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Impact of Technology on this Generation

I hear the motors of a soaring plane whirring through the previously placid sky as I try to

concentrate and absorb what my math teacher is saying. As she explains how to expand the

maclaurin series for sin(x), she writes out the math on her blank sheet of paper- which is

projected on two screens that face either side of the classroom. The screen at the front of the

classroom is only connected to a projector while the screen on the right wall of the classroom is

also connected to a computer, thus having the ability to also show what appears on her computer

screen. Just as she finishes deriving the formula, all the lights suddenly black out and the

projector decides to hit sleep mode, with both screens following suit amidst a blinding white

flash. The math classroom is abruptly draped in a coat of pitch blackness that does not leave

mercy for us students to see anything around the classroom. Within a few minutes, we are

accustomed to this new dark environment and are able to navigate, to which my teacher proceeds

to find her cell phone. Fortunately, all teachers and staff members at Northgate have received a

message on Remind from Vice Principal Mr. Campopiano apologizing for a problem with the

electricity, and declaring that the lights would turn back on soon, thus classes should continue as

usual. In response to reading instant notification, my math class decides to move desks into a

circular arrangement by the window with streaming sunlight so that we can discuss math

problems from the previous night’s homework assignment.

It is these daily realizations of technology’s influence on today’s schooling system that

have often engendered in me speculation on how technological advancements of the 21st century

has drastically changed the way students approach education. Unlike former generations,

students today have access to the World Wide Web, an entire information system that provides

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answers to all inquiries at the tip of our fingers. Schools are compelled to incorporate technology

to prepare students of the next generation for life in the society that will make use of these new

technologies in every aspect- from traveling in self-driving cars to communicating with others

across the ocean via virtual reality projections. It is inevitable that with faster ways of

accomplishing things, the next generation will have to constantly learn and keep up with

advanced automation and machinery. Numerous observations of incorporation of these

technological advancements around my school environment sparked in me an interest to research

the critical question: How has technology of the 21st century changed the way students complete

their homework and learn?

In order to observe how higher education institutions are better preparing the next

generation of the workforce in technology literacy, I visited University of California San Diego.

The environment seemed full of energy at the top of the noon hour when the bright sun shined its

dazzling rays throughout the campus. Students roamed about to and fro buildings, some with

earbuds and phones on play, others adjusting smartwatches for their run. Everywhere I looked, I

could notice some form of twenty-first century tech inventions being used on that campus

ground. Varying stopping points have parked bikes with a meter and a scanner- these bikes can

be used by anyone to get from one side of campus to the other- so long as the person paid for the

ride through the app. Cafes welcomed me with tablets, listing the menu and providing an online

order form, then proceeding to provide me my order number. Inside a few of the lecture

classrooms were smartboards and projectors, connected to remote-type devices on each of the

students’ desk. If students have questions, they can type the question on their device and it will

project onto the screen. Similarly, if students want the professor to slow down, they can

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communicate that through their device by pressing a button. The integration of technology has

enabled class sizes to be bigger as speakers amplify the sound of professor’s lecture so all

400-600 students in the hall can listen and teachers share their notes online so students who did

not come to class can access material covered that day. We have the technology to thank for the

numerous study abroad opportunities that universities offer, as electronic mail, fax machines, the

World Wide Web, and other telecommunications have allowed for wider connectivity. The

greater use of novel scientific advancements in educational institutions has started the foundation

of a new education system, one better equipped to prepare the next generation to be better

equipped to meet the needs of a rapidly changing society.

One of the benefits cutting-edge technology has induced is increased efficiency. Students

can now manage time more effectively with apps that can plan out a schedule and persistently

send out reminders at a desired time. Novel technological tools can assist students in various

aspects of their lives, almost everything imaginable. Apps can plan out meals, outfits for the day,

show how one looks with various types of makeup, and make sure that users are drinking the

recommended amount of water daily. Because the internet is a large database of information,

people of this generation are able to find any information that is wanted within a few clicks and

swipes, and can access and learn knowledge at a faster pace, thus allowing more learning within

a less spent time. Technology does not only increase productivity of the student, but also the

teacher, who can use “softwares such as ClassFlow [a cloud-based software that serves as an

online classroom] that allows teachers to plan interactive, multimedia-rich lessons and create

assessments and assignments that can be delivered across a range of technologies for use in and

out of the classroom” (Paddick). Technology has enabled various software and apps to simplify

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daily activities, such as creating lesson plans, grading tests, and collecting assignments.

