Networking of any kind has been difficult to launch in education because of a lack of basic physical infrastructure … It should be possible to organize procurement to achieve economies. More efficient procurement can better leverage resources
Predictor: National Research Council
Prediction, in context:In 1994, the NRENaissance Committee, appointed by the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the National Research Council, produced a special report titled “Realizing the Information Future: The Internet and Beyond.” Among the committee members were Internet pioneers Leonard Kleinrock, David Clark, David Farber, Lawrence Landweber and Robert Kahn. The committee’s goal was to “study issues raised by the shift to a larger, more truly national networking capability.” Among its statements about the blossoming of the National Information Infrastructure (NII) is this:”Networking of any kind has been difficult to launch in education because of a lack of basic physical infrastructure. The majority of K-12 educational institutions are ill-equipped to participate in an information society. At the most basic level, schools often lack telephone connections and even sufficient electric outlets to support broad – or sometimes any – computer-based access to electronic networks … schools also lack the resources to install new technology. Upgrading computing and communications within schools is complicated by what are often inefficient approaches to procurement: procurement on an individual school or even a school district basis may not provide the volume sufficient to gain meaningful di scounts. This situation suggests that even within specific areas (such as states), it should be possible to organize procurement to achieve economies. More efficient procurement can better leverage resources provided through corporate activities, such as programs like a recent Pacific Bell proposal to connect schools in its service area.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Getting, Sharing Information
Subtopic: E-learning
Name of publication: Realizing the Information Future: The Internet and Beyond
Title, headline, chapter name: K-12 Education
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://stills.nap.edu/html/rtif/
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney