Is Today's Technology hindering learning skills?

[WutangClan]

Possible subject for my research paper
(My view is technology is helping today's society learn, not hindering it.)

Anyways I am asking if anyone has an opinion on this and what your view is..

and also if you have any good sources: (CNN, newspaper article links, etc)
that correlate to this topic.


THANKS!

[oosulley]

Id say its hindering it aswell as helping it.

E.g.Things like the internet are great,but you have to wade through a pile of crap to get the info you need.

[Malevolent]

Originally Posted by WutangClan

Possible subject for my research paper
(My view is technology is helping today's society learn, not hindering it.)

Anyways I am asking if anyone has an opinion on this and what your view is..

and also if you have any good sources: (CNN, newspaper article links, etc)
that correlate to this topic.


THANKS!

My opinion? Technology is a godsend to people everywhere in terms of education. A lot of people associate computers with machines that teenagers use for gaming and college students for masturbating to under payed prostitutes who are taking it up the butt. However, there are a lot of people (such as myself) who use it for so much more. While I do have to admit that a lot of the time computers are used for shooting the heads off zombies and pornography, and they may be in the majority, there are still quite a few people who use this power for good - and even gaming and porn may do some good.

Let me explain.

6 years ago I was more or less illiterate. I could only use the most basic words, and my grammar and punctuation was all over the place. I played Diablo 2 all day (literally 7 hours a day) so all I really needed at the time was "stfu" and "noob". However, as I started to get more into the game, my need for communication grew. I got involved in clans, rushes, ubers, forums, etc. To fit in properly, I would capitalize my letters properly and would frequent the comma. Eventually, after reading hundreds of thousands of lines of text on the various forums and clan channels I was in, it picked up on me. I learned how to properly spell, picked up on grammar, and my vocabulary practically doubled. Did I live in an English speaking country? No. Did I pay attention in English class? Yes, of course, but that didn't teach me much. My conclusion? Gaming taught me English.

My computer is literally a digital library. On my computer, I have books on every subject I take at school and them some. These are all college level books, and they help me like you don't even know. When we cover a lesson from biology in school, I get on my computers, turn on some music, and go through the entire lesson is much more depth with wonderful illustrations and I learn everything in half the time it would take me using conventional methods. I have books on chemistry, from those designed for beginners to very advanced levels; physics, from astrophysics to optics; mathematics, from algebra to statistics and probability. I could go on, but you get the point. Before I discovered eBooks, I didn't read at all. Now I'm easily topping 3 hours reading a day.

Technology has also introduced me to forums such as these where I've learned countless things. Like yourself, I've used it to get help with homework and perform surveys (not p101 surveys). It has taught me how to obtain help and information quickly and efficiently.

Before computers I was a stupid, immature, fat, and ugly. Now I'm not so stupid, a little bit more mature (I admit that I have my moments), far from fat, and very sexy. It has taught me how to learn and it has given me the resources to learn. Anybody who doesn't share the same view obviously isn't doing something correctly.

[Shreyas]

I agree with Luke here.

When you visualize something you learn the thing very easily as compared to just reading the book. Today's Technology helps us to visualize things easily. Just a quick search on the internet and you will be able to learn anything in depth. Seriously Games, Forums have increased my vocabulary as well. Biology has been little tough for me as compared to other subject, Internet helped me gaining interest in this subject. I just co-relate things easily. whoever you use current technology in proper way wilol always be benefitted from it.

[anarchyforever]

I feel technology has been a great help to the world of education, but at the same time, hindered it as well. The biggest hindrance I've seen thus far is how many young people cannot write properly. Whether typing, or writing by hand, it's evident that many people don't have the ability to write in an intelligent manner. I've seen IM terms used in major term papers when I was in high school. Also, kids now often rely on calculators to perform simple math equations, rather than working them out on their own.
There are great benefits, but also great risks when it comes to technology. If people find a healthy balance between technology, and 'the old ways', learning skills can be greatly helped.

[roan]

Nope, its just different. Like instead of going to the library, going to a catalog, and reading references and encyclopedias and all that manual nonsense.... it can all be done on the internet now. So all it's really hindering is "wasting time".

[CaptainObvious]

That depends entirely on the individual. Technology offers unparalleled opportunities to aid learning, but can equally be an incredible waste of time through both distraction and the time that must be spent for some people to be capable of operating the technology itself.