Future Trends for Education: Part 2 of 2

An effective approach in reaching educators resistant to change is to offer undeniable facts of pros and cons. Students retain less than 30 to 40 percent of the content via traditional classroom education. Bracey provides a brief summary of research conducted in 1982. His main findings conclude that 85-95 percent of studies show positive effects of CAI. Bracey, (1987): Electronic Learning 7/3: (p.22 - 23). Other studies have compared the effects of CAI with regular classroom instruction, and CAI students significantly outperformed other groups on most measures.

Edwards, J.; Norton, S.; Taylor, S.; Weiss, M.; and Dusseldorp, R. "How Effective is CAI? A Review of the Research." Educational Leadership 33/2 (1975): (p. 147) has research on the effects of CAI on achievement, retention, and learning rate and its effects on students of different ability levels. CAI as a supplement to traditional education, teacher-directed instruction, proved beneficial. Regardless of the obstacle, it will be imperative for the leader to use proactive influence and provide much feedback to the ones that may be struggling for one reason or another. Keeping an open mind, staying flexible and focusing on solutions will help the team to overcome the fears that tend to hold one back when change is inevitable.

Future teachers will be able to produce electronic content that will guide and direct their students with minimal, personal interaction. They will be available to monitor and assist when needed, but their main role will be educational engineers. They will act as agents in bringing selected groups of students together from around the world. The teacher will be invaluable for not only their expertise in programming and facilitating but for their contacts with other institutions, as well.

"Truly effective leaders in the years ahead will have personas determined by strong values and belief in the capacity of individuals to grow. They will have an image of the society in which they would like their organizations and themselves to live. They will be visionary. They will believe strongly that they can and should be shaping the future, and they will act on those beliefs through their personal behavior." (Covey, Drucker P. 1996, p.129).

"The 21st Century Leader recognizes that only the smartest will survive the immense challenges of the future. The good news is that by preparing today we can successfully meet the challenges of the future." Canton, J., (1999)

Education in the twenty-first century will experience many changes, but the educator that embraces the challenges with an innovative and imaginative eye will profit from pioneering the new global education system. In the Information Age, the saying, "Survival of the Smartest," will undoubtedly take precedent over, "Survival of the Fittest."

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic