Micah Maxwell - Technology Period in Adult Education (1989-2019)

Name	Commented On
Micah Maxwell	Will Cooper
	Karin Gilbert

Technology Period in Adult Education:

Thirty years of Technology Infancy in Education (1989-2019)

Micah A Maxwell

Ball State University

EDAC 631 Adult and Community Education

September 15, 2019

Abstract

               Few would argue technology has little impact on adult education. However, when researching adult education and reading current textbooks, articles, and journals, there is very little information to be found regarding current technology. The Digital Age spans three decades, during the same time adult education gained a lot of visibility and growth. In this paper, I seek to highlight some of the impacts of technology in the world of education, but primarily adult education. I also help build a case for the importance of more research, data, and visibility of this topic. 

Introduction

              I purchased my first computer in 1997, the same year I graduated from high school. I immediately began to learn about the Internet and became very proficient in computers very quickly. Shortly after that, I also purchased my first personal data assistant, also known as a “PDA.” Since that time, my entire adult life, I have been actively exposed to technology. As a non-traditional college student, I attended college later in life and at forty years old, I’m starting my master’s degree program. My entire collegiate career has been surrounded by technology. 

              For the purpose of this paper, the definition of technology relates to tools such as Internet, social media, mobile phone and tablet applications, classroom technology (blogs, blackboard, and collaboration tools), video chat, search engines, and online databases. 

              As I look at the life of technology, it is incredible how much has happened in the last three decades. The Internet was invented in 1989 and has dramatically changed the world every year since. A sixty-year-old adult has been exposed to the Internet and technology more than half of his life. Moreover, this is more than three-quarters of his or her adult life and practically an entire career. For a thirty-year-old adult, technology has consumed their whole life. A high schooler was quoted, saying, “we have technology in our blood.” (U.S. Department of Education, 2004)

              My story, however, starts late in this period of technology in education. There was early foresight at the highest levels of American Government predicting technology would play a primary role in education. Richard W. Riley, Secretary of Education, said in a letter to the United States Congress in 1996, “Computers are the ‘new basic’ of American education, and the Internet is the black board of the future.” (United States Department of Education, 1996). His comments were in the cover letter of the National Education Technology Plan. 

              Another intriguing perspective of the National Education Technology Report of 1996 was the mention of “new” technologies that are now everyday tools. This example highlights the forward-thinking discussion of technology in the classroom to include multimedia, Internet, and email:

              As we approach the 21st Century, several new, more powerful technologies are just                              beginning to make their way into classrooms across the nation. For example, new personal                  computers support "multimedia" educational software that employs both sound and video to                teach students facts and concepts. Advances in telecommunications technologies have                          spurred access to the Internet, allowing students and teachers to communicate with people                    from around the world via electronic mail, or "e-mail" as it is commonly known. (United                      States Department of Education, 1996, pp. 15, 16) 

              During the late 1990s and early 2000s, a lot of focus was given to the “digital divide” and many organizations, foundations and government programs worked to ensure everyone had access to technology. In her article Rethinking the Digital Divide, Jennifer Light connects the digital divide to the classroom. “ A central assumption in discussions of the digital divide is that computers, the Internet, and other emerging technologies will persist in a recognizable form with continuing value as educational tools both inside and outside the classroom.” (Light, 2001)

              Though there is a valid discussion about the digital divide due to access, poverty, and other social factors, this paper will not focus on that. Also, this paper will not discuss age as a factor for understanding, embracing, and adopting technology use. 

Influential Factors and Highlights

              The period of technology in this paper spans three decades. During this time, technology grew from its infancy through young adulthood. Many significant events relating to adult education occurred as well. I want to focus on just a few that played a vital role in helping to shape adult education as we know it today. 

              I think online classes are among the most significant advances in adult learning. According to the 2019 Online Education Trends Report, “For those considering pursuing a certificate or degree online, there are more options to choose from than ever, and new programs continue to be offered.” (BestColleges.com, 2019) As a non-traditional college student, I was personally able to graduate from college due to the flexibility online classes offered me. Busy adults can study online when their schedules permit, rather than having to rush to campus for a class. 

