Overall Process of Learning and Usage of Technology in an Academic Institution - Research Paper Example

The modern day is characterized by presence and influence of technology. All around us we see technology in our form or other. Ranging frombusiness enterprises to government organizations and educational institutes, it is present in one form or the other. Technology facilitates us in different ways. However despite its effervescent presence, we see technology being a culprit. It has in many cases lead to an imbalance in the activities of mankind and disrupted the natural balance of activities (OECD, 151). Thesis statement: Technology is a double edged sword. If it is used in a wrong way, it can prove highly fatal in its outlook, on the other hand if it is used properly; it can allow achieving what would not be possible achieving otherwise through manual methods. Introduction: Technology has become a must in the different environments which also includes the education sector. The students at all ages ranging from Montessori to high school and degree students make use of it in a certain way (Hoyles and Lagrange, 324). The usage is promoted and brought in action by the academic institutes as well. This usage is mutually cooperated with some devices used by the instructors while the others needing the students to carry the devices and applications. However not always does the usage of technology result in its positive usage and many events and instances have been seen where the students as well as the administrators have delivered below par despite the usage of technological applications. The aim of this paper is to look into the potential negative impacts and the manner in which the applications may be counterproductive to the overall process of learning and usage of technology in an academic institution and class environment. Modes of usage: The usage of technology in the class comes in different forms and through the usage of different applications. Ranging from full scale computers and laptops to specific devices such as electronic readers, printing devices, recorders, cameras and digital readers and many more applications and devices (Cennamo, 111). The usage of digital readers has introduced a totally new dimension. The teacher and student are synchronized and inter connected via online resources and central data based installed in the libraries and university campuses. Different applications and platforms are available for this purpose. Top of the list are the Apple Inc and their Apps (Palloff and Pratt, 220), along with Android and its thousands of applications dedicated for the specific usage of academic institutes, this along with PDF reader supported by Adobe and their Flash player and many more similar applications and devices. Microsoft’s Windows operating system has long been in usage in the academic institutions and its usage can be traced back prior to the introduction of the new applications oriented operating systems. The usage of MS DOS, command line interface and usage of paint and Doc applications and softwares are few of the elementary forms of applications that were being used in the 90s decade of the last century. The introduction of the open source operating systems has further improved the overall performance and usage scope of technology in class room environment (Morley and Parker, 207). The introduction of different applications used and created by the students which are made domestically or used and introduced internationally are all possible because of the open source operating systems. And this would not be possible without the advancements. Apart from the operating system concept, there are large numbers of benefits associated with the usage of technology. This includes direct interaction. With every other citizen possessing a computer and the students more specifically, it enables uniform opportunities and access to the students. The usage of internet and computer reduces the dependency on the physical world interaction and physical world presence. Many a time the classes are conducted online and lectures, lecture notes, assignments, quiz results, even papers are conducted online not needing the students to visit the universities. This has further enabled introducing the concept of virtual learning and distant learning. Distant learning program is a fast growing trend in the same regard and dimension and people sitting in different parts of the world and in different continents are able to get education and degrees all because of the usage of technology and electronic means. Other similar advantages facilitated by the usage of technology are the smart phones. In modern times the smart phones have dedicated operating systems in them making them as effective as a computer and multiple times effective and workable than the mainframe computers that would occupy the space of entire room. The mobile phones have various applications ranging from the dictionaries to the digital applications on different subjects such as geography, medicine, mathematics and much more (Mitchell, 68). Video conferencing is the most prevalent and recent development that has been seen in recent times. This is largely beneficial to the academic professors and other decision makers. The trend is such that the decision making faculties do not need to travel to different campuses and cities to decide serious matters, curriculums and other important matters, rather through the use of video conferencing the decisions are made and sessions and conferences are held (Bhargava and Bhatt, 198). The video conferencing option has also facilitated the usage of online lectures to the students. Students who may not be able to attend the classes may become part of the class sitting far away from the class yet be part of the lecture through this virtual means which has been made possible through the technology as a gift. Students who may not be able to join and attend the classes due to various reasons such as the health care factor, illness of any kind, weather consideration such as bad weather or various other foreseen or unforeseen situation may hinder the students from attending the classes. The presence of technology and its usage to good effect can reduce this hurdle and the students can attend the classes directly without any obstacle and be active part of the class (Moore and Anderson, 96). Online library option is another feature of the technology and its incorporation in the field of education and studies (Johnson). While in past the students would need to visit the libraries physically and be present there, and the timings of library would come as further restraint, the online library systems have made the overall situation far more friendly and effective. The students have access to libraries for a greater period of time and they can manage using any resource any time without any restriction of usage. Most of the universities in United States of America have centralized data bases and libraries which enable logging in at any time desired. The students are given special identification logins against their roll numbers and their accounts usage of books and all other records are noted down. This would not be possible without the usage and incorporation of the technology in the field of education and academic pursuits. The time line differences are another factor that can cause hurdles to the students. The case of assignment submission which often requires the students visiting the campuses during off seasons vacations, holidays and weekends, the usage of technology in the given field allows for submission of the assignments in due time and through different sources which do not require visiting the university directly or indirectly rather through the mere usage of online resources such as websites or library resources the assignments can be submitted. All these along with numerous other factors and aspects make up for