Conclusion

What's next: A highway or a community?

This discussion paper presents more questions than answers. This is deliberate, because the intent of the paper is to promote further exploration of some of the issues identified so far. It is also unavoidable, since the area of the application of new technologies to learning still has many unanswered questions. But it is not too soon to become engaged with this issue, since many deliberations are now underway that will affect whether or not new technologies really will provide accessible and meaningful learning opportunities. However, keeping in touch with this issue will require considerable tolerance for uncertainty, some occasional detective work to find out what is actually happening, and a commitment to discerning reality in the midst of continually evolving terminology.

There have been earlier references to the pressure to "not miss the boat", to not be left behind by technological developments. Rather than use a transportation analogy, with its implication of leaving one place and arriving at another, it may be more helpful to use an analogy of a community.

A livable community develops from planning processes that take place over time, in which patterns of growth accommodate a range of human activities, yet leave room for some spontaneity. It takes time, a vision, and commitment to develop a community. It takes input from a broad range of interests, but has a process where no single interest predominates. It takes recognition of factors that cannot speak for themselves - the natural environment, future generations. In this context, people who are new to the situation have as equal a right to input as those who have been there for a long time, because, as one new rural resident once put it. "It's not a question of how long I've been here, but of how long I plan to stay." Learning, like growing up in a neighborhood is not a one time activity, but a continuous part of life. The impact of technological systems tends to remain, even after specific technologies have moved on. Therefore, we can all say that we will be staying awhile in a context that includes both learning and technology, and that we all have a right to speak.

This image of a planning process involved in building a livable community offers an alternative to the concept of a high speed chase down the Information Highway. It recognizes the value of taking time to think about things, about setting up patterns that promote usability and livability, of building in flexibility and recognizing the importance of supporting human connectedness. Can we do this with new learning technologies?

It is hoped that the activities that follow from discussion of this paper will help those concerned with women's learning to participate in the shaping of decisions around policy, financing, technical standards, and approaches to teaching and learning; critical factors in determining how well learning technologies achieve their promise.