Advancing education by proper technology

Abstract: The major trends emerging from a review of the first 25 volumes in the NATO Series on Educational Technology are a convergence on Intelligent Tutoring Systems and on microworld simulation tools. In both approaches a radical reform of the entire educational system is generally favored. In this paper the relative merits and drawbacks of these systems are critically reviewed, also with respect to the educational context in which they will have to be operative. The general conclusion is that both empirical validity and evaluation are seriously lacking. This picture does not hold for the field as a whole, however. Though small in number, various authors produce fascinating and new accounts of learning processes made observable in interactive learning environments, of developing mental models, of learning strategies and social interaction in learning. Recommendations for future research go in this direction and stress the importance of fundamental research on learning, systematic student-centered evaluation and the design of effective instructional dialogues and interfaces. The fact that the most successful computer-based instructional system to date, the flight simulator, has not been mentioned once in the series provides an interesting case in this respect.