The International Society for Performance Improvement has always been divided by two often-conflicting views of what its purpose or mission really is. Is it primarily technology focused (focusing on the development and promotion of the field) or member focused (focusing on members' interests and their professional development)? This difference in…

This paper places the competencies to be measured by the OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) in the context of the technological developments which are reshaping the nature of the workplace and work in the 21st century. The largest technological force currently shaping work is the computer. Computers are…

For all the value that a virtual world can bring to teaching and learning, there are potentially negative consequences that must not be ignored when considering the role of technology in education. In his commentary, Robert Sanders draws upon a 1909 short story by E.M. Forster ("The Machine Stops") as well as his own experience with students to…

Over the last few years, the Board and staff of the MacArthur Foundation have been exploring the implications of the digital age. They are engaged in a continuous and purposeful meditation on technological innovations and their possibilities for all the work they do. Their working hypothesis is that the digital revolution will rank with the…