理科教育における過度のコンピューター利用に問題点はないか『警告の論理的根拠』

Abstract

Too much focus has been placed on a body of scientific knowledge and information acquisition in the U.S. Therefore, the realms of the attitudinal domain, including feelings, values, and social processes, and the creativity domain, have been purposefully excluded from science programs. Most traditional science programs, in fact, discourage creativity and result in negative student attitudes. It is into this scene of science education that microcomputers have been introduced. The versatility of the computer provides the potential for major contributions to the quality of education in several realms. The utilization of computer technology, however, must be evaluated against the backdrop of the goals of education in general, and the role of science education in meeting these goals. Firstly, we need the evaluation of computer education, and it is suggested that computer literacy does not need much expertise other than a few weeks of intensive training for a job. Secondly, these days, very few papers delivered dealt with topics other than the more technical aspects of educational computing. Thirdly, from the viewpoint of cognitive development, “Formal Operations” are highly needed for the learning with computers. Large percentages of highschool and college-age people, however, are still in the level of “Concrete Operations”. It may be that we are rushing blindly to embrace a new type of instruction that has yet to prove itself. There are many questions about computers in education that have not been answered and many more that have not even been asked. We are calling for a thorough, critical evaluation of the role of computers in education before they are used by an entire generation of school children.