Spring 2003
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Chief Technology Officer Networks -
SUSE for the Future
Noteworthy Events
Alumni Resources

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SUSE Surges Ahead in Technology Research
By Bob Hass

While technology promises to revolutionize education, as it has the workplace, many researchers agree that much more needs to be known for technology to substantially improve teaching and learning.

For a number of reasons, most teachers have not been able to take advantage of the more powerful types of media and computer based technologies— those most likely to help students learn challenging concepts.

First, most of the educational technology being produced is still geared toward basic skills development, and research guided software rarely makes it to the marketplace. Second, the emergence of high stakes standardized tests, with their emphasis on basic skills, has forced many teachers to focus lessons increasingly to train students to do well on those tests.Third, most teachers report not being sufficiently supported in acquiring the expertise to select or use computer based applications, according to a special journal issue focused entirely on technology (The Future of Children: Children and Computer Technology, 10(2), 2000). A related problem is a lack of research guidance on which software applications work best in specific situations, and how to embed them into instructional programs. Finally, there is the physical problem of not having enough computers in each classroom (a majority are in school computer labs), especially computers with Internet connections.

 Photo: SUSE’s new Learning Sciences and Technology Design (LSTD) doctoral program includes core faculty professors: (front L to R) Shelley Goldman and Roy Pea, (back L to R) Deanne Pérez-Granados, Daniel Schwartz, Brigid Barron, and Michael Kamil (not pictured: James Greeno and Decker Walker).Their cutting edge teaching and research takes place in high-tech classrooms, such as this one in Wallenberg Hall. Photo: Renee Burgard



Top-tier research universities such as Stanford are hard at work seeking collaborative solutions to many of these obstacles to the effective use of technology in schools.Two new developments on the Stanford campus further elevate the University’s position as a leader in the field.The first is the creation of a doctoral program in Learning Sciences and Technology Design (LSTD) within Stanford’s School of Education (SUSE).The second is the establishment of the Stanford Center for Innovations in Learning (SCIL), which is closely affiliated with SUSE.