Technology's Place in Education

Is technology helping or hurting our education system in America? According to the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, technology in the form of epistemic video games give students the tools to "learn by doing" (p. 13), thus helping them to inhibit certain professions through role-playing. On the other side of the spectrum is Richard Ohmann, who argues that while technology is somewhat beneficial, it is being over-used in the classroom.

In the article “Video Games and the Future of Learning”, it is pointed out that epistemic video games bring gamers opportunities to inhibit job roles via game console. It is argued that this sort of interactive learning is more beneficial to students than traditional study styles as it allows students to become what they are learning about as opposed being talked at.

According to Richard Ohmann, author of “Computers and Technology”, technology does have its place in the classroom, but is being too heavily relied on overall. For example, students are using the internet “for horsing around or meeting extracurricular needs” (Ohmann, p.2) instead of using it for research. They are playing games during class or, in the case of adult students, multi-tasking by checking stocks, writing e-mails, or getting office work done. Computers are also sometimes used as a shortcut to learning-the easy way out. Parents and teachers should re-evaluate how often they substitute technology for interactive learning. Not every computerized game is a learning tool. Interactive learning needs to outweigh electronic learning. In other words, our reliance on computers and technology in general should not be brought into the classroom.

So what is the big deal with having technology in the classroom? It may be helpful in certain senses, such as epistemic games for mind stimulation, but overall the classroom is just another market for computer companies. My point is not that we should nix technology altogether, but that we need to be a little more wary of how much we depend on it-especially in a learning environment. In today’s technology savvy society, it has never been more important in the business world to be in touch with all the gadgets and how they work. However, pushing this in classrooms may not be the answer. Yes, computers may help with neatness of papers and certain class projects, but students still need to interact with their teachers and know how to get research from books. Schools need to be treated as such, and computer companies need to respect that and take their business elsewhere.