Technology in Education: Looking Back From 2020

Abstract

In 1988, a book was published by the name of "Technology in Education: Looking Toward 2020." Its purpose was to have thought leaders in educational research envision what the role of technology should be in 2020's educational landscape. By reflecting on how the visions of the book's authors align with the current state of educational technology, I hope to draw insights for the path forward for research on technology in education. While the authors were fairly accurate in predicting the technological state of 2020 and laid out noble educational visions, by and large their visions have not come true. I draw on the analysis of two of the book's authors to show that to design productive educational technologies, we need to take socio-cultural factors, including the organization of schools and equity, into account. To mitigate these concerns, we must work together to design socio-technical environments that foster productive and equitable learning in the twenty-first century.