David Hawkridge (1990): 'Who needs computers in shcools, and why?'

I found this article particularly interesting to read because it was written when I was in junior school and, as I remember, we had about 2 computers in the school and a very basic one at home. It was certainly before they became widespread and at a time when their educational use could surely have been speculated about only. Hawkridge details 4 popular rationals for the use of computers in school. The main issue 18 years ago seems to have been if, and not how, computers should be used. The four rationals are as follows:

1) The Social Rationale: A need for awareness of, and familiarity with, computers. Computers need to be de-mystified and children need to be unafraid of them.
This does not seem to hold much relevance for most children in the UK now, being applicable to digital immigrants. Frequently, in fact, children are much more confident than their teachers. Hawkridge questions the origins of this rationale, ending with the suggestion that perhaps they are in hindsight, as an after-the-fact justification of the way they have already been used in schools. I found this particularly interesting in the sense that we can never take ideas of cause and effect for granted.

2) The Vocational Rationale: Children should learn to operate computers as preparation for a career in computer science, or one in which computers will be needed.
This is based on an instructional training for a completely related purpose. Hawkridge points out the links with the country's economy and questions whether school is right place for vocational training. This is an aspect that is entering more fully into secondary education, but I would describe primary education as a building of skills, thinking and concepts that can later be applied to any situation. This kind of vocational training skips straight to the application stage and could be missing key concepts of understanding.

3) The Pedagogic Rationale: Computers can teach and should be used where CAL is advantageous. Hawkridge cites Physics as the predominant subject here, although this would now apply to every area of the curriculum. The key terms here are 'enrich', 'improve', 'extend' and 'offer' and the author finds the most support for this rationale. Problems with it are technical and financial, and he reminds us that when teachers can do it better, let them. This balace is still a relevant issue today as fitness for purpose must always be remembered.

4) The Catalytic Rationale: Schools can be changed for the better. Computers can improve efficiency of teaching, administration and management; they can reduce the dependence on teachers for learning; they could lead to a shift in learning from memorising facts to problem-solving, and to a shift in attitudes from competing with other children to collaborating with them. This is a slightly idealistic rationale, with computers solving all problems, but Hawkridge prophesies a move away from rigid programmes of learning to an environment where children have control over their own learning and where they control computers not the other way around. The phrase "... if only computers could be present in large enough numbers" sounds ironic now, but also highlights this factor as important, which it still is.

Financial cost, Hawkridge points out, determines to a large extent the rationale countries choose. Pedagogic and Catalytic rationales lead to more expense, whereas the vocational route, as chosen by China, promises to yeild beneficial results for the country's economy. Hawkridge's outlook is pessimistic, concerned with the "dark realites of costs". Fortunately, it is not just the technology that is changing quickly, but also its financial cost. While much of this article is interestingly far-seeing, there is just as much that can never be predicted.