Science and Technology

Knowledge-based economies , like the United States , require increasing levels of

education and training , augmenting access to postsecondary education is an issue of

significant importance to the nation . In the U .S , estimates of the proportion of future

jobs requiring postsecondary education range from 70 to 90 percent . Even though U .S

higher education enrollments in postsecondary education are at record levels , virtually

every state recognizes the need to expand access and increase enrollment in education

and training programs after high school . Compounding the issue of access is

the role of technology . Because of technology , and particularly the Internet , opportunities for students to participate in postsecondary education have increased considerably . Thousands of online courses are now available and more and more on-campus courses possess a technology component . Many colleges and universities are finding the Internet to be an effective tool for use with their admissions programs . In addition education and training through the Internet is becoming big business worldwide

Access to post secondary education using technology addresses the degree to which technology has facilitated the opportunity for students to enroll in postsecondary education . It is increasingly clear that technology has expanded the ability of students to participate in postsecondary education . According to the latest available data , it is estimated that almost 55 ,000 distance education courses were offered in 1997-98 and there were about 1 .6 million enrollments in distance education . Also in 1997-98 , about one-third of all postsecondary education institutions offered distance education , and another 20 percent planned to offer distance education in the next three years . As the year 2002 begins , close to 3 ,600 academic programs are offered through distance education

Access to technology-based learning addresses the extent to which postsecondary education students have access to technology-based learning . The term digital divide ' is a useful framework for this discussion . Digital divide refers to the perceived gap between those who have access to the latest technologies and those who do not . The evidence regarding whether or not there is a digital divide for households and individuals is somewhat mixed . On one hand , recent data suggest that the overall level of a digital divide in the United States is rapidly decreasing . The rate of growth of Internet use is currently two million new Internet users per month . More than half the nation is online and about two-thirds of the population use computers . Also , the rapid adoption of the Internet is occurring among most groups regardless of location , income , education , race /ethnicity , age , or gender . In particular , the groups that have traditionally been identified as the have nots ' are making extraordinary gains

Preparation for Using Technology targets the extent to which postsecondary education students are prepared to use technology . There is good evidence that the United States has come a long way since 1994 in providing computer and Internet access to students in public elementary and secondary schools . Ninety-eight percent of the schools enjoyed Internet access in 2000 , regardless of the poverty concentration of the students , location , or level of the school . Also , 77 percent of classrooms are connected to the Internet . Yet , differences in school characteristics remain . About four out of five schools with low concentrations of poverty enjoyed Internet access in classrooms compared to 60 percent of schools with high concentrations of poverty . The ratio of students to instructional computers in public school had decreased to 5 to 1 , which equals the ratio that many experts consider a reasonable level for the effective use of computers . The ratio per computer with Internet access was 7 . But , again , differences remain . Schools with the highest concentration of poverty had 9 students per computer with Internet access , compared to 6 in schools with the lowest poverty concentration

Effectiveness of Technology in the Learning Process looks at the effectiveness of technology in the learning process , with particular attention to distance learning . Many studies have been conducted comparing the effectiveness of one delivery system over another - traditional classroom instruction versus technology-mediated distance learning . Other research includes case studies and descriptive studies that attempt to explain experiences of faculty and students participating in distance education courses . What have we learned from this research ? Is technology-mediated distance learning effective , and if so , how ? These are the questions that frame this section . The Institute for Higher Education Policy explored this issue by reviewing the available evidence related to the quality and effectiveness of distance education published since 1990 , including everything from original research to policy s to how-to articles

The study focused upon the validity of the research and gaps , if any , in the research literature (Phipps and Merisotis , 1999 . The following paragraphs summarize the

Institute 's findings . Contrary to what might be expected , the majority of what has been written about distance learning are opinion pieces how-to prescriptions , and second-hand reports . Since determining the effectiveness of distance learning was the major interest , the Institute targeted its inquiry on original research , including experimental descriptive

correlation , and case studies . A major conclusion of the report was that there is a relative paucity of original research dedicated to explaining or predicting phenomenon related to distance learning . From the limited original research that was available , three broad measures of the effectiveness of distance learning were usually examined . Firstly student outcomes such as grades and test scores were considered Secondly , the attitude of students about learning through distance education was also mentioned . And lastly , overall student satisfaction toward distance learning was determined

Postsecondary education is critical to our nation 's vitality . The need to expand access and increase enrollment in education and training programs after high school is a public policy issue on the agenda of virtually every state . At the same time , technology is

having a profound effect upon higher education . Few would disagree that technology is

penetrating a variety of administrative and academic operations and impacting how

colleges and universities conduct their business . Of significant importance , technology-mediated distance learning has become an integral part of the higher education enterprise

Reference citations

1 . Gold , L Maitland , C (1999 . What 's the difference ? A review of contemporary research on the effectiveness of distance learning in higher education . [Electronic version .] Washington , DC : NEA

2 . Holmberg , B (2005 . The evolution , principles and practices of distance education . Bibliotheks-und Informationssystem der Universitat Oldenburg .

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3 . Barbe , W . B Swassing , R . H , with M . N . Milone (1979 . Teaching through modality strengths : Concepts and practices . Columbus , OH Zaner-Bloser

4 . Finn , J . D , Gerber , S . B , Boyd-Zaharias , J (2005 . Small classes in the early grades , academic achievement , and graduating from high school . Journal of Educational Psychology , 97 , 214-233

5 . Schofield , K (1999 "The Purposes of Education , Queensland State Education : 2010 , [Online] URL : www .aspa .asn .au /s /eqfinalc .PDF [Accessed 2002 , Oct 28]

6 . Bar-Yam , Yaneer (2005 . Making Things Work . Knowledge Press . ISBN br

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