Re: Speed, Technology, Progress LO16

Dr. Ivan Blanco (BLANCO@BU4090.BARRY.EDU)
Sun, 5 Feb 1995 10:31:17 -0500 (EST)

Stever Robbins has raised one of the most important points in the whole
discussion of jobs lost duen to technology. The educational systems
aren't keeping pace with what is happening with technology out there.
Just the simple fact (simple today!), of buying a computer is a good
example. The time it takes for the bureaucracy to approve the purchase of
a computer system for a school or a university is about the same time it
takes for that system to become obsolete! There is total lack of
alignment between education (or most of it!) and technological
developments. It is even worse now that new technologies are not just
being developed in one single country. There are many other countries
contributing (even if it is in small percentages) to the improvements in
technology.

Since this discussion on Speed, Technology, Progress,.. has been going on,
I have been wondering about the Educational Systems' ability to learn! I
am almost convinced that our learning institutions are not learning
organziations themselves. This contributes to the lack of alignment
between education and the "real" needs for re-training, the development of
the skills needed tomorrow as opposed as those needed yesterday. Or it
may be that the education institution is being so affected toady that it
might lose "its market" to, for instance, the business community that has
the resources and the capability of getting new and costly equipment
faster (Davis and Botkin's thesis in "The Monster Under the Bed").

BTW, I see that there are a lot of people displaced by new technologies,
or people whose jobs are less meaningful now. For instance, the check-out
clerk who at the beginning thought that the scanner would his life easier
is finding out that it more boring now! On the other hand, the
traditional secretary, the one we knew until just a few years ago, is now
an Administrative Assisstant, thanks to computers. I guess there are a
whole lot of examples supporting both sides!

Ivan,
From: "Dr. Ivan Blanco" <BLANCO@BU4090.BARRY.EDU>
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Host's Note: BTW = "By the way..."