[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 6, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E286-E287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TECHNOLOGY FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 5, 1996

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I am inserting my Washington Report for 
Wednesday, March 6, 1996 into the Congressional Record.

                 Technology for Education and Training

       Although the Indiana economy has shown some strengths in 
     past months, I sense a great deal of unease as I travel 
     around the 9th District. People are concerned about the 
     economy and job security, and worry about their future and 
     their children's future. And this is not just in Indiana. 
     Many people across the country are uneasy about their 
     economic future in the new global economy that means stronger 
     competition and rapidly advancing technology. Hoosiers are 
     interested in what it will take to better prepare themselves 
     in this new global job market. One idea getting increased 
     attention--especially for rural areas--is distance learning 
     through sophisticated computer links.


                             Opportunities

       We often hear of the cyberspace revolution, the Internet, 
     the Web, and going on-line. Behind the new and often 
     confusing terminology is the potential to significantly 
     upgrade the skills of Hoosier students and workers. The 
     economy increasingly demands a workforce that is well-
     educated, particularly in math and science, and has important 
     communication and computer skills. Rural areas, such as in 
     southern Indiana, often do not have the resources to build 
     new training or education facilities, but can get the latest 
     information and expertise through telecommunications and 
     computer technologies.
       ``Distance learning'' means using a variety of technologies 
     to reach learners hundreds of miles away. Instead of 
     traditional, instructor-led classroom teaching, people could 
     learn through self-directed and interactive courses run 
     through multi-media computers. Thus, for example, teachers in 
     elementary and secondary schools could bring the vast 
     resources available on the Internet to our students, such as 
     accessing the latest news stories or taking them on a 
     ``virtual field trip'' through the Amazon rain forest without 
     ever learning their class-room. College students could tap 
     into courses being taught at distant campuses in areas such 
     as life sciences, business management or engineering 
     technology. Someone working during the day could spend some 
     time at a business or industry site to improve skills in 
     everything from speech communication to computer-aided 
     design.


                       Federal government efforts

       The federal government helped lay the groundwork for the 
     Internet, the worldwide connection of computers at libraries, 
     universities, governments, and businesses. It is also helping 
     to build the Information Superhighway--including Indiana's 
     version, Access Indiana--which will make access to the 
     Internet much easier.
       The National Science Foundation recently funded the Rural 
     Datafication Project, a nineties version that brought 
     electricity to rural areas some sixty years ago. This project 
     is to determine how rural communities spread over large areas 
     can be given access to the Internet. The federal government 
     also helps promote distance learning and rural student access 
     to previously unavailable courses.
       President Clinton recently announced an initiative that 
     makes upgrading the technological literacy of our young 
     people a high priority for his administration. He has 
     proposed creating a $2 billion seed money fund that would 
     help connect all U.S. schools and libraries to the Internet.


                            Indiana efforts

       In Indiana, Governor Bayh has undertaken several 
     initiatives to improve distance learning and computer use in 
     the schools.
       Indiana now ranks among the top ten states in the ratio of 
     students to computer. Indiana is also among those states 
     which have state-supported telecomputing networks for K-12 
     instruction, and several K-12 schools in the 9th District 
     have already made their debut on the World Wide Web with 
     their own Home Pages posting a variety of information on 
     school activities and educational material.
       The Indiana Higher Education Telecommunications System 
     (IHETS) operates a satellite-based TV network that delivers 
     its programs to 300 sites across the state, including 100 K-
     12 schools, 48 business and industry sites, and 33 hospitals. 
     Most of the programming allows for ``live interaction'' of 
     students off-campus.
       The Indiana Partnership for Statewide Education (IPSE), a 
     consortium of Indiana's independent and public higher 
     educational institutions, is developing programs to bring 
     higher education courses via satellite, cable TV, and 
     computers to citizens wherever they may live. It is already 
     offering 300 degree and non-degree courses throughout 
     Indiana. The offerings include undergraduate and graduate, 
     continuing education, professional development, and 
     independent study courses.
       Indiana is also active in the Rural Datafication Project, 
     with a site in Moores Hill hosted by the Southeastern Indiana 
     Rural Telephone Cooperative providing an Internet access 
     program. Another project initiated by the Wilson Education 
     Centers in Jeffersonville has connected to the Internet 180 
     school buildings in 12 counties in the southeastern corner of 
     our state. Various state grants are available to help schools 
     and communities hook up to the Internet.


                               ASSESSMENT

       The solution to the challenge of upgrading the education of 
     our children and the skills of our workers cannot be found in 
     technology alone. But there is no doubt in my

[[Page E287]]

     mind that we must take advantage of what technology has to 
     offer. Indiana is taking some important steps to improve its 
     distance learning programs, and these need our support, 
     especially for the rural areas of our state. We cannot afford 
     to have another two-tiered population--those who have access 
     to the information highway and those who do not.
       But we need more than technology and hookups. We also need 
     a sustained dialogue among students, teachers, businesses, 
     and community leaders to formulate a workforce development 
     policy that is best suited for the particular needs of our 
     region. Businesses interested in expanding their operations 
     in southern Indiana have to play a role in defining the 
     skills they expect from potential employees. Similarly, 
     teachers know our strengths as well as weaknesses, and are 
     crucial in defending curriculum and teacher training in the 
     new technology so it becomes an integral part of instruction. 
     Combining these recommendations with inputs from the 
     community, we can build on and enhance the various programs 
     already in the works.
       Few things are more important to me than the education of 
     our children and good jobs for our communities. Distance 
     learning and improved computer links will play an 
     increasingly important role in our efforts to upgrade our 
     students' and workers' skills. It is an investment in our 
     future worth making.

                          ____________________