POWER ON! New Tools for Teaching and Learning
OTA Report Brief

American public schools have acquired close to 2 million computers in this decade, along with a wide range of educational software. In 1981, fewer than one school in five had a computer. Today, almost all do, and over 90 percent have VCRs as
well. In addition, distance learning projects are proliferating: 35 States have projects or plans to deliver instruction via satellite or other electronic communications systems. This dramatic growth reflects the desire of school districts, administrators, teachers, and parents to use new learning
technologies.

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Computers are widely distributed, and student access has
improved. But most schools do not have enough computers to make
them a central tool of instruction.
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U.S. public schools average 1 computer for every 30 students, but there are wide variations in availability of computers across school districts and States, and between relatively poor schools and those in more affluent schools. School size is a major determinant - larger schools have proportionately fewer computers. Reflecting this, black students, who tend to be in larger schools, typically have less access to computers than do white students, especially at the elementary school level. Students with limited English proficiency have the lowest access of all. Overall, those students who use computers do so an average of little more than 1 hour per week.

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There is no one "best use" of technology, but there are many
promising applications.
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The varied capabilities of the technologies are key to their power. New interactive technologies are now contributing to improvements in learning. They can play an even greater role by helping children acquire basic skills as well as more
sophisticated learning strategies, so that they can continue to acquire and apply knowledge over their lifetimes.

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Educational technologies are not self-implementing. They do not
replace the teacher.
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Investments in the technology will only be effective if teachers receive training and support. But only one-third of the Nation's teachers have had even 10 hours of computer training, and most of it has been devoted to learning *about* computers, not how to teach *with* computers. Less than on-third of all recent education school graduates consider themselves prepared to teach with computers.

For most teachers, using computers makes their job more difficult at first, but few would choose to return to teaching without computers. If teachers are to use technology tools effectively, they must be provided training in the skills needed to work with technology, education that provides vision and understanding of
state-of-the-art developments and applications, support for experimentation and innovation, and - perhaps most valuable of all - time for learning and practice. These elements should be part of teacher preparation and inservice teacher training. As technology changes and research provides better understanding of how children learn, teachers will require continuing support.

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There are over 10,000 software products on the market today
intended for educational use in school or at home.
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Many are for drill and practice, although advances in technology have allowed development of more complex software applications. Distribution of software titles across subjects is uneven, but generic programs for word processing, data management, and desktop publishing offer teachers flexibility for a range of
classroom uses.

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Despite steady improvement, the quality of educational software
could be much better.
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Increased capacity of hardware and advances in programming have removed many technological barriers, but economic risks in the market lead software publishers to play it safe and offer products that are familiar to most teachers. The result is a
relatively homogeneous supply of software products that fall short of the technology's potential. Reliance on the private sector alone will probably not yield an adequately diverse, innovative, and responsive set of educational software products. Because affordable and effective educational software is critical to the success of interactive technology in schools, Federal, State, and local governments will need to play larger roles in support of software development.

Technology is changing rapidly, but educational technology R&D is not keeping up. The absence of a coordinated Federal policy, limited and short-term funding, erratic political support, and disorganized R&D efforts across agencies have resulted in delayed or lost opportunities.

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A substantial investment in R&D is needed now to exploit more
fully the power and potential of technology for education.
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Among the most promising research directions are:

* intelligent tutoring systems that are responsive to the
individual learner;

* applications that exploit the computer's ability to be a
multimedia controller, enriching curriculum with video, graphic,
and audio components;

* simulations, microworlds, and laboratories that extend
understanding through exploration, manipulation, and guided
discovery;

* integrated tools and "intelligence extenders" that help
students move beyond low-level tasks and concentrate on more
demanding problem solving skills;

* new assessment measures that track learning, diagnose
students' conceptual understandings, and evaluate the attainment
of complex skills;

* design tools, "authoring systems," and "knowledge kits" that
enable teachers to create and customize their own teaching
materials; and

* new curricula based on the skills students need in the
information age.

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Research in cognitive science, developments in information
technology, and schools and teachers willing to experiment, all
create today's "window of opportunity" for improving education.
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At the current rate of investment, the Nation can expect continuing experimentation in some schools, steady but slow improvement in software, and spotty access to the technology by students. If the Nation wishes to accelerate realization of the educational potential of the technology, a greater investment will be necessary. Policy-makers at all levels of government will need to focus their attention on four closely related areas:

* expanding the amount and capability of technology in schools;

* providing training and support for teachers;

* encouraging innovation in educational software; and

* supporting research, development, demonstration, and
evaluation, with emphasis on ties between research and the
classroom.

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Copies of the OTA report are available from the U.S. Government
Printing Office for $11. Call (202) 783-3238 for information.
The GPO stock number is 052-003-01125-5. A 25-page summary is
available at no charge. Contact Project Director, Linda Roberts,
at OTA (202) 224-9241 to get a copy of the summary.