Abstract
Despite the huge investments in the last two decades in the introduction of ICT to education and the grandiose expectations accompanying them, ICT has not been widely integrated into educational systems throughout the post-industrial world; furthermore, there is no clear evidence that ICT leads to the improvement of students' outcomes, enhances desired modes of learning or teaching of desired social values. Indeed, on the basis of the outcomes realized to date, one could characterize the rapid and costly response of Western educational systems to the ICT revolution as “much ado about nothing”.
This paper focuses on the two questions stemming from awareness of this state of affairs:
• Why have so few outcomes resulted from the huge investments in ICT?
• What must happen in order for educational systems to successfully adapt to the ICT revolution?
In contrast to some recent writers on this issue who have criticized the rush to computerization of education, this paper argues that educational systems cannot abstain from joining the ICT race. Abstention is not really an option since the ICT revolution is an important aspect of a deeper and broader cultural revolution that is changing Western culture from modern (or, industrial) to postmodern (or post-industrial) and schools, if they want to survive, have no option but to adapt themselves to the era in which they function.
However, successful adaptation requires:
1. a radical breaking of the organizational “glass ceiling” (i.e. school's modern organizational structure) now preventing the true adaptation of education to postmodernity,
2. the accompaniment of this radical restructuring by a well-formed strategy based on a clear understanding of the new emerging culture and explicit values and educational aims.
The paper argues that currently, computerization processes in post-industrial societies suffer acutely from total ignorance of the need for such radical organizational restructuring and for its accompaniment by a cultural-ideological strategy – hence the explanation to the above “much a do about nothing” phenomenon.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Agalianos, A. (1997). A Cultural Studies Analysis of Logo in Education. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of London Institute of Education, 1997.
Agalianos, A. & Whitty, G. (2000). Logo in Mainstream Schools: The Struggle over the Soul of an Educational Innovation. Unpublished paper.
Aiex, N. (1994). Home Schooling and Socialization of Children. Eric Digest.
Alexander, G. (1999). The marriage of technology and pedagogy - a reanalysis after twenty years. In A. Aviram & J. Richardson-Deberghes (eds), Proceedings of First Israeli Seminar on Pedagogical Technology and Educational Systems: Guiding Visions for the 21st Century, Jerusalem, July, 1999, The Center for Futurism in Education, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva.
Anderson, W. (1997). The Future of the Self. New York: Tarcher/Putnam.
Aviram, A. (1992). Non-lococentric education. Educational Review 44(1), 3–17.
Aviram, A. (1993). Personal autonomy and the flexible school. International Review of Education 39(5), 419–433.
Aviram, A. (1996). The decline of the modern paradigm in education. International Review of Education 42(5), 421–443.
Aviram, A. (1997). Philosophy as a bridge between culture and education. Paper presented at the conference on “Philosophy, education and culture”, Edinburgh, September 1997.
Aviram, A. (1999). The end of the age of innocent optimism. In: A. Aviram & J. Richardson-Deberghes (eds), Proceedings of First Israeli Seminar on Pedagogical Technology and Educational Systems: Guiding Visions for the 21st Century, Jerusalem, July, 1999, The Center for Futurism in Education, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva.
Aviram, A. (1999a). From the (failed) adaptation of computers to schools - to the critical adaptation of schools to the ICT-based culture. In A. Aviram & J. Richardson-Deberghes (eds), Proceedings of First Israeli Seminar on Pedagogical Technology and Educational Systems: Guiding Visions for the 21st Century, Jerusalem, July, 1999, The Center for Futurism in Education, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva.
Aviram, A. (1999b). ICT in the Implementation of Autonomy Oriented Education (AOE). Paper presented at the I∧3 conference, Sitges, March.
Aviram, A. (1999c). Navigating through the Storm - Education in Postmodern Democratic Society, Massada, Tel-Aviv (Hebrew, now being translated to English).
Aviram, A. (1999d). New humanistic curriculum. In H. Maranz (ed), Judaism and Education - Essays in Honor of Walter Akerman. Beer Sheva: Ben Gurion University Press.
Aviram, A. (1999e). Three views concerning ICT in education. In A. Aviram & J. Richardson-Deberghes (eds), Proceedings of First Israeli Seminar on Pedagogical Technology and Educational Systems: Guiding Visions for the 21st Century, Jerusalem, July, 1999, The Center for Futurism in Education, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva.
Aviram, A., Bar-On, N. & Atias, M (2000). School as a Communication Center, Massada, Tel-Aviv (Hebrew, forthcoming, parts of the book are being translated to English).
Aviram, A. (2000). “Prologue” to the Hebrew Edition of Meighan, 1997 (Hebrew).
Aviram, A. (2000a). Beyond Constructivism: Autonomy oriented education. Studies in Philosophy and Education (forthcoming).
Azaryahuo, Y. (1954). The Hebrew Education in the Land of Israel. Ramat Gan: Massada (Hebrew).
Bar-On, N., Aviram, A. & Atias, M. (1997). Networking as a subversive activity. In N. Castis (ed), School Education in the Information Society, Proceedings of the Open Classroom II Conference, Crete 17- 19.9.1997, Kastaniotis, Athens.
Becker, H.J. (1991). How computers are used in U.S. schools: Basic data from 1989 I.E.A. computers in education survey. Educational Computing Research 7(4), 385–406.
Bell, D. (1973). The Coming of Post-Industrial Society. Penguin: Harmondsworth.
Birkerts, S. (1994). The Guttenberg Ellegis: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age. New York: Fawcett Columbine.
