Abstract :
The application of electronic technology to the most profound of man\´s tasks, that of education, provides both the opportunity for realizing lifelong, experiential learning as well as the possibility of yielding unpredicted social consequences. The use of high-speed digital computers and teaching machines is outlined and the growing power for cultural communication and control is discussed. Some possible social consequences of automated learning are examined and the need for the consideration of social, human, and educational values is presented. Finally, a university lecture course entitled "Engineering and the Technological Society" which is presented for students majoring in Liberal Arts, Business, Science, or Engineering at the University of Santa Clara and which considers the consequences and potential of educational technology is outlined.
