The Graphical Interface and Educational Resistance

I see no advantage whatsoever to the graphical user interface

...Bill Gates, 1981

The graphical user interface was first developed by Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center. After a visit to this lab, Steve Jobs, the chairman of Apple Computers, bought the idea and named it Macintosh. "For many, this event has been heralded as the most significant conceptual breakthrough in the history of PCs" (Jukes & McCain, 1997). Eventually, even the recalcitrant Bill Gates adopted the graphical interface into his Windows operating system.

During the 1990s, the graphical interface environment has allowed the general public to use computers in a variety of ways never imagined possible. The skills in operating a computer have become much like those necessary to play a video game -- point there, click the button, and something happens! The generation of video game players, our youth, effectively has become the best audience for computers, yet educators resist using them.

Since the large-scale induction of computers into America's schools in the early 1980s, there has been reluctance of educators to implement them. Teachers can hardly be blamed for this reluctance. A major barrier has been a lack of a universal agreement on how teachers should be prepared to use the technology (Willis & Mehlinger, 1996). This is not cause to write off the personal computer for classroom use. In reference to preparing pre- and in-service teachers, Bull and Cooper (1997) believe, "it is important to be realistic about the time frame that will be required to accomplish this [integration of technology] in the depth that may be eventually desired" (pg. 101). 

In fact, the last 15 to 20 years might be viewed more as a time of courtship between computers and K-12 educators. Clearly, in order for educators to adopt current technologies an emphasis must be placed on adequately preparing pre- and in-service teachers.