Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology

Abstract

When Chris Dede from Harvard University visited the University of Illinois to deliver an address at the inauguration of the Ubiquitous Learning Institute [1] on 7 April 2010 [2], given that Dr Dede was a member of the National Education Technology Plan technical working group [3], we took the opportunity to plan a special issue of E-Learning and Digital Media devoted to a discussion of the national plan. To this end we invited contributions from a number of prominent scholars and invited Chris to organize a response from members of the working group to their comments and criticisms. As the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan notes in his letter to members of Congress that prefaces the report that America used to be the global leader in education completion rates for young people and now ranks ninth out of 36 developed nations. He argues it is essential therefore that it regains its leadership, enabling it to compete in the global economy. If anything, this message has become even more important in the intervening months as the effects of the recession have become widespread, with unemployment peaking at over 10% and a strong demand to control the burgeoning deficit through budget cuts to government services and welfare across the board. The Obama administration’s National Education Technology Plan, Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, is presented as a means to ‘leverage the innovation and ingenuity’ required to improve student learning and to accelerate the adoption and use of effective technology practices in America’s schools. Duncan goes on to summarize the model of learning at the heart of the plan as follows: