Texting in class researching with online databases procrastinating on Facebook experiencing the magic of Google — technology is everywhere in the lives of Pepperdine students and it’s clear that technology and education are becoming inextricably intertwined.
Think about it: Much of the research for papers and presentations is done online rather than sifting through books in the library. Many of your fellow college students sit around you in class typing dutifully — or checking Facebook and using their webcams. Riding the wave of technological advancement several classes at Pepperdine began an experiment with iPads this year. Two sections of each participating course are taught: one in which the students use typical classroom technology and one in which the students use iPads that are loaned to them for the semester. At the end of the semester students take a survey regarding their iPad use in relation to the classroom and the two sections are compared.
Another major technological trend has begun to sweep the educational community: e-books. Freshman Kailyn Neil said she used e-books this semester instead of buying physical copies.
“Downloading the books saved me over $100 this semester alone Neil said. I can keep hundreds of e-books in my bag more easily than one expensive book.”
Students such as Neil with an e-book reader (or Apple product with iBook capabilities) already in hand find it is more cost effective to purchase their textbooks electronically than to spend exorbitant amounts of money on heavy physical tomes from the bookstore or online. In addition e-books can be more convenient overall.
“Passages are easier to find when reading digital books because I can use the search field to find certain words or the chapter I want Neil said.
Chances are, with this added convenience and the already rising prevalence of e-books, this trend of purchasing textbooks electronically will become more widespread in years to come. This is a smart choice in terms of saving money and backaches, but with social networking, typed papers, Internet research and now e-books, won’t students get sick of staring at a screen?
While technology has, in some cases, made school much more convenient, it has also become a distraction and a hindrance to proper learning. Several of the lecture courses here, such as Humanities 111, have prohibited the use of electronic devices in class due to their distracting nature, showing a backlash against the initial embrace of technological convenience. Technology’s initially beneficial nature is balanced by its astounding capacity for enabling procrastination. Studies have also shown that students retain more information when they write their notes physically rather than type them — something about the kinesthetic action imprints the words into memory more effectively.
So all of this raises the question: What does the future of technology mean for the future of education? At the rate things are going, the two will grow together rather than apart. We will have all kinds of brand-new technology at our fingertips in a matter of years, the likes of which we cannot even imagine. No doubt, much of this will make an appearance in our classrooms. In many ways, technology has streamlined the process of education and made things more convenient. On the other hand technology has proven to be a major distraction. But, for better or for worse, technology is undeniably tied to our education system and will have to be embraced.