The Army’s $200 Billion Makeover: March to Modernize Proves Ambitious and Controversial. That is the title of an article today in the Washington Post. Here from the article is a sketch of the scope of the ambitious effort the Army has underway to maximize its effectiveness:
In the Army’s vision, the war of the future is increasingly combat by mouse clicks. It’s as networked as the Internet, as mobile as a cellphone, as intuitive as a video game. The Army has a name for this vision: Future Combat Systems, or FCS. The project involves creating a family of 14 weapons, drones, robots, sensors and hybrid-electric combat vehicles connected by a wireless network. It has turned into the most ambitious modernization of the Army since World War II and the most expensive Army weapons program ever, military officials say.
Whatever you may think of what the Army is doing, I believe you will agree that the education industry has thus far done nothing similar. The potential for learning by mouse click is held at arms length, and often the wireless, mobile devices students carry for social. safety and entertainment purposes have been forbidden inside schools.
The Army is hardly being avant guard in its move toward interfacing with the connected world. It follows major commerce, entertainment/media industries and other sectors. The education sector will, I believe, inevitably turn its creativity and resources toward making learning “as networked as the Internet, as mobile as a cellphone, as intuitive as a video game.”
I am very hopeful the swing toward connecting education digitally is already happening. The march of established education toward modernization will almost certainly be less expensive than maintaining the analog status quo delivery of learning resources. I cannot imagine how making over learning to interface our times could be controversial.