Scantrons, google classroom, and turnitin.com can be used to quickly check a student’s

assignment, and thus be quickly graded. Teachers can also make review sessions on sites such as

Kahoot, which makes reviewing faster, on the spot, and more interactive. Teachers can look at

real-time (or instant) feedback from games and apps that can gauge understanding of particular

topics, to determine what lessons need to be explained in greater detail. In a way, these tools

allow assessment of each individual in a class, which gives schools and instructors the ability to

design flexible assessment criteria that supports a wide range of student’s skills and

competencies. A teacher can determine which particular concepts a certain student may need

help in, and can adjust a lesson plan accordingly to fit that student’s needs. In addition to

completion of tasks done more efficiently, communication between teacher and student is also

much faster with the internet as a medium, and this results in more efficient study sessions that

takes into account time availability for both parties. As the benefits of technology are more

realized, schools have started to invest more in it. “Public schools in the United States now spend

more than $3 billion per year on digital content...In 2015-16, for the first time, more state

standardized tests for elementary and middle grades were administered via technology than by

paper and pencil” (Garrison, 121). Digital content such as ipads, Grammarly subscriptions, and

online textbooks makes student’s lives much easier, as these lightweight technological tools can

be transported easily and online resources can aid in student’s success. “Research demonstrates

that repetition, dialog (question and answer, point and counterpoint), collaborative learning, and

visualization and animation (using pictures to support learning) enhance learning” (Brown).

These techniques of learning are all brought by technology- such as 3D simulations, websites

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that challenge students as per skill level and ask harder questions as the level increases, and

online tutoring. The emergence of these ingenious machinery and electronics have not only

increased productivity in student’s lives, but also empowered more to become more adept at

various skills and be well-rounded.

Technology has helped make studying more interactive and collaborative; emails,

course-based websites, and chat-rooms have facilitated faster communication and teamwork

amongst students. Gabrielle Chwalik, a software engineer at Workday, mentioned that as a math

major at UC Davis, she would have 20 hours of homework per week if she did her homework

alone. But if she worked on the assignments with her peers, the workload would be 6 to 8 hours.

When she could not meet with her peers at a planned time, she could reach out to them at another

convenient time- through text or emails. “Research by education scholars has shown that

collaborative learning opportunities enhance recall, understanding, and problem solving”

(Hanna). Technology allows collaboration among people who do not meet face to face or even

live in the same geographical area. The ability to contact different people about a problem,

within the convenience of a home and available time, allows each individual to present and

discuss various problem-solving strategies. Chwalik also mentioned that at her job, the saying,

“good artists mimic, great artists steal” is very applicable, as programming is all about building

on top of each others’ work. There is no need for someone to start a project from scratch, and

most likely encounter all of the same obstacles that another has already solved, when one can

build on top of another’s work. Technology can historical data, so that past work can be tracked

and restored when an error occurs. Collaboration and discussion are key to progress. On the flip

side, Chwalik stated, technological advancements have also brought unanticipated problems.

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This includes an overwhelming wealth of knowledge on the internet for all to sift and categorize,

persistent distractions caused by games and instant messaging, and comparison complications

brought by photo sharing sites such as Instagram and Facebook.

A second impact that technology has on schools for this generation is increased

accessibility to resources. High school students can access and learn what students in college

cover because of the wealth of sources that new technology provides. The use of WiFi allows

students to access videos, pdf’s, the internet, interactive games, 3D simulations, and

question-answer sites such as Google where one can find an answer to any inquiries quickly.

