From loka@amherst.eduTue Jun 23 09:22:36 1998 Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 15:27:44 -0400 (EDT) From: LOKA INSTITUTE To: LOKA-L@lists.amherst.edu Subject: VIRTUAL UNIVERSITIES? (Loka Alert 5:3) Loka Alert 5:3 (17 June 1998) Please Repost Widely Where Appropriate TECHNOLOGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION by Dick Sclove and Langdon Winner Friends and Colleagues: This is one in an occasional series of electronic postings on democratic politics of science and technology, issued free of charge by the nonprofit Loka Institute. If you would like to be added to, or removed from, the Loka Institute's E-mail list, please send a message to: . PLEASE INVITE INTERESTED FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES TO SUBSCRIBE TOO. Thank you! --Dick Sclove, Executive Director The Loka Institute, P.O. Box 355, Amherst, MA 01004-0355 USA Tel. +(413) 559-5860; Fax +(413) 559-5811 E-mail: Loka@amherst.edu World Wide Web: http://www.amherst.edu/~loka ***************************************************************** CONTENTS (1) Introduction...................................... (1/2 page) (2) Excerpt from Richard Sclove's interview in _Thought & Action_ ............................. (2 pages) (3) Excerpt from Langdon Winner's report on the Digital Diploma Mills Conference................ (3 pages) (4) LOKA INSTITUTE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Project Associate with Loka's Community Research Network Initiative............................. (24 lines) (5) Community Research Network -- Preliminary Conference Announcement (June 1999)........... (10 lines) (6) About the Loka Institute (including Internship Opportunities)...................... (1/2 page) (7) Loka Institute Media & Speaking Update............ (1/2 page) ***************************************************************** (1) INTRODUCTION The push is on to accelerate the introduction of computer- and telecommunications-based instruction into schools and universities. Many parents, anxious that their children risk "falling behind" in the race for financial security, eagerly support these initiatives. Yet how much do we really know about the efficacy of technology-based education? In March 1997 President Clinton's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) accepted a comprehensive report indicating that there is as yet no conclusive evidence that computers improve education or provide it more cost-effectively. (see "Report to the President on the Use of Technology to Strengthen K-12 Education in the United States," esp. Sect. 8, on the Web at ). The Spring 1998 issue of _Thought and Action_ (the National Education Association's Higher Education Journal) includes an excellent set of articles addressing these and related issues as they apply in college and university settings, including: "Selling Academe to the Technology Industry" by David F. Noble, "How to Tell If You Really Need the Latest Technology" by Hank Bromley, and "The Paradox of Technology" by Chet Bowers. This Loka Alert includes, below, excerpts from an extended interview with Richard Sclove--"The Democratic Uses of Technology"--that appears in the same issue. (Download the full interview from the Web -- along with the Noble, Bromley, Bowers and other articles -- at ). After the Sclove interview, we include excerpts from Langdon Winner's frontline report from the recent Digital Diploma Mills Conference organized by David Noble. ***************************************************************** (2) "THE DEMOCRATIC USES OF TECHNOLOGY" [Excerpts from an interview with Richard Sclove in _Thought & Action_, vol. 14, no. 1 (Spring 1998), pp. 9-18. Download the full interview from the Web at: . E- mail Richard Sclove at .] THOUGHT & ACTION: Do you have any sense of what the blending of traditional and virtual life might look like on college campuses? RICHARD SCLOVE: The good form? My own limited imagination would say that what universities really need to do to improve themselves has nothing to do with technology. They have to be more engaged in the wider society, doing more community-based research, for example. The Loka Institute is promoting this sort of research by creating a nationwide Community Research Network (see http://hamp.hampshire.edu/~LOKA/crnintro.html). Before seeking a technological fix for anything, I would worry about faculty reward structures. Basically, professors are still rewarded for publishing in refereed scholarly journals. I know this is mildly hyperbolic, but that's a crazy reward system from a social point of view. It means that most faculty publish in journals with a paid circulation of maybe 300 to 400 people. This means that the average article might be read by 20 or 30 people. In the social sciences, where I am, you're rewarded for new ideas, but very few of us ever have new ideas. So academics disguise the fact that they aren't saying anything new by inventing new languages. You have this escalation of impenetrable esoteric jargon, concealing the fact that you aren't saying anything that couldn't be said in a lot less space, but that wouldn't do for tenure or promotion. Now the public makes a substantial contribution financially to this enterprise through tax subsidy and direct funding of university research. It's a scandal, when there are urgent social problems, where socially engaged research by faculty and students would be a real social boon, and instead we're doing this other thing because of the reward structure. This seems like a much more important area to work on before you throw billions of dollars of computers at universities thinking that's going to improve anything. The most important teachers for me were effective much more because of their emotional excitement and how they conveyed it, and the emotional bonding they had with students, and not simply because of their intellectual knowledge. I'm willing to be proven wrong, but, in my own experience, that exchange has got