Provides a wide-ranging survey of relations between war, science, and technology from the days of the American colonies to the Vietnam War, indicating that the overall impact of science and technology on war has been overstated by historians in many fields. Includes military histories that science/technology historians have not used. (JN)

Examines over 70 years of efforts to bring media/new technologies into the classroom. Discusses common threads in the hopes and plans for educational radio, instructional television, and computer-assisted instruction. Looks at obstacles to implementation of these initiatives. Concludes that present-day efforts to integrate new technology into K-12…

This study is one of several examining the history and background of instructional technology in American education. The period, 1650 to the end of the 19th century, was chosen rather arbitrarily to cover technological developments other than conventional audio-visual devices involving photography and sound techniques. Material in this report is…

Contemporary understanding of technology education owes much to Enlightenment-based beliefs in education for citizenship, especially in the work of Condorcet and Dewey. However, another legacy of their work is an uncritical belief in technological advancement as a benchmark for the progress of civilization. (SK)

Presents a historical overview of the concept of copyrights as background for a detailed analysis of the licensing elements used for the protection of databases. The ramifications for the introduction of gateway systems without appropriate controls are discussed. (One reference) (CLB)

Examines Rousseau's life as continuous experimentation in learning, systematic study, and mechanical arts. Stresses that Rousseau saw that education's wider purpose is to prepare individuals to construct a better society. (SK)

Describes the concept of the Memex, an imaginary information retrieval machine proposed by Vannevar Bush in 1945. The technological background of the Memex and of other visions of that period are examined with special reference to Emanuel Goldberg, inventor of a microfilm selector using a photoelectric cell. Bush's work is reassessed in this…

Raises fundamental questions about the scope of information science and information retrieval, and illustrates how it has evolved over the last 60 years. The work of European documentalists is described, the terminology of multimedia is examined, and image handling is discussed as a method of focusing on representations other than text. (12…

A historical background and current assessment of computer uses in education is presented with specific emphasis on student achievement in computer literacy and international applicability of objectives from stage two of the Computers in Education Study (COMPED). The COMPED Study involves a cross-cultural examination of how information…

Profiles Thomas F. Gilbert, a pioneer and influential leader in educational media and instructional technology, who is often cited as the founder of the field of performance technology. Discusses Gilbert's educational background and early interests, contributions to scholarship, awards, work as instructional-design consultant and performance…

Considers how four historical events have influenced the world for information professionals and the view these events offer of the future: (1) invention of the Gutenberg printing press; (2) invention of the transistor; (3) success of the railroad; and (4) a statement by John Cotton Dana, first president of the Special Libraries Association. (9…

Examines how, over time, the major definitions of the field of educational technology have reflected changes in the field itself. Major definitions from the early 1900s through 1994 are reviewed and compared; major changes in the field are identified; and thoughts regarding future definitions are presented. (Author/LRW)

States that, beginning in the 1850s, authors of American and British scientific/technical publications began to integrate photographs into their texts, with these images often functioning as claims for truth. Presents a technological, cultural, and rhetorical history of published photographs based upon 23 images selected from a review of 40…

Traces the development of industrial arts from 1940 through the 1970s, showing attempts to refocus curriculum in response to national reforms. Relates the decline of progressivism and innovations of the 1960s-70s to the emergence of technology education. (SK)

Surveys the history of elementary-school technology education from the establishment of industrial arts in the progressive era through the 1990s. Considers repeated patterns of historical impediments to its widespread implementation and identifies failure to resolve recurring issues in the field. (JOW)