              Online tools such as Dropbox, GoogleDocs, Prezi and many others are the backbone of collegiate studies in the late 2000s and in the 2010s. These tools are initially a struggle to learn and adapt to but quickly become familiar and reliable for college students. For non-traditional students and adult learners, many tools that are available in the work environment are naturally appealing for the learning environment. This includes tools like skype and Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 

              Course Management programs such as Blackboard, developed in the late 1990s, have profoundly impacted both educators and learnings. By 2006, Blackboard was used by over 70% of U.S. colleges and universities and included over 12 million users in more than 60 countries. (Bradford, Porcielle, Balkon, & Backus, 2007) At its core, Blackboard is an online collaboration tool for students and teachers. Among the many features includes the ability to post, review, grade, and share assignments. Students are also able to interact with other students, work in groups, comment on each other’s work, and a variety of different functions. Since Blackboard hit the market, many similar course management tools have become available, and some have become leaders in their own rights. 

              Websites such as Wikipedia, Facebook, Youtube, and MySpace are considered Web 2.0. Tim O’Reilly describes Web 2.0 as an ‘‘architecture of participation’’ where collective intelligence generates a ‘‘network effect’’ leading to websites that become more valuable as more people participate. (McGee & Begg, 2008) McGee and Begg highlighted five categories of applications and sites that would impact continued education and professional development. Syndication, decentralized content production, community editing, software (that gets better the more people use it) and social networking. (McGee & Begg, 2008)

Implications

              While there are great examples of technology impacting the world of education, particularly adult education, many more stories are missing. Two main factors keep education on pace with technology. The first is the financial interests of companies that invest in technologies benefitting from learners and educators. Without financial gain, there would be no motivation for these companies. 

              Secondly, government programs and initiatives that mandate, fund, or encourage participation. The National Education Technology Plan regularly outlines goals, strategies, and efforts to enhance educational technologies. These plans also highlight the challenges and opportunities facing technology in education. Rod Paige, former Secretary of Education, pointed out the very difficulty of the technology itself in the 2004 National Education Technology Plan. Paige said, “Education is the only business still debating the usefulness of technology. Schools remain unchanged for the most part, despite numerous reforms and increased investments in computers and networks.” (U.S. Department of Education, 2004)

              Overall, I think it is essential for educators and learners alike to be intentional about documenting and assessing what works with technology in adult education. These lessons learned are critical to focus on further research, development, and creativity for better-focused technology. 

              In the corporate world, for example, many of us are exposed to the latest and greatest technologies known to man. When we step back to further our education, we face disappointment and frustration with the lack of embedded technology. This includes the lack of research, data, articles, and textbooks that are up to date with the impact of technology in adult learning. 

References

BestColleges.com. (2019). 2019 Online Education Trends Report. Retrieved from BestColleges.com: https://www.bestcolleges.com/perspectives/annual-trends-in-online-education/

Bradford, P., Porcielle, M., Balkon, N., & Backus, D. (2007). THE BLACKBOARD LEARNING SYSTEM. The Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 301-314.

Light, J. S. (2001). Rethinking the Digital Divide. 71(4), 709-733.

McGee, J., & Begg, M. (2008). What medical educators need to know about "Web 2.0". Medical Teacher [Med Teach], Vol. 30(2), 164-169.

U.S. Department of Education. (2004). National Education Technology Plan 2004. Office of Educational Technology. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

U.S. Department of Education. (2004). Toward A New Golden Age in American Education: How the Internet, the Law and Today’s Students Are Revolutionizing Expectations. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

United States Department of Education. (1996). Getting America's Students Ready for the 21st Century: Meeting the Technology Literacy Challenge. A Report to the Nation on Technology and Education. Washington, DC: United States Department of Education.