to be face-to-face. So to return to your question. I'd work on more emotionally engaged exciting teaching, and more socially engaged forms of research, and change the faculty reward structure. On top of that, using the World Wide Web and some limited Internet communication as complements can be enriching. But if technology is used as a substitute for engaged, exciting research and teaching, it's going to be detrimental. THOUGHT & ACTION: What are some effects of technology on the education process itself? SCLOVE: Even though there's been little definitive research yet, I'm concerned. At the Loka Institute we're in contact with many students, including some from very prestigious institutions of higher learning. By and large, these are wonderful, well- intentioned people. But only a small fraction of them can write a decent English paragraph. It's almost as though they have been doing very little reading, except hypertext -- those poorly edited things appearing on the Internet by the screen-ful -- because that's how they write. They cannot construct good sentences, and they can't construct a logical, consistent argument that starts off, tells you where it's going to go, goes there, and tells you where you went. That's troubling to me. I also worry because I, too, get a fair amount of my information from the World Wide Web. I'm building off of intellectual capital, meaning the books and courses I took 10 and 20 years ago when reading a serious book sometimes took a couple of weeks, and required lots of marginal notes. But you can't do that by the screen-ful on the Internet. I find the Web useful when I have a conceptual framework built up already, and I just need a few little factoids to plug in to illustrate points. The Web is marvelous for that. But it's not a vehicle for building up depth of intellectual understanding. The extent to which students rely on the Web as their primary learning vehicle is deeply troubling. THOUGHT & ACTION: Could models of democratic decision making about technology be created on campuses and then transferred to society at large? SCLOVE: In principle, anybody could be the democratic vanguard, but in general it wouldn't have occurred to me to think that universities are likely to be effective laboratories of democracy because I think they are already behind. For instance, grassroots groups and various independent nonprofit organizations have been developing interesting alternative models for technology use and democratic decision making.... I would welcome it when it happens. I think, in many cases though, universities and professors need to adopt an attitude of some humility and open up to co-learning with other social groups, because, as far as democracy goes, universities have very much to learn -- as much to learn from other parts of society as they have to teach. ***************************************************************** (3) EXCERPTS FROM LANGDON WINNER'S REPORT FROM THE DIGITAL DIPLOMA MILLS CONFERENCE [After leaving his column at MIT's _Technology Review_ magazine (see Loka Alert 4:6 at ), Langdon Winner has inaugurated "Tech Knowledge Review" -- a column of technology criticism that will appear regularly in the online newsletter NETFUTURE. For past issues and information on subscribing, go to: . Langdon's complete report, from which we excerpt below, is archived on the preceding Web page.] TECH KNOWLEDGE REVUE 1.1 (June 2, 1998) by Langdon Winner It was billed as "a second look at information technology and higher education," a gathering of students, professors, administrators, and union leaders concerned about the effects of computer-based learning in our colleges and universities. Organized by historian and social critic David Noble, the conference on "Digital Diploma Mills?" took place in late April at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, and featured some of the most intense, personally moving discussions I have ever heard in a scholarly setting.... Almost all speakers at the conference took care to recognize that there are some definite advantages in what the new technologies and digital institutions offer. Several professors described ingenious attempts to use the Internet and Web in their teaching, for example, a seminar in global political economy that links teachers and students across several continents. Many acknowledged that, for great numbers of students today, sources of electronic information and occasions for on-line instruction are actually superior to what would have been available to them otherwise. Especially for non-traditional learners -- those who have jobs and families and want to return to college to expand their learning and earn new credentials -- computerized settings offer varieties of access and flexibility that traditional campuses do not provide. This is no small accomplishment. Weighing the Costs ------------------ Enthusiasm about the success stories, however, was countered by reports that distance learning is often a counterfeit of education, replacing well recognized essentials of teaching with glitzy software and shoddy pedagogy. Most sobering in this regard was the conference keynote, "Absence Makes the Heart Grow Colder," by Mary Burgan, General Secretary of the American Association of University Professors. Burgan argued that the methods of distance learning often lead teachers "to abandon our students to their own devices at exactly that stage in their learning when they most need guidance, exhortation and demanding critique from us." She noted that distance instruction tends to amplify some of the worst habits of today's students: an inability to concentrate in a sustained way, a tendency to read uncritically and a willingness to believe that one interpretation of a text or topic is just as good as the next. Particularly troubling, Burgan observed, is the way that computerized methods sever personal bonds between students and teachers. Speaking of participants in her own classes, she noted that "their