Kline on future values

Peter Kline The Everyday Genius (1988)

Relieved of the burden of drill, repetition and boredom, teachers will then be able to help us enter a new age of excitement about learning [...] For when machines handle the presentation of information, providing students with rapid evaluation and feedback, teachers will be free to engage in activities and discussions which help their students humanize what they have learned. [...] Because the interactive video-computer will bring rich new possibilities to the classroom, most people will desire to continue being students, at least on a part time basis, all through life. This will create new job opportunities for teachers, who will also be better paid than they are now. Indeed, education may become the biggest growth industry of the next half century. For there's nothing that can benefit people more, provided it actually works.

I like the ambiguity of "it works". It could be the education system or it could be the course of events predicted. Either way is pleasing to see the utopian bent reined in by a wry comment on contingency.

And so for day 388
05.01.2008