Determine The Negative Impacts Technology Has On Learners (Research Paper Sample)

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INSTRUCTOR
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Technologies and the Quality of Learning
Introduction
Technology in education is continuously becoming part of the everyday activity during learning. Apart from simplifying and making learning fun technology have improved learning outcomes. Research done indicates that tremendous benefits are resulting from the use of technology in teaching. Institutions across the world have embraced the use of technology to enhance the learning outcomes of their students. Technology despite the many benefits associated presents some challenges to teachers and learners. These challenges have negatively affected the quality of learning in various ways.
How Technology Undermines The Quality Of Learning.
One of the most significant ways in which technology undermines the quality of learning is by disconnecting a learner from what is being taught in the classroom. Things such as social media on the technological devices distract the learners by taking away their concentration during classroom hours. Children can pretend to be listening to what is being taught, but they are thinking of how to play a game. These forms of distraction brought by the new technology hinder the students from understanding the content shared on these devices as well as what is being taught by the teachers (Storksdieck & Hunter). Tools such as laptops and mobiles have games and other apps that make it difficult for children learn because of their highly engaging nature. Creating a policy on zero tolerance on games in the classroom can help limit this problem however if children own these devices it becomes challenging to restrict them engaging in these activities. Thus the presence of other apps in these devices results in undermining learning through distraction ("5 Ways That Technology Can Undermine Your Higher Education - Onlineuniversities.Com").
Technology also limits the quality of learning by making students not have critical thinking skills based on the information provided by the internet. The presence of internet search engines has made it easy for students to access information quickly and get answers to questions asked. Students thus find it hard to exercise their brains and think of solutions without using the search engines. Presence of this technology breeds lazy students who only rely on already available information without engaging their minds to find out if they can remember the answer ("5 Ways That Technology Can Undermine Your Higher Education - Onlineuniversities.Com"). Lack of critical thinking due presence of solutions online has lead to a decline in the quality of learning as most students fail to use their brains as they prefer the quick research. Research indicates that frequent reliance on the internet leads to students failing to come up with new ideas find it difficult to answer questions that require critical thinking.
Student’s misuse of technological devices is another detrimental factor to the quality of education in the classroom. Quality of learning is affected when students keep procrastinating essential classroom activities to engage in online activities with friends and many other people across the world. By doing these students limit the chance to read the content and get a better understanding of what was being taught by the teacher. Without reading and understanding content due to focus on other activities provided the new technological materials individuals fails to use these education materials effectively.
Difficulties associated with new technology used in education are another detrimental factor that affects the quality of education. In most instances, devices beings used by learners get easily damaged, and repairs can take a lot of time ("Is Technology Affecting Teens' Education Negatively?"). Teachers serve as guidance on how to use this type of technologies and only a few posses’ skills that can enable them to repair these machines. Given the fragile nature of laptops and other devices that aid in learning, any technical problems or damages leads to a learner missing out essential lessons in the classroom thus hampering its quality. Delays in education are persistent because repairs need to be done and thus sometimes students get bored and might lose interest in the topic. Despite teachers, frequent preparation these technical difficulties are bound to arise and thus with technological challenges learning sometimes might not be fun.
Technology in education is undermining the quality of learning by preventing the students from learning essential skills such math, basic literacy and means of communicating effectively. These devices have made it very simple for students to learn through the introduction of things like calculators and spelling checkers that make their classwork easier. Students reliance on these technological devices has resulted in them avoid learning these needed skills in life, and the result is the poor quality of learni...