Although innovations such as video, computers, and the Internet seem to offer schools improved methods for instructing students, these technologies all too often distract from real learning.
The world has witnessed an unprecedented technological advancement in last few decades influencing every profession and area including education. The statement contends that while the technological innovations such as computers, videos and the internet apparently offer schools improved method of teaching, actually end up distracting students from meaningful learning. Though if not used judiciously and sensibly, technological aids can serve to divert from learning; otherwise their benefits, by far, outweigh their potential demerits.
Certainly, technological innovations have given new dimensions to pedagogy. The theory of ‘Learning pyramid’ states that mere use of audio visual aids can increase knowledge retention to 20% as opposed to 5% through lecture. When students are taught about historical events or characters through videos, animations and movies, not only the learning experience becomes interesting but it also helps students to retain information vividly. Moreover, understanding complex scientific concepts and ideas requires powerful imagination which may be lacking in some students. For example, understanding the structure of molecular orbitals or crystalline solids, given their three dimensional nature and complexities is not easy when explained through textbook schematics. 3D animations have made the task much easier for teachers to transfer such kind of knowledge and ideas to their wards. Simulation such as Urban Science, which is based on the reconstruction of the city of Wisconsin, Madison, allows students to experiment with their ideas for unlimited trials and errors and can considerably enhance their creativity.
Technological aids like computer and internet also improve teachers’ and students’ work efficiency thus giving them more time. For example, though in the past, assignments meant days of perusal in libraries and other knowledge resources for students, are now a matter of few hours thanks to ‘Google’. Students can use the saved time for leisure or other recreational activities thus preventing burnout; whereas teachers through audio-video lectures can save time to focus on designing projects and student counselling. Technology further enables students to learn at their pace and will, thus encouraging self-learning. Students can decide the content and its depth they want to learn. This increases their participation and hence learning. Beyond classroom teaching, the benefits of innovations extend to a global scale in the form of online teaching. From high school students to graduate scholars, all can defy the geographical boundaries to avail affordable or free education at home. While, MIT’s open course software is providing world-class education to college freshmen; Khan Academy is enlightening school students for free.
However, misuse of technology, like in any other case, can also impede learning. Students can always be distracted while browsing the internet by their favourite movie, game or adult content. Such a potential demerit, therefore, must be controlled using OpenDNS-type website blocking software. Some may argue that novelty of innovations may be too appealing and distracting for students to focus on studies. However, such fascination usually wanes with time. Similarly, teachers must not over rely on technology to save their work and efforts for every subject including language, music, painting, etc. Whether it is public speaking, subtleness of word pronunciations or craft skills, nothing can be more effective than personal face-to-face instructions for such topics. Teachers must also ensure the classroom atmosphere should not become passive either on their part or on students’, though intermittent interactions and discussions.
In the final analysis, the statement overlooks the myriad psychological and tangible benefits that innovations have brought to the learning process. It has not only provided enhanced learning in the schools but also to the multitude across the globe though virtual classrooms. While non judicious and non-regulated use of innovations may be harmful for students, their advantages are too many to concur with the statement.
Comments
Essay evaluations by e-grader
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 101, Rule ID: AFFORD_VB[1]
Message: This verb is used with the infinitive: 'to pyramid'
Suggestion: to pyramid
...ns to pedagogy. The theory of ‘Learning pyramid’ states that mere use of audio visual a...
^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 1136, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
... enlightening school students for free. However, misuse of technology, like in a...
^^^^^^
Line 7, column 305, Rule ID: MASS_AGREEMENT[2]
Message: Possible agreement error - use third-person verb forms for singular and mass nouns: 'argues'.
Suggestion: argues
...ype website blocking software. Some may argue that novelty of innovations may be too ...
^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, also, apparently, but, hence, however, if, look, may, moreover, similarly, so, therefore, thus, whereas, while, as for, as to, for example, kind of, such as
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 14.0 19.5258426966 72% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 19.0 12.4196629213 153% => OK
Conjunction : 30.0 14.8657303371 202% => Less conjunction wanted
Relative clauses : 8.0 11.3162921348 71% => More relative clauses wanted.
