Gains, Losses, and Promises for a Better Future
In their broadcast, Engell and O’Donnell highlight some interesting points for discussion regarding shifting technologies. One point that stood out to me particularly was how new technologies bring both gains and losses. We develop and invent new technologies primarily to make our lives easier or to “fix” societal problems, but in doing so, new problems are created in their places. Sometimes, it can even result in an avalanche effect, creating a multitude of problems.
Additionally, it is difficult to say what technologies will stay and which will become obsolete. Engell and O’Donnell use the example of storage systems. With information management being crucial in this technological age, storage systems are constantly being replaced by newer models and mechanisms, as are their accompanying software and hardware. When even one of these components becomes obsolete, one must reinvest a sum of money in order to upgrade or replace it. This is a major issue within Educational institutions currently, where schools are having to upgrade the technologies they have implemented online and within classrooms. It is not only costly but redundant for faculty and students to have to reacclimate themselves with the new systems. An example of this may include the Vancouver School Board stepping away from the use of SmartBoards, or more recently, UBC’s switch from the Connect LMS to Canvas.
This makes me question whether the end goal is to find something sustainable and long-lasting, or to integrate the newest and best technology in the moment. As Engell and O’Donnell say, we must “make rational choices and rational application of technology through our problems without either being hypnotized by the technology or hypnotized by the threats or promises the technology seems to offer” (Engell & O’Donnell, 1999). As such, we must revaluate our selection processes by thinking further ahead into the future. Although it may be difficult, we must attempt to anticipate the shifts and trends in technology from global, social, and political perspectives, not just local ones.
Integration and Dissemination
Engell and O’Donnell state that, “In a purely oral society without the written word, what you knew consisted of what you knew yourself, or other real people who knew these things” (Engell & O’Donnell, 1999). However, in this technological era, information via the written world is able to be distributed to an infinitely wider audience. Willinsky attests to this, saying, “we live in a dizzying world, where scientists produce a stream of research, and each new study seems to contradict the previous one” (Willinsky, 2002, p. 15). With such an excessive wealth of information at one’s fingertips, it is imperative that people are able to sift through information that is false or irrelevant. This touches upon what Engell and O’Donnell refer to as the ‘Dissemination of Trash’, where online technology perpetuates the circulation and distribution of fake, useless and baseless information. The possibilities are endless if we as a society are able to filter such information wisely, but not being able to do so will also work against us and be our downfall.
In light of this, I find myself in agreement with Willinsky’s advocation of open access of educational research to the public. By providing public access and exchanging research freely on a global scale, not only will we have a better-informed public, but medical and scientific advancements will also increase. This is not to say that people will not have to filter information as a result, but rather, that we should increase access to scholarly databases in order to have more reputable, vetted information sources to which we can turn to and rely on.
References
Engell, J. (Presenter) & O’Donnell, J. (Presenter). (1999). From Papyrus to Cyberspace [radio broadcast]. Retrieved from https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/4290/files/609973/preview
Willinsky, J. (2002). Education and Democracy: The Missing Link May Be Ours. Harvard Educational Review, 72(3), 367-392.
Zale Darnel
June 4, 2018 — 9:20 pm
Hi Stephanie
Great post, I enjoyed the fact that there are 2 different ideas here, but that both are related in the big picture.
New Technology = new problems – I love this concept because it is so easy to relate to. All of us have probably experienced the old TV on a cart with a VCR still floating around the school or buried in the back of a closet. I finally decided that it was crazy to have the technology dinosaurs at my school so I have been disposing of them. In fact today I said to a grade 7 student, something about a VCR and he looked at me blankly and said “I don’t know what that is”. Made me feel old 😉
I love your example of smart boards at VSB, this is another example of changing tides of technology. When smart boards were at their peak, I remember everyone wanting them, now, they are not much better than the old TV on the cart. In fact, I believe that my district doesn’t even support the software for them anymore. Right now IPad’s are the current tech of choice, and it is my hope that this one has some staying power. Interestingly, in line with what Engell and O’Donnell are referring to regarding technology creating gains and losses, IPad’s are an amazing tool, but managing them, can be challenging. School districts output significant cost for these devices and within 3 years they need to be replaced again. On top of this, app management can be complicated and challenging on large number of devices. So with all this money and time being invested in IPad’s, will they go the way of the smart board? I was reading an article from CNN Tech that stated in the US, “Five years ago, Google overtook Apple as the preferred technology company in US schools. Its Chromebooks make up almost 60% of mobile devices shipped to schools, according to Futuresource Consulting. Microsoft (MSFT) has a slight lead over Apple, but both claim around 20% of the market (Kelly, 2018).” So this got me thinking, how long before we move away from IPads to a less expensive technology too.
Your second point of Integration and Dissemination seems like we are talking about open source software. A quick google search revealed to me that open source software has driven many major tech advances. Therefore at first glance having educational research follow the same lines seems to make a lot of sense to me. However, I would guess that there is a lot more to this argument. It might make an interesting research paper one day.
Zale
Kelly, H. (2018, March). Why Apple struggles to get more iPads in schools. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/29/technology/apple-ipad-schools/index.html
Engell, J. (Presenter) & O’Donnell, J. (Presenter). (1999). From Papyrus to Cyberspace [radio broadcast]. Retrieved from https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/4290/files/609973/preview
King, B. (2018, February 16). 7 Ways Open-Source Software Changed the World. Retrieved from https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/open-source-changed-world/
Stephanie Kwok
June 11, 2018 — 11:47 am
Thank you for your comments, Zale!
Loved your connections to the use of iPads. I hope they have some staying power also, as they function simply enough for the majority of students and staff members to understand how to use them. At our school, we have a set of older iPads, and a set of newer iPad minis. There is already such a big difference in what they are able to do – we have to book them based on what we need them for (the older ones don’t have cameras, and their charging ports are different). The biggest downside is their cost, so I am definitely looking forward to the day when we can move onto something cheaper, although it also feels like we are just throwing money down the drain by constantly switching systems!
Stephanie