Steve Mercer
Psy 423

Technology And The Postmodern University: Abstract -Info is „out there‰

-Education is for all

-Possible future has no classrooms, only cyberspace -Society and economics are changing

-Human learning is capacity to process, communicate, and interpret info in cognitive primarily symbolic terms -Without mentoring and modeling there is no reinforcement of educational ideals -Human interaction is required for successful understanding of subject matter -As info becomes cheaper, wisdom becomes relatively more valuable -As technology changes the landscape, opportunity exists to remedy a failing Ed. system -Tech could revolutionize society as a whole in terms of infrastructure and institutions -Community sites could house Internet hubs emphasizing group Ed. directed by learning facilitators -Allows for general Ed. and interactive opportunity in terms of learning how to learn -Centers could exist that seek to answer and communicate important questions and Ed. goals -Certificate programs could be enacted emphasizing the learning of specific goals and knowledge -Larger society interaction in new system is based on businesses and non-profits managing the new information/communications based society

Greater Expectations National Panel Report: Abstract

-Society is changing from industrial to knowledge based - Role of higher education is changing- Association of Am. Colleges & Universities seek to examine the inherent challenges in our Ed. System, both it‚s failures and successes - A cohesive effort is necessary to create positive change - Focus should be on what and how college students learn - Recommends Ed. system emphasizing the interconnectedness of the world stage, and changes in the work place - Difficulty lies in standard testing not representing rigors of college level work - No clear ed. plan exists emphasizing a plan or curricula - There must be a clearer transition from high school to college - Ed. must expand through mastery of intellectual and practical skills - Ed. must emphasize knowledge about natural and social worlds - Ed. must emphasize interconnectedness cross-culturally - Ed. must emphasize personal responsibility for personal actions and civic values - Teachers must be more goal oriented regarding the learning process, not just core curricula or credit - Teachers must assume more of a leadership role in terms of students academic direction - Education must take diverse learning styles into account