the benefits enacted from the technology in the field of education. Each of these has benefited the education process in a direct or indirect manner. However there are instances and usages of technology in the field of education which may lead to the negative impact and more than its positive impacts the technology may be used as a negative element. To evaluate the different and potential negative impacts of the technology various studies and researcher have been conducted and multiple dimensions have been revealed where the technology usage in the field of education may prove to be counterproductive. One of the first means of negative usage and wastage of technology in the field of education sector is the element of dependency. While in past the conventional methods would be used which allowed for better comprehension, the new means allow understanding in the faster way and which in turn would possibly mean easier way of learning yet further easier way of forgetting it. Dependency with regard to the availability of the internet connection, other necessary functions of the technology such as the hardware support. Compatibility of various devices with one another as well as the software applications is another factor in the same area of concern. For example till very recent Apple Inc did not provide support for the Adobe Flash player which made the PDF reading impossible. The rivalry between different companies leads to the damage suffering by the students themselves. Other dependencies may come up in form of the charge consideration, the availability of the switches and plugs, the availability of the signals and tower and various other factors which make it more of a dependent source of technology rather than a free usage means such as the conventional way of usage of educational sources. To many experts and critics the classical method of learning has been compromised and the students may be not be able to learn in the manner in which they may had been able to do so in past. The new methods may provide easier means of understanding yet they at the same time prove vulnerable with regard to the volatile nature of information. The presence of data and essential information on the online sources is always vulnerable to the direct, indirect internal and external threats. While the hard form books are least vulnerable to any kind of damage, the online resources and electronic books might be lost due to the operating systems failure, the network jamming, virus and other malware applications attacks or various other functions. The situation may get further complicated and worse when the events may take place during the exam days or other critical days of assignments submission and various other timings of importance. With the virtual means of learning and education, the conventional methods are compromised. For example in many cases the students may not be required to directly participate in the class room activities and may be facilitated attending the classes online. This reduces in the under development in terms of the socialization process and various other processes such as social development interaction, familiarity with different kinds of students and numerous other factors that would be possible only through the conventional form of learning and development. This factor may lead to have negative impact on the students in terms of the psychological aspect. Leading to a state and stage of overall underdevelopment of the students. This comes as a possible negative impact of technology. The usage of electronic readers and writers are considered as a threat and replacement to the conventional form of learning, writing and drawing, which in turn would result in the loss of creativity. People would end up becoming totally reliant upon the factor and presence of technology and in turn the factors such as establishment of individuals who end up becoming painters, drawing artists and other specialists would end up halting as a result of the digital patterns of writing and reading. Hence this comes as another negative of the technology and its incorporation in the field of education. Creativity is another factor that is being questioned and feared for with regard to the extensive usage of technology in the field of academic discipline. With array of information resources available and everything presented readymade and with little searching and exploration efforts needed this would lead to a direct negative impact in longer run in terms of the students ability to solving the problems themselves or finding the solutions in alternative methods (Rigobert). Privacy is another factor being associated with the negatives of technology. With the overall medium of internet being considered as least secure and with all the data present online, the assignments, quizzes, papers and students reports and records may fall directly vulnerable to the malicious sources operators and may lead to the negative usage of technology in one way or the other. Since technology keeps a fast pace and travels constantly through the developmental phases, a software that is most effective today stands as obsolete in few months time thereby every software needs upgrading along with the operating systems that are replaced by different versions and models. For example the Windows Xp was replaced by Windows Vista, then Windows 7 and now Windows 8. The applications also have their own patches and installing requirements which make it a regular job keeping the applications and devices updated with the requirements manuals and an additional concern and care for students as well as the administrators to look into while using technology for different sources. The state of the art devices are considerably expensive. This brings into debate the question of who would provide and support the applications for these devices. If it is up to parents to ensure presence of these devices that it is an additional burden upon them and if it is up to the administration then it is the government that manages for the students and administrators usage of these devices. Ensuring that all the staff members have the updated devices and state of the art applications also requires investment. Secondly installing the new devices such as video conferencing tools and other associated devices also requires keeping in view the consideration of costs and other variables. Excessive usage of the digital devices is associated with the negative impacts of technology over the health care (Metz and Turkson, 335). Various rays and other negatively impacting sources are termed associated with the excessive usage of these devices. The students at early ages in school who may use them may fall to the weak eye sight due to the bright lights and other radiations in the devices. Balance is being suggested in its usage and the overall costs factors that are associated with it. Partnerships with the technology developers would enable designing applications that are relatively lower in costs and more directly associated with the usage of those particular models in academic institutes which would facilitate the lower of costs and overall benefits to the users of technology as well as the administers and budget allocators who provide the universities and students with the digital devices and aim at promoting the use of technology in academic institutes. Conclusion: Technology is an effective tool and it facilitates us in multiple ways. Its presence is all around us and would further grow in times ahead, it is most effective in its usage provided it is properly used. Considerations such as reducing the dependency and relying on the self abilities and only using it as a machine for alternatives would allow for overall better usage of the technology and this in turn would reduce the overall negatives associated with the technology in one way or the other. 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