Effects of Digital Technology on Students
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Discussion
Technological advancement has changed the academic domain, made learning more interactive, and eliminated geographical limitations. However, there are noteworthy challenges that result from technology that must be mitigated to achieve a higher quality of education. Research by Chen et al. (2014) inferred that technology has increased the number of disruptions to students, and they never have adequate time for learning and research. Instead, they spend more time on social media trying to catch up with their friends. Further, it introduces the learners to harmful vices such as cyber bullying, depriving them of peace of mind and making it almost impossible for them to learn. Technology has allowed people to share information through various platforms, and some information needs to be verified. Consequently, students will be misled as they use information that is not credible for research. Incorporating technology in schools generally increases expenditure and makes people spend more than they would have spent when there was no technology. Research by Pang (2018) suggests that more than 62% of schools globally use improved devices such as laptops, mobile phones, and other technical-powered devices. The machines highly destruct the students as their attention keeps shifting. For example, when students are using social media, a text message received during class may affect the student's concentration rate. Teachers may also get destructed by their mobile devices, and in the long run, they may not be able to teach as expected. Technology is, therefore, an essential aspect of the academic landscape but must be controlled to ensure that it does not jeopardize the quality of education.
Mitigation
Technology is an important invention that has changed people’s ways of life. Although it has numerous benefits, it has serious problems in the academic field and must be mitigated to ensure that the quality of education is maintained. The key mitigating strategy is to limit the use of technology by the students. At school, there should be specific times when students will use the technology devices and times when they will not. At home, parents should teach the students to organize their time to excel in their studies and spend less time on technology and social media devices (Pang, 2018). Teaching responsibility and conscious behaviour are essential because it ensures that all the students will know what is expected of them and therefore do it without being distracted. It is imperative to note that the tech industry is not dormant and keeps changing. The students and teachers must try to understand the evolving technologies and stay informed on their dangers. Information is critical for all decisions made. Research by Gano (2010) inferred that finding alternatives to technology may help students be more creative and research more. Traditionally, students used to locate books in the library and conduct comprehensive research; however, with the hanging technology and the internet, which makes work easier for them and they miss out on analytical skills when teachers and other educators employ other means of research such as group work to ensure that the students exercise their creativity and learn with minimum destruction.
Recommendations
The key recommendation is to devise a creative way of using the technology in a controlled environment to avoid destruction and other challenges, such as cyberbullying. One of the best ways of ensuring that destruction is avoided when using technology in education is to customize the devices so that they cannot be used for social media in academic mode. Using artificial intelligence can help educational institutions improvise computers that can be devised into either a learning or social interaction mode. Only school-based materials will be accessible on the computer during class hours. After school work, the students can transform the computers into home-based machines that can access social media platforms and other communication channels. Further, self-awareness and self-control skills are crucial to avoiding destruction in the academic domain. Although the technology devices are increasing and almost every student will have devices at home, teaching people to control the use of the devices may reduce destruction. Further, government regulation can be used to manage the ownership of technology devices, and the devices for all children of a given age may be registered and controlled. All the devices are automatically switched off during academic time until school activities are over. Governmental control through policy changes may significantly reduce distractions caused by technology.
References
Chen, L., Nath, R., & Insley, R. (2014). Determinants of digital distraction: A cross-cultural investigation of users in Africa, China, and the US.
Journal of International Technology and Information Management, 23(3), 8. Docuhttps://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=jitim
Gano, L. (2010, October). Fitting technology to the mathematics pedagogy: Its effect on students academic achievement. In E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (pp. 987-993).
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Pang, H. (2018). Understanding the effects of WeChat on perceived social capital and psychological well-being among Chinese international college students in Germany.
Aslib Journal of Information Management. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-01-2018-0003
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