Technology is becoming an ever-present entity in the lives of students today. Since today’s students are the potential workforce of tomorrow, they will need skills for problem-solving, which originates from computer technology. Since the computer is a potent tool for information processing, it has become an enormous part of our daily life. Lowell (2004) observed that although computers and other related technology have been emphasized in the learning process, the amount of technology currently used in the classroom is the main difficulty. Some examples of the computer technology adopted in the school are computer-assisted learning, open learning, connected learning community, and anywhere, any time learning program, among others. In this paper, an argument for the negative impact of the computer on student growth is presented.
Accessibility and suitability: most of the school and student do not have computers that imply that they cannot use computer programs for learning, lack of availability of internet facilities’ availability also makes the students lack information and content required for academic purposes. Those lucky to have access may not understand the range due to language deficiency or cultural differences. (Veasey, 1999)
Interfering with natural development- students, primarily from lower grades, when subjected to a computer for the learning process, do not utilize their propensity for physically-based activity since they spend a lot of time with the computers. According to researchers, where a student spends most of the time on the computer, his or her development is impaired. This may interfere with cognitive development since psychologist claims that, student or children should socialize with peers or adults in order to acquire new concepts.
Lacks depth- Computer content does not offer in-depth and flexible content, i.e., the content usually is shallow and not dynamic. According to researchers, a trained and dedicated teacher can provide more profound and more flexible range full of examples than a computer can offer to the student. This, in turn, implies that a student can have a vast knowledge and skills of tackling a problem which in turn positively improves his grade rather than learning from a computer.
Quality of content: Digitalized content is overly simplistic in its structure; for instance, a sum can only be wrong or right. The content does not explain why the sum was terrible, but a natural teacher will make a piece of work and offer the essential logical reasoning for the decision. This makes the student gain a fundamental understanding of the system behind what constitutes correct or incorrect.
Health hazards: computers are hazardous to the health of children in that they can lead to; repetitive stress injuries, eyestrain, obesity, social isolation, and long-term physical, emotional, and intellectual development damage which affects academic progress.
Safety: internet poses a lot of danger to the student, which affects his or her academic performance. This danger includes; stalkers, hate and violence, pornography materials, etc.
Technology is not absolutely essential for meaningful learning; as portrayed by Lowell Monke that it has led to sacrifices in intellectual growth and creativity. The use of computers in education lends the student to be lazy and less innovative. The laptop does not offer a conducive environment for discussion, illustration, debate, etc., which is well provided by a natural teacher.
Due to the fact that computers and associated programs such as the internet are costly as well as the shortcoming of the technology discussed above, the money and funds directed to technology should be used in other fields. (James, 2004)
In conclusion, for effective learning to take place, the real teacher should be encouraged, especially in lower grades of education. Computer-based learning should be advocated for students in higher levels of education such as colleges and universities.
References
James, W. (2004). Taking Sides; Clashing Views on Educational Issues. Newyork, McGraw-Hill.pp.36-78.
Lowell, M. (2004). “The Ecological Impact of Technology,” the journal of opinion and research, Vol.4 pp. 23-30.
Lowell M.(2004).The human touch: in a rush to place a computer on every desk, schools are neglecting intellectual creativity and personal growth. vol.2 pp. 57-65.
Veasey D’Souza, P. (1999). “The Use of Electronic Mail as an Instructional Aid: An Exploratory Study.” Journal of Computer-Based Instruction 18, 1, 106-110.
Student Growth: The Development of Enhanced Practices for Computer Technology. Web.