BS&T Executive Summit 2006

"Technologies are transforming everything," said Dr. Jerry Galloway, professor of instructional technology at Georgia Southern University, during his presentation at BS&T's Executive Summit. Galloway, who teaches "pre-service teachers" at his Statesboro, Ga., university, shared his views on technology adoption and learning during his presentations. As a technology instructor, Galloway finds that his students don't want to change, "they just want to be shown things they can do," he said.

"We haven't changed many people, we're just waiting for them to die off," Galloway said about the increasing number of users of technology.

"Training" is not sufficient when it comes to new technologies for bank employees, for example. "It's education," he said. "Learning is not about just acquiring information -- it's making sure the information is understood."

Technology won't replace bankers, but "technology-using bankers will replace non-technology-using bankers," Galloway predicted. To ensure that employees maintain a high level of intellectual capital, banks should institute ongoing education requirements. "Education for your people doesn't stop," he emphasized.

Bankers need to get in front of the technology curve and think about the next steps to be successful. They need to think beyond what is out there, to what will be next, Galloway said.

Galloway introduced a possible future scenario where all life and learning will take place in an "e-bubble." His e-bubble functioned from an implant, where information will be accessed from a chip in the human body. "This is way, way in the future," he said.