Aaron Thompson, III Draft 3 Ingram 4/9/2013

Does Technology Have a Positive Impact on Education?

In the mid-1980s, computing manufacturing giants such as Apple Inc. and Microsoft began to introduce their products to classroom educators and school administrators. There intentions were to make student learning more automated and easily accessible in order to make schooling more efficient and universally connected. As a student who has grown up with technology in school, I can relate to this issue personally. Many teachers and the students of todays world are in seemingly unanimous agreement on the positive impacts that technology use brings. The American Institute for Research, which concocted the first research studies on educational technology use, gathered that around 13% of high schools in 1975. A recent poll conducted by the FCC concludes that in 2010, 97% of schools across the nation reported they had implemented technology use in one way or another. Most of these schools reported above average scores on standardized tests for math, science, and English subjects. With the overwhelming reliance and demand for technology in schools, many teachers and students have been strongly supportive. They claim that having access to the Internet allows them to complete homework at a faster pace, gives them access to thousands of resources in the blink of an eye, and even keep up with

assignments while out of school. As technology continues to spread, many doubters and skeptics have questioned the effectiveness of technology and schooling. How does technological innovation impact the students learning abilities? They claim that using technology could prove to be a major distraction to students. The students of today have been accustomed to technology use and have the knowledge to abuse technology. With all the major social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, this can prove to be a major problem for many teachers and parents. However, with all this in mind, it is still proven that using technology in educational facilities has had a major positive impact on students learning both in and outside the classroom. According to research conducted by the University of Minnesota, many students reportedly had a positive outlook on using technology in their everyday pursuit in education. The results claim the majority of students that were in attendance during the spring 2009 semester generally found technology was easy to use and gave little hassle, and helped automate their educational experience (pg. 11 of 21 Century Students: Technology Survey University of Minnesota Twin Cities). Many students felt this way because they grew up in a culture that was heavily reliant on technological advancements. As a result, people in this day in age are influenced by this increasingly overwhelming need to stay up-to-date. With this notion in mind, our generation is forced to constantly learn to operate new gadgets and software.

On a different note, many students have claimed that with the speed and productivity of the Internet, homework has become a lot easier to complete in a timely manner. They can access thousands tools and resources within the blink of an eye. Students can watch live videos, look at pictures, and read online textbooks and encyclopedias without having to leave the classroom or even the couch. With the addition of online messaging and emailing, teachers and students can stay in contact with each other, even while they are out of school. Robert Calvin, who is a contributor for many IT companies, says that automating class assignments can help students fit their schoolwork right in with their work schedule. They can also receive structural criticism and feedback from teachers and other students as well. A study conducted by John Schacter of the University of California at Los Angeles has indicated a positive correlation among students who actively used technology with their education. Schacter, whose research covered testing scores from West Virginia, California, Tennessee, Minnesota, and Ohio, concluded that technology use in classrooms helped students achieve more knowledge in the classroom. There academic improvements helped to boost their enthusiasm and thus improved their general outlook on schoolwork. His work includes research done by James A. Kulik that compared the testing scores between students who used computers and those who didnt. The results showed that not only did technology use help improve test scores, but it also helped to increase the learning abilities and habits of those same students as well. In addition to the improvement of test scores, students that attend school with a technology-based curriculum are said to have more motivation. According to

Lora Evanouski of Boise State University, technology stirs creativity in their minds and the possibilities are greatly expanded. On top of this, the easy accessibility is a great for students to keep up with their schoolwork in case they miss school for any reason. With the information provided in the above paragraphs, it is apparent that technology has a positive impact on the students learning abilities as well as the general atmosphere in the classrooms. This notion has been proven true through the accounts of actual students along with various studies performed by academic institutions throughout the country. Along with these results, many experts have also been able to make observations on how technology positively impacts students academic performance. In conclusion, there is no doubt that technology positively impacts the general performance and atmosphere in schools across the country.