Technology in education

Pros and Cons of technology in education

 We were unable to partner with Habitat For Humanity for this month’s Service Learning.  Instead, we remained on campus, researching technology use in education and learning.  This is an issue that has risen to prominence in conjunction with the widespread adoption of cell phones, smart phones, social media, and various other things associated with digital information and entertainment.  After spending the morning researching and reading we summarized our findings, presenting them as short articles of pros and cons, found below.

Pros of Technology

In the 21^st century, technology has become an increasing crucial part of everybody’s life – whether they admit it or not.  In some cases, technology completely controls a person. Cell phones, laptops, television, videogames, and videos of cute kittens have come to be an accepted aspect of our everyday lives. The debate we set out to resolve today is whether or not this surge in technology is more beneficial or detrimental to our education. We will attempt to portray the more positive side of technology. Undoubtedly, cell phones and computers can be utilized to maximize our work potential. However, studies have shown that even television and videogames, in moderate amounts, have beneficial effects.

In recent years, the cell phone has become a minimized laptop which has allowed people to  utilize even the smallest windows of time. While our generation has shifted to sharing even the most intimate, trite details (I ate a cupcake today! It was great!! lol), the ease at which we can communicate should not be necessarily be viewed in a purely negative light. Many jobs require constant contact and the ability to instantly transfer information has shaped the business world. Additionally, Cell phones allows the individual to escape the cubicle and be able to complete work in any environment  (Richtel,  Attached to Technology).

Individuals have decried technology as hindering student’s education by being a constant distraction and shortening their attention spans. Yet the benefits of technology outweigh the negatives and should not be overlooked.  Computers can act as an assistant teacher and a tutor for those who are falling  behind. (Miller). While humans have their flaws, computer can solve many problems a teacher can not. Many times a teacher can not take the time to repeat concepts to each individual students, but technology has allowed teachers to begin uploading their lectures to aid students. The internet offers student access a wealth of knowledge and allows them to tap into enormous data basses like JSTOR and  QuickPro. (Hernandez-Hernandez)  These data bases allow students to pull up articles that would be otherwise inaccessible to students.  Despite the accessibility of information, people still tend to look at online research with a wary eye. People believe that online reach can lead to shorten attention spans and the expectation of instant gratification. However, studies suggest that internet users show greater brain activity than non-users, growing their neural circuitry (Richtel , Attached to Technology and paying a Price).

The question of ethic  and morality must be addressed with this greater access to technology. Some students are inevitably turn to cheating  with the ability to use their phones to access information during tests or buy essays on line. However, technology also “allows people to combat cheating’s (Gabriel). A  company called Vaeon Test Security, founded in Mississippi in 2006, “analyses answer sheets by computer and flags those with so many of the same question wrong or right that the change of random agreement are astronomically small.” Incidentally, cheating has declined 70 percent in Mississippi since the company’s founding(Cheaters Find an Adversary in Technology). Similar companies and programs exist for plagiarism . Teachers can put their student’s papers into a program which then tests the students papers against other papers in the database.

Even music and video games are beneficial to our education despite prior beliefs. While music may impair performance, under the right circumstances. Music can alleviate anxiety and depression (Carland-Adams). Music can enhances mood and can increase cognitive functioning as spatial awareness. Additionally, moderate video game usage has allowed players to better “track the movement of a third more objects on the screen.” As a result, gamers have improved reactions and the ability to pick details amid clutter. (Richtel, Attached to technology and paying a price)

Attached to Technology and paying a price

The brains of internet users become more efficient at finding information.

Players of some videogames develop better visual acuity.

Cell phones let people escapes the cubicles and work anywhere.

Handle countless mundane tasks and free up time.

Internet users show greater brain activity than non-users, growing their neural circuitry

Videogame players of fast paced videogames can track the movement of a third more objects on the screen, than non-players. They say game s can improve reaction and the ability to pick details amid clutter.

Background music can impair performance, cites new study

Listening to music alleviate anxiety and depression. Enhances mood and can increase cognitive functioning as spatial awareness.

New York times: Computer at Home: Educational Hope vs. Teenage Reality

Cheaters Find an Adversary in Technology

Cell phones both enable cheating as people have greater access to information. However, the counterargument works as well. Technology allows people to combat cheating, a company can analyze answer sheets by computer and flags those with so many of the same questions wrong or right that the chance of random agreement are astronomically small.

-Company, Caveon Test Security began in Mississippi  2006, cheating declined 70 percent in Mississippi.

Pros and Cons of Computer Technology in the Classroom Journal of Education Policy

Forces education to reevaluate the very nature of how and what we teach. Computers can act as assistant teacher and a tutor for those who are falling behind. Computer can solve many problems a teacher can not.

digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Down time

allow tiniest windows of time to be used productively .

Have Tech, will travel

Cell phones help students stay in contact with students and professors.

- Introduction of internet via the laptop and desktop computer and even cellular phones, has tremendously increased the resources available to the students.

- Helps facilitate education.

Cons of Technology

There are new innovations in technology every day and they have been primarily created for the progress of humanity. It is an essential part in our lives in that it assists us in daily tasks and helps make certain jobs more convenient. However, technology has been so integrated into our lives that it has become a distraction to us and thus has been a negative impact to society. Certain breakthroughs in technology such as, the cellphone and computer have become so popular around the world that usage of these devices has become excessive. People are now not only relying on these innovations for convenience, but also utilizing them in ways that becomes serious distractions to people’s lives, especially those of children and teenagers. The rise of new technologies has ultimately been detrimental to the humankind. Technology has been harmful to individuals, their families, and schools.

Generally, technology has affected the individual’s mind in negative ways. Social networking like Facebook, instant messaging, and video calling has been a popular and overused part of technology that has deeply been rooted in the individual’s mind and habits. It has thus caused people’s brains to be constantly stimulated, leading individuals to have a shorter attention span than normal. Researchers say that “juggling email and phone calls can change how people think and behave…[people’s] ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information” (Richtel, Attached to Technology…). The constant consumption of social networking has caused “attention problems with children who already struggle to set priorities” (Richtel, Attached to Technology…). Social networking, a popular part of technology has caused serious distraction for individuals ultimately slowing down their brain process. Today’s technology has also negatively affected families. There is less “family” time when people are so closed in on using what technology has provided us. Feelings are often hurt when people in the house possess an obsessive behavior toward technology. As a result, technology limits time spent together by families.

Most importantly, technology’s new innovations have hurt students and their daily lives in school. Technology has essentially made cheating easier; One teacher said, “Every single year I’ve been in testing there has been more cheating than the year before”, (Gabriel). Internet is so accessible now that many student’s depend on in for homework. Although the computer can be a great tool, students generally don’t use it for educational purposes, “students use the computer for entertainment unrelated to homework and reducing the amount of time spent studying” (Stross). The internet has so much information that students no longer need to work hard to figure out answers, they can just “google” whatever they are looking for, “Society is opted to simply give them the answers instead of allowing them to find those answers” (B). Technology is a great tool that is being misused by students, making it more of a liability than an advantage.

Technology was meant to help society however in the long run it is hurting society. Children are growing up dependent on computers, cell phones, tv, and video games. Being surrounded by this much technology has led children to have a shorter attention span. Technology is so addicting that individuals are neglecting their families to spend more time with their blackberry’s and laptops. Students are lazier than every before, using the internet to do the hard work for them. Technology may be beneficial in some ways but the overuse can make it detrimental to society.