Abstract
Purpose. The purposes of this study were to: (1) Identify the top five trends or events that selected experts in education and business and industry perceive are likely to occur between now and the year 2005 that will facilitate or impede teachers' instructional use of technology to support student learning in American public schools and (2) determine what similarities and differences, if any, exist in the perceptions of selected experts about the top five trends or events. Methodology. A national Delphi study was conducted with a panel of twenty experts; ten from education and ten from business and industry. One hundred percent of the experts responded in each of three rounds. Data were collected using e-mail technology. Median scores for possibility of occurrence from round three were analyzed and ranked from high to low. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine differences between the two expert groups. Findings. Trends or events agreed upon by the experts include: expansion of alternative schooling, increased pressure for schools to develop high-tech workers, an expanded need for literacy in technology information; an increase in the widespread use of digital technology; more frequent use of the Internet and distance technologies to deliver instruction and connect classrooms to local and global communities, and; an expanded use of technology standards for teacher education programs and K–12 teacher performance. Conclusions. American public education will be challenged by the need to: respond to the demands of America's techno-information society and economy; adopt and adapt to the rapid spread of technologies; effectively use communication technologies as educational tools and resources and; address the inadequate professional development that inhibits teachers' instructional use of technology to support student learning. Recommendations for action. Educators should make every effort to: develop high-tech schools; incorporate technology performance standards for teachers in colleges of education and K–12 programs; support teacher professional development in technology; increase teacher use of network technologies to foster anywhere collaborative learning between students, and anywhere use of experts to support student learning.