This section focuses on the potential for administrative productivity to be enhanced by evolving/emerging technologies. If you choose to follow any of the links below, you will have more information than you can imagine.

Emerging technologies can lend themselves to administrative productivity if they are properly managed. This section considers the ways that specific new technologies can increase the productivity and efficiency of tomorrow's administrators.

The specific technologies that will be considered are Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), High Speed Modems, virtual reality classroom settings and laptop computers available to all educators and students at a site. How will these technologies influence administrative productivity? Let's consider each one individually.

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs):

Many of today's administrators are making use of Personal Digital Assistants. PDA's allow busy administrators to keep track of scheduled meetings, telephone and addresses, and even email and simple word processing tasks.

For more information on today's most popular PDAs, visit the following web sites.

• ZD Net's Guide to PDA Users
• The PDAs Operating System: Windows CE
• PDA Product Comparisons

High Speed Modems:

Current modem speeds are limited by bandwidth restrictions. These restrictions in speed do not allow the Internet's full potential to be realized. As advances in modem speeds are achieved future and present administrators can look forward to accessing greater amounts of information, sharing several applications simultaneously, conducting real time video conferencing, and using other bandwidth intensive applications. 

For more information, follow the links below.

• ZD Net's Guide for Modem Users
• "Why Bill Gates Wants To Give You a Cable Modem"
• ISDN Update


Virtual Reality:

As technology makes higher bandwidths a possibility, the prospect of educational applications of virtual reality is heightened. Virtual Reality technology would allow future students and educators to attend "virtual" meetings or chats. These virtual settings would go beyond simple video conferencing, allowing each member of the virtual meeting to interact dynamically with other participants. Currently, MUDs (Multi User Domains) that are object oriented (MOOs) are being used for some educational purposes. However, Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) appears to becoming a standard for creating virtual reality settings for all purposes. Therefore, the notion of the virtual classroom in the near future can be best explored by a review of VRML.

For more information on virtual reality, its uses and concepts, follow the links below.


• VRML User Guide
• VRML 101  


Laptop Computers:

How beneficial are laptop computer's to the educator's and student's productivity? There are programs in action across the country which distribute laptop computers to students, teachers and administrators. The advantages of providing laptops to all concerned are obvious; the greatest disadvantage is cost.

One particular example addressing the cost issue is the AlphaSmart 2000 project. The AlphaSmart 2000 is a keyboard which allows users to enjoy the benefits of word processing power at a fraction of the price of laptop computers. The AlphaSmart 2000 is currently being used in schools across the country as a teaching aid to enhance the classroom experience.

To read more about this project's objectives and initiatives, visit their web site at http://www.alphasmart.com.

Having read about these future technologies, discuss your feelings toward the future of technology in administration and the effects it will have on your students.

Does the future of technology lend itself to high productivity, or are we simply exchanging old problems for newer ones?

Page author: David Georgi and Jeff Carter
URL: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/EDTEC596R/module16/extend.html
Last updated: February 21, 1998