The use of instructional technologies in agricultural education

Recent technological developments have contributed significantly to the instructional equipment available for use by high school agriculture teachers. Microcomputers, printers, VCRs, camcorders, satellite receivers, and computer modems have become available for use in high school programs. Coinciding with the increased availability of instructional equipment, the extent to which instructional technologies are being used is of concern to agricultural educators. McCarney (1987) advocated shifting education from a labor-intensive emphasis to a capital-intensive emphasis. He indicated that this shift could best be accomplished by utilizing technologies such as computers and video cassette recorders for instructional purposes. Others have suggested that the use of instructional technologies should support and empower the learner. Wedman (cited in Mihalevich, 1989) suggested that the appropriate use of instructional technologies is one of the most important considerations educators will face in the 1990s. Rosenfeld (1986) noted that keeping up- _ with technology is like chasing a moving target and identified problems in adjusting programs and obtaining needed equipment. He further noted that in 1984, legislation was enacted that:... explicitly addressed and responded to the impacts of technological change. Technology was no longer treated as an unseen force acting on labor market demand but as a force with known dimensions that should be factored into vocational education instructional policies (p. 13)