n 1922 Thomas Edison famously stated “I believe
that the motion picture is destined to revolutionize
our educational system, and that in
a few years it will supplant largely, if not entirely,
the use of textbooks” (Cuban, 1986). This statement
has been used repeatedly as a cautionary
tale for educational technology exuberance (e.g.,
Cuban, 1986; Oppenheimer, 2003). Concerned
scholars and popular writers alike quote Edison
and list the reasons why he was so wrong in his
prediction and often go on to relate the same
stories about radio, TV, and computers. The evidence
against a technology-mediated revolution
in education (from their perspective) is rock
solid. Case closed.