John Clark's
Web Pages
Home
Service
Curriculum Vita
Courses on the Web
Lane Report Columns
College Technology
Search Resources
Technology Links
Music Links
Communicate with me --
comments/questions to:
jclark@pop.uky.edu
The New Prerequisite
The integration of technology and education is essential for future success
It behooves us, occasionally, to take a step back and ponder for a moment the popular culture of computing in America. Computers and computing activity not only shape American life, but the U.S., as 40% of the worldwide computer market, also shapes the face of computing for much of the rest of the world. Thus, the American "media imperialism" that France, the Middle East, and so much of the Third World decries is perpetuated in another medium through the distinctly American flavor of the computer industry and through websites based in the U.S. Just as the television show "Dallas" once dominated television markets around the world, software companies such as Microsoft, Netscape, and Novell now dominate global markets for desktop computing.
Here in the United States, the relationship between business computing and personal and domestic computing has changed to the point that, in some ways, their respective roles have been reversed. When IBM introduced the desktop computer to the world in 1982, the intended market was the workplace, which is not surprising for a company with "business machines" in its name. Slowly but surely, office workers came to love their desktop computers, and they began spreading the gospel of personal computing at home, to their spouses and their children. After a period of time, the household computer market became a significant share of the total market, and Americans began raising a generation of children who are as accustomed to computers as they are to television.
Nowadays, many companies base their hiring decisions, at least in part, on the computer skills that college graduates have already acquired before they enter the work force. Corporate recruiters visiting the University of Kentucky constantly reiterate that they are looking for graduates with good oral and written communication skills, the ability to work in teams, and a reasonably high degree of computer literacy. In many cases, these skills and abilities are considered more important than job-specific knowledge the students acquire in the course of pursuing their majors. As someone who teaches courses such Voice and Data Networks and Telecommunications Network Management, I can personally attest to the fact that the higher the level of a student's knowledge of computers and networks, the more likely he or she is to get a well-paying job upon graduation, even if it is not specifically an information systems job.
As most Lane Report readers know by now, computers and telecommunications are so essential to most commerce that business as we know it today simply could not be conducted in their absence. And in the last couple of years, the advent and rise of the Internet as a business tool has greatly increased corporate America's reliance on information technology. A recent study by Dataquest, Inc., a market research firm, indicates that by the end of this year 82 million personal computers will be connected to the Internet, which represents an increase of an incredible 71% since the beginning of 1997. According to Dataquest, most of the increase is driven by connections made for business purposes. In the meantime, the computer industry experienced a growth rate of 17% for the first half of 1997, which is an indicator of robust health by any analyst's standards.
A forward-looking and innovative policy on integrating technology into education and instruction is absolutely essential for us, as Americans, to ensure that American commerce remains healthy and competitive in world markets. While technology is no substitute for a strong instructional program in the three "Rs" in our schools, to ignore its value in enhancing both instruction and work is to ignore one of the realities of our world.