Pronoun: 23.0 33.0505617978 70% => OK
Preposition: 73.0 58.6224719101 125% => OK
Nominalization: 18.0 12.9106741573 139% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 3571.0 2235.4752809 160% => OK
No of words: 609.0 442.535393258 138% => Less content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.86371100164 5.05705443957 116% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.96768813016 4.55969084622 109% => OK
Word Length SD: 3.10593118808 2.79657885939 111% => OK
Unique words: 354.0 215.323595506 164% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.581280788177 0.4932671777 118% => OK
syllable_count: 1071.0 704.065955056 152% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.8 1.59117977528 113% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 3.0 6.24550561798 48% => OK
Article: 5.0 4.99550561798 100% => OK
Subordination: 5.0 3.10617977528 161% => OK
Conjunction: 0.0 1.77640449438 0% => OK
Preposition: 5.0 4.38483146067 114% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 30.0 20.2370786517 148% => OK
Sentence length: 20.0 23.0359550562 87% => OK
Sentence length SD: 47.7628865683 60.3974514979 79% => OK
Chars per sentence: 119.033333333 118.986275619 100% => OK
Words per sentence: 20.3 23.4991977007 86% => OK
Discourse Markers: 5.53333333333 5.21951772744 106% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 4.97078651685 101% => OK
Language errors: 3.0 7.80617977528 38% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 23.0 10.2758426966 224% => Less positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 4.0 5.13820224719 78% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 3.0 4.83258426966 62% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.287354333878 0.243740707755 118% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0698411949183 0.0831039109588 84% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0649399204914 0.0758088955206 86% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.164031887017 0.150359130593 109% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0535372481521 0.0667264976115 80% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 16.3 14.1392134831 115% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 34.26 48.8420337079 70% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.92365168539 111% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 13.5 12.1743820225 111% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 16.71 12.1639044944 137% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 10.25 8.38706741573 122% => OK
difficult_words: 217.0 100.480337079 216% => Less difficult words wanted.
linsear_write_formula: 12.5 11.8971910112 105% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.0 11.2143820225 89% => OK
text_standard: 17.0 11.7820224719 144% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 83.33 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 5.0 Out of 6
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 101, Rule ID: AFFORD_VB[1]
Message: This verb is used with the infinitive: 'to pyramid'
Suggestion: to pyramid
...ns to pedagogy. The theory of ‘Learning pyramid’ states that mere use of audio visual a...
^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 1136, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
... enlightening school students for free. However, misuse of technology, like in a...
^^^^^^
Line 7, column 305, Rule ID: MASS_AGREEMENT[2]
Message: Possible agreement error - use third-person verb forms for singular and mass nouns: 'argues'.
Suggestion: argues
...ype website blocking software. Some may argue that novelty of innovations may be too ...
^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, also, apparently, but, hence, however, if, look, may, moreover, similarly, so, therefore, thus, whereas, while, as for, as to, for example, kind of, such as
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 14.0 19.5258426966 72% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 19.0 12.4196629213 153% => OK
Conjunction : 30.0 14.8657303371 202% => Less conjunction wanted
Relative clauses : 8.0 11.3162921348 71% => More relative clauses wanted.
Pronoun: 23.0 33.0505617978 70% => OK
Preposition: 73.0 58.6224719101 125% => OK
Nominalization: 18.0 12.9106741573 139% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 3571.0 2235.4752809 160% => OK
No of words: 609.0 442.535393258 138% => Less content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.86371100164 5.05705443957 116% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.96768813016 4.55969084622 109% => OK
Word Length SD: 3.10593118808 2.79657885939 111% => OK
Unique words: 354.0 215.323595506 164% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.581280788177 0.4932671777 118% => OK
syllable_count: 1071.0 704.065955056 152% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.8 1.59117977528 113% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 3.0 6.24550561798 48% => OK
Article: 5.0 4.99550561798 100% => OK
Subordination: 5.0 3.10617977528 161% => OK
Conjunction: 0.0 1.77640449438 0% => OK
Preposition: 5.0 4.38483146067 114% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 30.0 20.2370786517 148% => OK
Sentence length: 20.0 23.0359550562 87% => OK
Sentence length SD: 47.7628865683 60.3974514979 79% => OK
Chars per sentence: 119.033333333 118.986275619 100% => OK
Words per sentence: 20.3 23.4991977007 86% => OK
Discourse Markers: 5.53333333333 5.21951772744 106% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 4.97078651685 101% => OK
Language errors: 3.0 7.80617977528 38% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 23.0 10.2758426966 224% => Less positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 4.0 5.13820224719 78% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 3.0 4.83258426966 62% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.287354333878 0.243740707755 118% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0698411949183 0.0831039109588 84% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0649399204914 0.0758088955206 86% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.164031887017 0.150359130593 109% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0535372481521 0.0667264976115 80% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 16.3 14.1392134831 115% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 34.26 48.8420337079 70% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.92365168539 111% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 13.5 12.1743820225 111% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 16.71 12.1639044944 137% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 10.25 8.38706741573 122% => OK
difficult_words: 217.0 100.480337079 216% => Less difficult words wanted.
linsear_write_formula: 12.5 11.8971910112 105% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.0 11.2143820225 89% => OK
text_standard: 17.0 11.7820224719 144% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 83.33 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 5.0 Out of 6
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.