The Effect of Technology on Students

The Samsung Galaxy S9 debuts on the technology platforms worldwide, and we look at how it’s arrival is going to cause ripples in the technological horizon.

Advancement in technology has led to the acceleration of pace in different industries i.e. manufacturing, retail, communications, transportation etc. The domino effect reflects a trickling down to individual personal and professional objectives.

The fact cannot be ignored that technology is playing a great role in all activities and undertakings. Let’s look at how technology has changed the landscape for millennials and today’s students.

1. Access to more information that imagined

Today’s students have access to more information than was available 10, 20, 30 years ago. It is estimated that the information within the fingertips of the average student is more than what was accessible to the President of the United States a decade ago.

For example, on the internet, the student has access to information not only domestic subjects or courses, but information on similar courses in other schools, worldwide.

2. Access to premium technology

Looking like the modern version of ‘Aladdin’s lamp’, with the availability of tech tools like smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc., millennials now have within their reach every tool necessary to advance their educational pursuits.

3. Proliferation of tools and options

Left, right, all over the tech industry, wherever we look, there are several options with which a task or an objective can be carried out. Use Microsoft Word or Google Docs to script out your essays. Looking for alternatives to the paid Microsoft Office package? Students can try LibreOffice.

4. Access to more education

The debate continues about the efficacy of the classroom versus self-paced learning methods. Now, millennials can join in this debate. As there are several options in which students can gain the knowledge needed for their education, from traditional schools, to online alternatives, the student has a wider range of options to select from.

5. Access to cheaper and premium quality education

In the technology environment, ‘free’ is the new ‘cheap’. With the availability of different learning avenues on the internet, education do not have to be accessed at ‘competitive’ prices. Check out websites like edX or Coursera. Wanting to expand your choices? Alison or FutureLearn are exciting options. With a computer and an internet dongle, students can get up to speed on career goals, at the price of ‘free’.

6. Speed in communication and without boundaries

Starting from human courier, homing pigeons, telegrams, fax, and now email, online chat rooms, and instant messaging tools, students have the ability to communicate immediately with peers, other students from different parts of the world. Not only can they reach out to their peer group, there is also the bonus of ‘real-time’ interaction.

7. Availability of ‘more’ time

Technology does not only enable students to get more done faster, it also helps to completely channel some tasks, so they don’t have be done at all.

E-dictionaries enable students do have to access to large database of words. QAA websites helps students to get answers to the most complex problems. Websites like https://writingpeak.co.uk/ essay writing service enable students to not only complete their writing objectives timely, but also help them improve on their expertise.

8. Knowledge marketplace

Presently, not only do students have access to existing information on websites, they also have access to ‘real-time’ information and answers to their questions. With Yahoo! Answers, Quora, Reddit, etc., now students can ask questions on any topic they have, and get real time and up-to-date responses from industry professionals.

7. E-learning tools

Excitement beckons the student of the 21st century. The invention of Virtual Reality devices has provided for an immersive experience for present-day students. Not only do they learn about the past, the present, modern technology and the future, they also get to experience these in real time.

8. Productivity tools

With technology tools, students can now do more with less time. Project management tools like Trello and Asana help put assignments and reading schedules in front of the student, ensuring they are up on their study goals always. Time management tools like Google Calendar and Tomato Timer help students stay focused for the duration of assigned tasks.

Altogether, we wouldn’t say technology has a utopian positive effect. Like every tool, hiding in the ‘Dr. Jekyll’ is a ‘Mr. Hyde’. Let’s look at the other effects of technology:

1. Distraction

Having technology tools also offer students the challenge to deviate from prescheduled tasks and assignments. With music, movies and games available on tech devices, there is now the potential to move from demanding tasks to veer into the path of the entertaining unknown.

2. Dearth (or is it ‘death’?) in focus and concentration

The modern education environment is filled with ‘pings’, ‘rings’ and ‘tones’, and this is reflected in the hyperactivity of today’s students. Having to meet term paper deadlines, while expected to respond to ‘instant messaging’, students are having a time concentrating, and completing scheduled projects and tasks.

3. Probably, just ‘too much’ exposure

Exposure to lots of information could present students with the too much choices and the difficulty in making selections. Also, with access to unmonitored information, with worldwide news and events available on communication platforms, today’s students are at the risk of taking in unhealthy and damaging information.

Concluding, it is exciting the possibilities that technology brings to the present-day millennials. However, the need to mitigate the risks associated to tech tools and devices are also important.