As we look to the future, it is with anticipation of how the challenges of the information age will continue to move us in directions that were not even foreseen 10 or 20 years ago. How we adapt education to meet the needs of a society and a workforce driven by technology is a critical issue for PVCC and the rest of higher education. You have only to examine the impact that technology has on your own life to understand why education has to change. Many of you are changing careers and upgrading skills, especially in the technology areas. Most new careers are in technology-related fields.
Computer literacy is an important skill for the new millennium.
Our personal lives are influenced by technology. We are very busy with multiple demands on our time. We carry cell phones and beepers to be in constant communication, and many of us have computers at home. Our work lives and home lives are merging, and life-long educational needs are becoming an important part of our lives. In anticipation of these changes, we in higher education are beginning to see a movement toward a curriculum that is more outcomes based, more modularized and more competency-based.