Technology Insertion

(From a presentation by Steven Ehrman, American Association for Higher Education, Frontiers in Education Conference, 8 November 1997)

The date is 400 BC, and you are a student of a Greek philosopher, sitting at his feet each day while he leads you through a learning experience. You have just heard that a new innovation is about to change the way your philosopher teaches and how you will learn - he is going to introduce

In your groups, prepare three arguments in support of this technological innovation and three reasons why it will have a negative impact on learning. Does it make any difference in your arguments if you take the position of the student or the philosopher?

AFTERTHOUGHT:

Do the same arguments hold for introducing other technologies into the classroom?

The Stages of Computer Impact

• Carefully examine the three stages of computer insertion that are listed in the notes:
  1. Task replacement by computer;
  2. Task efficiency, proficiency, and productivity improvement by computer; and
  3. New task insertion that would have been impossible without computerization.
  and then examine the three stages of impact in the following situations that effect your life:
  • The university pre-registration system (you may want to talk to someone who was here when this was not computer driven).
  • The use of the WWW in classes.
  • The use of the computer in banking (note that the first banking application was ERMA at the Bank of America in 1959).
  • The use of the computer in medicine.
  • The use of the computer in correspondence (snail-mail to e-mail and beyond).
  You should clearly identify the status of the application prior to computer insertion, and then the three stages of insertion with examples. Realize that it is possible that step 3 is still in the future for some applications.
• (From ImpactCS recommendations)
  • Divide students into small groups and assign an important technology, such as the clock, the internal combustion engine, electricity, or television to each group and have them discuss how the invention and widespread adoption of this technology changed society. Who were the winners and who were the losers when the new technology was adopted?
  • Have individual students read or view a work of science fiction and then report back to their small groups about the author's view of technology. Is technology viewed as beneficial or evil? Who is in control in the work - people or technology?
  • Provide students with examples of a computer application (such as a computer game) and have them to identify the social values embedded in the software.
  • Provide examples of two user interfaces to small groups of students. Have them devise quantitative measures to evaluate the usability of the two interfaces. Administer the evaluation to another group of students to determine which one is best.
  • Have students do a social impact statement on an existing application in a real world setting in which they analyze the system in use, by gathering both anectodal and quantitative data.
  • For a given application, have students design different interfaces for different social contexts.
  • Work through a case study in which the interest of the users [Image] and the customer are inconsistent, and the developers are caught in the middle.
  • Students are required to devise a quantitative hypothesis about one aspect of a particular interface in one or more specific social contexts. They will then be given empirical data on actual use to confirm or reject the hypothesis.

Scenarios for Debate:

• A shooting at school. Was it his fault?
• SOFTWARE DEVELOPER: ENCROACHING ON A CONSULTANT'S BUSINESS WITH AN EXPERT SYSTEM APPLICATION