John Rudolph's "From World War to Woods Hole: The Impact of Wartime Research Models on Curriculum Reform"* does a superb job of describing the post-war intervention into American public education by a group of systems-theory-wielding reformers. Among other revelations, the role of the NSF, the influence of RAND, and a subtle move to outflank K-12 teachers by providing curricula directly to students in the form of filmstrips and supplementary materials:
The ultimate fruit of the filmmaking effort for the physicists [Physical Sciences Study Committee] was to be direct access to the classroom via a medium in which they possessed complete control of the pacing and content of the physics taught. (226)
Broadcast appeals to the educational establishment and the public failed, while "tap[ping] into the science policy elite in Washington" succeeded (224).
A nice quote for the enterprise:
"We were at that time pretty much imbued with the idea that we could do anything if we started from scratch, and did it in a rational way, and applied all our technology to it, and so on." (234-5)
Much to learn about contemporary e-learning.
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