There are few places in the world where you can’t find a mobile device. In North America, at nearly every level of education from pre-school to post-secondary institutions, technology plays a role in some form within the pedagogy. “This new paradigm of teaching and learning also raises plenty of challenges new and old, from developing robust technology infrastructure to supporting skeptical faculty members, ensuring accessibility for all students and keeping up with the increasingly rapid pace of technological advancement” (Lieberman, 2019).
Even when the delivery of information isn’t designed with technology in mind, technology can still play a role in helping students learn. According to Sung et al. (2016), mobile devices have a greater overall effect than desktop computers or on students not using such devices. According to the researchers, “the actual impact of mobile learning programs needs to be enhanced by longer intervention durations, closer integration of technology and the curriculum, and further assessment of higher-level skills” (Sung et al., 2016)
In the search for an antithesis to the claim that mobile technology improves learning, I discovered some research from the University of Alabama. Mendoza et al (2017) found that mobile devices can be both a distraction and an impediment to learning. However, the researchers suggest that educators can reduce the impact by structuring their lessons in small increments of 10-15 minutes. “By observing patterns of when attention begins to decrease, educators and students can plan ahead and use appropriate methods to prevent distractions in classrooms as well as implement break intervals to restore attention.” (Mendoza et al, 2017).
Based on the findings by Mendoza et al., is technology impacting pedagogy and delivery even when it isn’t a tool being used in the classroom? When educators segment their lessons into digestible portions to be more palatable for students, is that change partially due to how learners acquire information outside the classroom using their devices? Perhaps technological advancements are not only impacting education as a tool for disseminating information but also in the manner in which we acquire knowledge.
That is a long prelude to say that I would like to see a technology that adapts to me. Sure, virtual assistants and browsers may anticipate my needs based on my search history, but what if I just wake up one morning and want to be left alone. What if I am lonely the next day, and want to feel connected.I think we probably are closing in on a smart technology like this perhaps the family robot; or our very own R2-D2. That would be fun.
References
Lieberman, M. (2019, Feb. 23). Mobile devices transform classroom experiences and student/instructor relationships to learning. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/02/27/mobile-devices-transform-classroom-experiences-and
Sung, Y., Chang, K., & Liu, T. (2016). The effects of integrating mobile devices with teaching and learning on students’ learning performance: A meta-analysis and research synthesis. Computers and Education, 94, 252-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.11.008
Mendoza, J. S., Pody, B. C., Lee, S., Kim, M., & McDonough, I. M. (2018). The effect of cellphones on attention and learning: The influences of time, distraction, and nomophobia. Computers in Human Behavior, 86, 52-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.04.027
Hi Sam, this is a fascinating question and raises some profound issues. The American writer, Nicholas Carr has claimed that the experience of living 24/7 in continuous, immersive, technology-mediated environments is structurally changing our brains. Here’s a reference to an article that discusses his thesis in The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/aug/15/internet-brain-neuroscience-debate. If a consensus can be drawn from the views given, it would be that yes, our brains probably are changing, but that even if this were true, it may not be a problem since these changes will make them functionally more efficient at enmeshing with technology. That is, as evolutionary adaptions, they will enhance our ability to thrive in the lived environment. In one sense, this has always been happening; Dr. Rachel Carmody has argued that, by providing leisure time and calories, fire and cooking were essential preconditions for the development of large brains in Homo Sapiens. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-fire-makes-us-human-72989884/ A logical next step might be to address this proactively by studying these changes and modifying our technology to account for them, so that we can make the interface between mind and machine frictionless.
Thanks for sharing these articles Gary. I think there is an definite value in maintaining a linkage between technology and how we, as humans, perceive our world.