Maintains that in the previous article Dammeyer's methodological approach and assumptions about the future are highly questionable, but his conclusion is correct. (JM)

Alerts science teachers to "futures research" involving the systematic determination of the major alternative futures which can emerge from our present and the delineation of how our present actions can influence which of these alternatives will occur. Identifies some available resources for teachers. (PEB)

Major economic and political disruptions are likely to occur in the 1980s. The complex society of the United States requires that each citizen be as intelligent and creative as possible. Schools must assume a more central role in the lives of citizens and thus lay the foundation for a bright future. (CJ)

The dominant paradigms in different disciplines influence the nature of research and practice in those fields. The ability to detect which theories are about to change and to identify the new theories most likely to succeed them is a skill that futurists and educators at all levels need to develop. (Author/RM)

The development of distance education will be shaped by technological, demographic, economic, and political forces, as well as by pedagogical insights from its practitioners. Technology-mediated interactive learning (TMIL), a new form of instruction, may result from the synthesis of distance education, cooperative learning, and computer-supported…

This paper focuses on how educational decision-makers can make use of futures research through a better understanding of forecasters' perspectives. Eight problems in communicating that are significant in contributing to poor usage of forecasts by educational decision-makers are: (1) overuse of jargon, (2) preoccupation with technological…

The unintended, secondary effects of technological innovation on society are frequently more influential in the long run than the direct and deliberate effects. This article lists some effects that are likely to happen regardless of the methods used to implement educational technologies, as well as others that are contingent on particular…

Presents two scenarios depicting what conditions will be like in the United States during the next 30 years. Argues that the use of scenarios such as these can play a part in creating an appropriate balance between visionary and pragmatic concerns, between short-range and long-range decision making. (Author/IRT)

The technological changes that are constantly occurring may indicate a need for a new definition of intelligence. Changes in the workplace require a higher level of thinking skills. Suggestions for creating a learning environment that encourages analysis, synthesis, and evaluation are offered. (DF)

Argues that implementation of the new information technologies in education will create numerous direct and indirect consequences for society, and discusses likely outcomes regardless of the method of implementation used (including the necessity for a change to a new teaching/learning model), as well as implications highly dependent on…

Education will experience future transformations in the face of changing societal and workplace needs. The technology-intensive paradigm for education will completely reshape today's classrooms and schools. (SI)

Describes the current screening processes of future scientists as being immoral and dysfunctional elitism. Indicates that scientists' skills should broaden with revised recruitment practices to meet the requirements for societal survival in the future. (CC)

Recent resistance to government spending and federal interference has reduced the federal role in education to less than the minimum appropriate level. Opportunities to change this situation presently exist, but will disappear with time. Trends in economics, technology, demographics, the philosophy of government, and changing cultural values and…

The authors highlight three important areas in which changes significant for American education are likely to occur in the 1980s. They discuss the implications of shifts in the American population, emerging developments in educational technology, and the federal role in education. (Author/SJL)

During the next decade schools will shift to a new model of instruction that combines teachers and machines. Described are the probable characteristics of the model, the coming changes in curriculum content and design, and the stages of evolution to the new model. (MLF)