intellectual difficulties are very personal," often tied to troubles with family, friends, lovers, substance abuse and the like. It is difficult enough to spot these problems in direct, face-to-face classroom encounters. If teaching increasingly takes place in the abstract realms of cyberspace, will teachers be able to respond to students' highly individual needs? Burgan's thoughts gave focus to a dispute that erupted repeatedly during the gathering: how to weigh the benefits and costs of on-line learning. For some vocal techno-optimists in the crowd, the central promise seemed to be that of "content".... As Casey Green, Director of Campus Computing for the Claremont Colleges, exclaimed about the new technology, "This stuff is great. This stuff is fantastic. This stuff is wonderful. This stuff offers tremendous opportunities for me as a scholar ... and tremendous opportunities for engagement for me and my students focused on the issue of content: what we teach, what we bring into the classroom and what we bring into the syllabus." Gathering Forces of Change -------------------------- As the debate continued, it became clear that the pros and cons about the computer and Net were just the tip of an iceberg .... How education is offered, by whom, for what audience, at what cost, and with what consequences for society -- all of that, conference participants agreed, is up for grabs. Among the most powerful forces are those in the corporate sector that see education as a huge, largely untapped market for new goods and services.... Conventional institutions are scrambling to find a role, sometimes renting their reputations and even some of their faculty to cyberspace business concerns. Rick Worthington, professor of public policy at Pomona College, called attention to the controversial link between the University of California at Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.) and the strictly for-profit Home Education Network. "Why would this firm be interested in the university?" he asked. "The reason is clear: U.C.L.A. is a good brand!" Social Pressures and the Educational Paradox -------------------------------------------- Several who spoke on the economics of information technology noted with bemusement that universities rushing to the game are largely clueless about how much the new equipment and services will actually cost.... David Noble chimed in on this point, recalling that his studies of industrial automation two decades ago had reached similar conclusions. In fact, the managers and engineers he talked to simply did not want to talk about matters of cost, efficiency and profit that ostensibly motivated them. "We hear all the time about the bottom line ... cost effectiveness, austerity. The reality is otherwise. Trying to identify gains in productivity or economic gains -- the results are always ambiguous and quite contrary to the assumptions." Studies of supposed "gains from the introduction of computers in the service sector," he added, "have thus far yielded no gains in productivity.... Now all of this is coming to the universities." And What about the Students? ---------------------------- As the conference wound to a conclusion, voices strangely absent from most discussions about technology and education announced themselves forcefully. A panel of students from the Claremont colleges and California State University system wondered openly how agendas for the corporatization, commercialization, and technological transformation in their learning environments had been launched without anyone bothering to ask them about their needs. While they appreciated the advantages that email and on-line information could provide, they were incensed at the mind-numbing foolishness that computer and media-centered presentations often involve. "We don't want edutainment," Maria Quintero exclaimed. "What we want is people to inspire or infuriate us." In a rambling monologue worthy of a stand up comic, Evan Blumberg described a fellow he'd noticed in a campus computer lab, one who would stare into his cathode ray tube for days on end, oblivious to the passage of time, the need for food or drink and the presence of people sitting right next to him. "Because these labs have no windows, you can't tell whether it's day or night. They're a lot like the casinos in Las Vegas. I think I know who 'the house' is." Another of the students, Julia Baker, spoke as a leader of the revolt against the California Education Technology Initiative in the California State University system. Ms. Baker pointed to the destruction of the partnership between students and professors that systems of distance learning sometimes entail. Suggesting that the problem was ultimately one of corporate domination of education rather than technology itself, she announced that a "revolution in consciousness" is on the horizon, one quite different from the educational revolution corporate managers and university bean counters have in mind, an uprising that would bring students to renew their commitment to social justice and ecological principles. "When the revolt arrives," she asked, "will the faculty stand with us?" Evidently, there will be a second "Digital Diploma Mills" gathering in Wisconsin this fall. If it's anything like the first one, it will be well worth the journey to Madison. ***************************************************************** (4) JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: PROJECT ASSOCIATE with The Loka Institute The Loka Institute seeks a full-time project associate for our COMMUNITY RESEARCH NETWORK (CRN) project. The (CRN) is creating an infrastructure to support participatory, community-based research efforts across the United States. The CRN will enable civic, grassroots, worker, and nonprofit organizations, historically disenfranchised groups, and local governments to have systematic access to knowledge that is responsive to their needs and that helps them to effect constructive social change. (The CRN will gradually become a worldwide system, but this project is focused initially on building the CRN within the U.S.) The CRN project associate should have experience with nonprofit, community-based organizations; good written and verbal communication skills; competency and enthusiasm for working with computers and the Internet; and a sense of humor. A keen sense for strategic planning and fundraising experience is a plus. Loka is situated on a college campus in the beautiful, culturally vibrant Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. Residence in the area will be necessary. Salary negotiable. A complete position description is available on the Web at or by E-mailing . To apply, send a cover letter and C.V. to The Loka Institute, P.O. Box 355, Amherst, MA 01004, USA. