essential to the prevention of the spread of plant disease, 

 since major epidemics are almost always the result of 

 transferring plants from one biosystem to another. Im- 

 proved knowledge about the relationships between plants 

 and their total environment will also be needed to engineer 

 plants that are better able to cope with effects of changes 

 in atmospheric conditions, including pollution caused by 

 acid rain (p. 75). 



EDUCATION 



Science and technology are intimately linked with educa- 

 tion. The strength of a country's capabilities in science 

 and technology is closely coupled with the quality of 

 education, at all levels, in mathematics, science, and 

 technology. In addition, science and technology offer 

 powerful tools for use in the educational process. 



ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGIES 



Modem computer and communications technologies offer 

 a wide range of possibilities for innovative instruction and 

 evaluation, and thus for developing more flexible educa- 

 tional strategies. The relatively low cost of sophisticated 

 computers provides the potential for adapting curricula to 

 different local conditions and for tailoring instruction and 

 evaluation to the needs of individual students and teachers 

 (pp. 77-78). 



There is as yet little evidence that the modem elec- 

 tronics revolution has had much impact on the formal 

 educational system. Rapid changes in the state of the art 

 have been one inhibiting factor. The extensive use of 

 advanced electronic technologies for training military per- 

 sonnel and for continuing education in business and in- 

 dustry may provide lessons and guidelines for the formal 

 educational system. However, realizing the full potential 

 of those technologies in the classroom would necessitate a 

 considerable restmcturing by State and local authorities of 

 educational strategies and methods, including considera- 

 ble teacher training and retraining (pp. 78-79). 



INSIGHTS FROM COGNITIVE SCIENCES 



Current research in the cognitive sciences, particularly on 

 the interactions of humans and machines and the acquisi- 

 tion of cognitive skills, could be used to plan effective 

 strategies for adapting modem electronic capabilities to 

 classroom use. Research is also yielding insights on prob- 

 lem-solving processes and on cognitive and social de- 

 velopment in children. Those insights should find broad 

 applicability in teaching, with or without electronic assis- 

 tance. Again, current applications of cognitive science 

 research in the military sphere could provide useful infor- 

 mation for the formal education system (p. 79). 



EDUCATION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



Current and emerging problems associated with the sup- 

 ply of and demand for qualified professional scientists and 

 engineers are highlighted above (Generic Issues — Main- 

 tenance and Development of the Science and Technology 

 Base). The educational requirements of technicians who 

 support the activities of scientists and engineers and of 

 others whose jobs demand more familiarity with modem 

 technology are also changing, as advances in technology 

 increase the complexity of U.S. society. The intmsion of 

 science and technology into virtually every sector of so- 

 ciety suggests that a reasonable degree of science and 

 technology literacy will be increasingly important in all 

 phases of our lives (pp. 79-80). 



The primary and secondary school curricula of several 

 industrialized countries, including West Germany, Japan, 

 and the Soviet Union, focus heavily on science and mathe- 

 matics. In contrast, the trend in the United States during 

 the past two decades has been a declining emphasis on 

 those subjects. A significant reversal of that trend, which 

 could have serious long-term consequences for the 

 strength and vitality of the U.S. science and technology 

 base, will require extensive cooperation between the sci- 

 entific and engineering communities and the State and 

 local authorities who have responsibility for precollege 

 education in the United States (p. 80). 



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