Bloom, A. (1987). The Closing of the American Mind. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Bruce, A. (ed.) (1995). Proceedings of the Open Classroom: A European Conference on Distance Learning and New Technology, Oslo, September 1995.
Callan, E. (1988). Autonomy and Schooling. Kingston: McGill-Queens University Press.
Campoy, R. (1992). The role of technology in the school reform movement. Educational Technology 32(8), 17–22.
Coombs, P. (1968). The World Educational Crisis: A System Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Coombs, P. (1985). The World Crisis in Education. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cuban, L. (1989). Neoprogressive visions and organizational realities. Harvard Educational Review 59(2), 217–222.
Cuban, L. (1993). Computers meet classroom: classroom wins. Teachers College Record 95(2), 185–210.
Dillenbourg, P. (2000). Virtual learning environments. Learning in the New Millenium: EUN Confrence 2000, Brussels, March, 20- 21.
Drucker, P. (1993). Post-Capitalist Society. New York: Harper Business.
Duffy, T. & Jonassen, D. (1992). Technology and the Technology of Instruction: A Conversation. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum
Dunn, R. & Grigg, S. (1988). Learning Styles: Quiet Revolution in American Secondary Schools. Virginia: Reston.
Ely, D.P. (1993). Computers in Schools and Universities in the United States of America. Educational Technology 33(9), 53–57.
Fiske, E. (1992). Smart Schools, Smart Kids. New York: Touchstone.
Fukuyama, F. (1993). The End of History and the Last Man. New York: Aron Books.
Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. New York: Basic Books.
Gardner, H. (2000). Technology remakes the schools. The Futurist, March- April 2000, 30–32.
Gendron, B. (1997). Technology and the Human Condition. New York: St. Martins Press.
Gergen, K. (1992). The Saturated Self. New York: Basic Books.
Gorweis, R. (1996). The concept of ‘Shalom’ in the Scriptures: Learning Research with the aid of Computer Applications. Computers in Education 37, 36–37.
Handy, C. (1989). The Age of Unreason. London: Business Books.
Hargreaves, A. (1993). Changing Teachers, Changing Times. New York: Teachers College Press.
Hargreaves, D. (1997). A road to the learning society. School Leadership and Management 17(1), 9–21.
Harmon, A. (2000). As computers idle in class, training for teachers becomes priority. The New York Times, B1, July 3rd.
Healy, J. (1998). Failure to Connect. New York: Simon & Schoster.
Hirsch, E.D. (1987). Cultural Literacy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Hough, M. (2000). Technology and Change: Sustaining or Disrupting Leadership in Education, Australian Council for Educational Administration Monograph, 26, April.
Johnston, J. & Johnston L. (1996). Technology bringing our present and future into the classroom, Schools in the Middle, NASSP Bulletin, February/ March, 27–32.
LaFrenz, D. & Friedman, J.E. (1989). Computers don't change education, teachers do! Harvard Educational Review 59(2), 222–225.
Meighan, R. (1997). The Next Learning System: And Why Home-Schoolers are Trailblazers. Nottingham: Educational Heretics Press.
Melamed, U. (1999). What the evaluation of ICT really evaluates. In A. Aviram & J. Richardson-Deberghes (eds), Proceedings of First Israeli Seminar on Pedagogical Technology and Educational Systems: Guiding Visions for the 21st Century, Jerusalem, July, 1999, The Center for Futurism in Education, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva.
Moore, D.W. (1995). The Emperor's Virtual Clothes: The Naked Truth about Internet Culture. Chapel Hill, NC: Alqonquin Press.
Mrchinkiewicz, H.R. (1994). Computers and teachers: Factors influencing computer use in the classroom. Journal of Research on Computers in Education 26, 2.
Negraponte, N. (1995). Being Digital. New York: Random House.
Papert, S. (1980). Mindstorms: Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas. NewYork: Basic Books.
Papert, S. (1992). The Children's Machine. New York: Basic Books.
Papert, S. (1996), The Connected Family: Bridiging the Digital Generation Gap. Atlanta, GA: Lonstreet Press.
Perelman, L. (1992). School's Out. New York: William Morrow.
Peters, T. (1994). The Tom Peters Seminar: Crazy Times Call for Crazy Organizations. New York: Vintage.
Postman, N. (1984). The Disappearance of Childhood. New York: Laurel.
Postman, N. (1992). Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Postman, N. (1996). The End of Education. New York: Knopf.
Rifkin, J. (1995). The End of Work. New York: Tarcher/Putnam.
Scardamalia, K. & Bereiter, C. (1994). Computer support for knowledge building communities. Journal of the Learning Sciences 3(3), 265–283.
Semerau, P. & Boyer, B.A. (1996). Social studies lessons integrating technology. Social studies and the young learner 7(3), 1–4.
Smrekar, C. (1992). Building Community: The Influence of School Organization on Patterns of Parents’ Participation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA, 20–24.
Tapscott, D. (1998). Growing up Digital - the Rise of the Net Generation. New-York: McGraw-Hill.
Tyack, D. (1974). The One Best System. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
United States Department of Commerce (1997).
White, J. (1997). Education and the End of Work London: Cassell.
Wiburg, K. (1994). Teaching science with technology: Telecommunication and multimedia. Computing Teacher 27(7), 6–8.
Zuboff, S. (1988). In The Age of The Smart Machine: The Future of Work and Power. New York: Basic Books.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aviram, A. From ``Computers in the Classroom'' to Mindful Radical Adaptation by Education Systems to the Emerging Cyber Culture. Journal of Educational Change 1, 331–352 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010082722912
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010082722912