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. The position start date is September 1998. Loka is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ***************************************************************** (5) COMMUNITY RESEARCH NETWORK -- PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT (JUNE 1999) Community-based researchers, participatory researchers, grassroots activists, research policy analysts, and anyone else interested in promoting community-based research: The Loka Institute invites you to MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE 2ND COMMUNITY RESEARCH NETWORK CONFERENCE, TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 1999. We will announce details in a future Loka Alert and on the Loka Web page (www.amherst.edu/~loka). This forthcoming conference has received financial support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation's MIRA (Managing Information with Rural America) Program and from the C. S. Mott Foundation. For more information or to make suggestions about the conference, please E-mail us at . ***************************************************************** (6) ABOUT THE LOKA INSTITUTE The Loka Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making science and technology responsive to democratically decided social and environmental concerns. TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE LOKA INSTITUTE, to participate in our on-line discussion groups, to order publications, or to help please visit our Web page: . Or contact us via E-mail at . INTERNSHIPS: The Loka Institute has filled its intern positions for this summer, but has openings for volunteers, interns, and work-study students for the fall of 1998 and beyond. We are a small but internationally influential nonprofit organization, and the activities in which interns are involved vary from research assistance and writing to assisting in organizing conferences, project development and management, fundraising, managing our Internet lists, Web page updates, helping with clerical and other office work, etc. If you are interested in working with us to promote a democratic politics of science and technology, please send a hard copy resume along with a succinct letter explaining your interest, and stating the dates you would like to be at Loka, to: The Loka Institute, P.O. Box 355, Amherst, MA 01004, USA. TO LEARN MORE about the Loka Institute's concerns and vision, see Loka founder Richard Sclove's book, _DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY_--recipient of the 1996 Don K. Price Award of the American Political Science Association as "the year's best book on science, technology and politics". For a paperback copy, contact your local bookseller, Guilford Press (in the U.S. telephone toll free 1-800-365-7006; or, from anywhere, fax Guilford Press in the U.S. at +1-212-966-6708 or E-mail: ), or order on the Web from . "Mr. Sclove is refreshing in the way he rejects ideas so nearly universally held that most people have never thought to question them." -- _New York Times Book Review_ THE LOKA INSTITUTE WELCOMES to its board of trustees DARYL CHUBIN, Division Director for Research, Evaluation & Communication in the Education & Human Resources Directorate of the National Science Foundation. We also welcome and thank ROB MULDOWNEY for coming on board as moderator of Loka's FASTnet (Federation of Activists on Science & Technology Network) listserv. ***************************************************************** (7) LOKA INSTITUTE MEDIA & SPEAKING UPDATES LOKA IN _THE WASHINGTON POST_: Loka Alert 5:1 led to a Sunday Outlook essay in _The Washington Post_: "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Genetic Testing" by Phil Bereano and Richard Sclove, 22 March 1998. See it on the Web at: . LOKA IN THE _WALL STREET JOURNAL_: Loka Alert 4:6 warned of worrisome editorial policy shifts at MIT's _Technology Review_ magazine . Our Loka Alert helped inspire a follow-on story by Ross Kerber in the _Wall Street Journal_ (31 March 1998, p. B8). Meanwhile, MIT has rolled out the "new" _Technology Review_ with their May/June 1998 issue. In our judgment, it is the the imbalanced, corporate-oriented, technology-boosting, advertising blitz that we feared and predicted. A number of Loka Alert readers have sent critical comments to MIT and canceled their subscriptions. To add your voice, E-mail a comment to Technology Review at , sending copies also to MIT's president and chief alumni association officers: , , ; please also send a copy to us at . LOKA IN _THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER_: Loka Executive Director Dick Sclove is quoted extensively in John L. Allen, Jr., "Activists Warn of New Perils Emerging in the Digital Age," _National Catholic Reporter_ (1 May 1998), on the Web at: . During the past several months Loka Institute staff members have spoken at the: o Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science o National Association for Science, Technology & Society (keynote) o U.S. Dept. of Agriculture o 2nd Annual Meeting of the European Awareness Scenario Workshop (EASW) National Monitors (in Luxembourg) o Danish Technical University ###