictions, for example it being an "accidental revolution" or, taking a more pragmatic outlook, "unthinking man and his thinking machines,” were wittingly put forth to kind of sculpt out another, possibly a more positive, attitude towards the use of computers in education. He goes on to state a pretty broad description of the purpose of education, declaring that it has two main functions, “to transmit the culture, values and lessons of the past to the current generation; and to prepare our children for the world in which they will live.” The rest of the article is basically backing his point. But, before he get into the gist of things he briefly reveals how computers emerged, which he pronounces was at the launch of the Soviet satellite “SPUTNIC” in 1957. It initiated the “golden age” of education which encouraged educational reform on a national level. Six years later, two pioneers from Dartmouth revolutionized, or shall I say, expanded the role of computers by replacing punch cards with a less restrictive time-sharing method and created an easy-to-use BASIC language than the machine language, FORTRAN.
The succeeding points and sub-points reference the other educators and pioneers that developed systems to assist a learner’s tacit “difficulty in handling problems that involve large quantities of data or have many interrelated structures.” Some of the developments mentioned were computer graphics, virtual reality, substituting Roman numerals with Arabic symbols for mathematics and the invention of spreadsheets for better organization in business. Then the 1980’s marked the era of supercomputers and telecommunications and thus, global access to knowledge and information from all over the world. Molnar described it as a system that has “greatly expanded access to information and increased the speed with which ideas are disseminated. It produces a new form of knowledge, an "infosphere," based on the interaction of people, information, technology and new social organizations. This evolving infrastructure will inevitably lead to a major restructuring of education.” In retrospect, he was correct because now, in the 21st century, certain guidelines had to be put in place to filter out factual information. It forced another reform in education, one that involved creating a more efficient way of researching.
Molnar’s conclusion sums up his ideals and perspectives about computers in education. He points out that the upsurge of information has not only enhanced our understanding of the world around us, but its growth and exploitation is dependent on two things, the ability of scientists to produce new knowledge and society’s ability to assimilate it. Thus, scientific evolution banks on man’s limited ability to absorb new information. He hypothesized that the future of our social, industrial and educational institutions will undoubtedly face a major restructuring. The reliance on computers and telecommunications for work and education will increase. Well, surprise surprise! That is precisely what happened. From what I’ve witnessed in my years of schooling, educational institutions have become more reliant on computers and telecommunications to not only assist in instruction, but now it has become a mechanism to retain the desire to learn.
He ends the article with a question that he proclaimed is meant for the 21st century, “What it means "to know." Is it what we have in our heads or how well we are skilled to explore the infosphere?” Based on the discussion we had in class today regarding the use of video games in education and my experiences as a student and an enthusiast about computers in general, I will have to say “to know” has converted to how skilled we are in exploring the infosphere. It goes without saying that computers have transformed our thinking process. It’s merely keeping us abreast with the world around us.
The article is archived at a commercial website, http://thejournal.com/Articles/1997/06/01/Computers-in-Education-A-Brief-History.aspx?Page=1, but it was published in T.H.E. Journal, a private magazine that is mailed to qualified K-12 senior level district and school administrators, technologists, and tech savvy educators. It was launched in 1972 as the first magazine to cover education technology; its purpose is to instruct methods of using technology to enhance the learning process.
My first impression of the site was kind of unenthusiastic. I thought it was bland and specific to a certain audience. The article, on the other hand, maintained a professional format, but it pertained to more people. Nonetheless, I wasn’t too keen on the article’s format. It was divided into 15 parts and was centered in the middle of the page. I personally like to have just the article all on one page or if it’s a lengthy piece to use up the maximum amount of space first before extending it to another page. In order for me to read it all at once I had to read it in print preview form. Besides that, there is little advertising for other corporations displayed at the bottom of the page which are conducive to T.H.E. Journal’s objective, which I liked. I appreciate being able to read without a bunch of advertisements randomly popping up or blinking in my side view. In addition, it contained options to learn more about the publication. On the left side of the page displays a menu, which comprise of a list of links to informative sections of the webpage such as K-12 News, Webinars, Services, Resources, and a link to an archive of articles published in the magazine dating back to 1994. There is also a comment section at the bottom of the page.
Moving on to the article!
I chose this topic because I’m intrigued by the way computers have shaped our culture. It’s rapid progression and hypnotizing effect it has on our culture has forced educators to rethink strategies that are conducive to our preferences. Growing up in an era where computers were already apparent and witnessing its evolution, I was interested in finding out how it got started and learning about the ideas that fostered its development in education.
The article was written by Andrew Molner, whom I think is qualified to write this document. He has an accredited background which includes research and in addition to holding a doctorates degree in Psychology at the University of Maryland, he has acquired credibility out of his leadership undertakings by directing programs in higher education research and organizing the educational technology programs at the U.S. Department of Education. He also spearheaded a program for the National Science Foundation, Applications of Advanced Technologies Program in Science education.
There were many fine points made, but it mainly illuminated the fact that the meaning “to know” has changed, or in a better sense, has extended. It no longer just mean to have the ability to retain information read in a book, it now involves the aptitude of using a computer. It unearthed the realization that books, a veteran of information, has been worshipped, exploited, and is now being challenged. How many discussions have we had about the future of the book?
Although the article was certainly an interesting read, I would only recommend this site to administrators or educators that are seeking ways to safely and effectively incorporate computer programs into the classroom, or has an interest in increasing the use of computers in education. Some of the articles in the archives may be of interest to a wider community, but for the most part, the information provided is specific to a particular audience.
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