Anyone can follow the research of professors from elite universities and learn alongside them in

the comfort of one’s home. The use of the world wide web has brought people from all over the

world to use the internet and share and explore together. “Students in one country can visit and

explore other countries digitally, and sites like Glovico can pair students from two different

countries to practice each other’s languages. Because becoming citizens of the world will be

more important than being citizens of a specific country, these experiences are critical for kids’

future success” (Jackson, 145). With the internet has come so many tools and resources that

people can use to their advantage, that previous generations could not. The article How Has

Technology Changed Education? specifies examples of the many resources students today have

access to:

Technology has greatly expanded access to education; massive amounts of information

(books, audio, images, videos) are available at one’s fingertips through the Internet, and

opportunities for formal learning are available online worldwide through Khan Academy,

MOOCs, podcasts, traditional online degree programs. Students can collaborate on group

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projects using technology-based tools such as wikis and Google Docs. The walls of the

classrooms are no longer a barrier as technology enables new ways of learning,

communicating, and working collaboratively (“How Has Technology Changed

Education?”).

More students can catch up on their schooling through online courses, and others can learn

subjects online while simultaneously attending school. For example, students can understand

chemical bonds and bond angles by looking at 3D models through online simulations. The visual

representation greatly speeds the learning process, as compared to reading about the subject

matter. This accessibility of resources has also enabled the advent of new teaching methods that

accommodate for certain students. If some students are visual learners, they will learn more by

observing online visuals, and teachers can show Youtube videos in class. If others are audio

learners, they will learn more by listening to lectures, and can record and listen to them at their

convenience. For more stimulated type activities, students can learn through interactive real-time

games. There are numerous formats that knowledge is presented on the world wide web, and

students can choose one format over another according to their preference. The abundant supply

of information is one of the greatest influences of advancements in technology.

A third impact of technological advancements of the twenty-first century is globalization.

While the world seems too big to travel everywhere in a lifetime, technology has managed to

make our Universe seem smaller as we learn visually and can connect with anyone around the

World. Due to the panacea of the internet, people can access it from any location around the

world. With this accomodation comes greater accessibility to what the internet has to offer.

“Online degree programs are now offered by accredited colleges and universities so that students

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whose work schedules do not allow them to attend on-campus classes can still obtain those

important degrees. Students with disabilities and handicaps that may prevent them from

attending brick and mortar campuses can enroll in e-learning courses and gain high school and/or

earn college credit” (Lombardi, 332). People from one corner of the Earth can access educational

materials from the other corner of the Earth. The various types of assets gained from using new

technologies are being realized and spread throughout the World. For example, augmented

reality glasses can take users to different created worlds, which would provide experiences and

perspectives that users may not have ever thought of before. As more and more schools and

educational institutions are discovering the benefits of using technology to teach this generation,

much more have invested funding into these tools. “With learning management systems (LMS),

teachers and students can discuss a homework, post assignments and collaborate projects even

though they are in different places. On a report released by MarketsandMarkets, the LMS market

size is expected to grow from USD 5.22 billion this year to 15.72 billion by 2021, at a compound

annual growth rate of 24.7%” (Charles, Fadel, and Trilling). Now, people from all over the globe

can connect and help each other, sometimes without them even knowing it- such as through

sharing stories on question answer databases such as Quora or posting solutions to questions on

Stack Overflow.

This comparison was drawn by Yogesh Bhardwaj, a software engineer at Salesforce. He

stated, “While textbooks still have a place in the classroom, the reality is that students are much

more likely to be found using a laptop or tablet or even a smartphone to support their studies by

researching on the Internet. Powered by software and apps and presented on the latest

touchscreen displays, lessons are delivered in a much more engaging manner”. Today,

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homework and assignments are available as downloadable material, resulting in an educational

experience different from that of decades ago, in that classrooms are much more interactive,

students are much more engaged with each other through other mediums besides just meeting in

the classroom, and students from all around the globe can meet and study together. As Bhardwaj

pointed out to me, “Nowadays, you guys can just take photos of information that you want to

look at later, and increase the speed of note-taking by recording lectures and transcribing them

through apps. Back in the day, we had to do so much laborious work to have records of what we

were studying in class, I estimate the time for you guys has cut in half”. Students of this

generation know the tips and tricks of fast note taking that students of past generations did, but in

addition to that, students of the current generation also have apps that aid in daily life activities

and improve efficiency.

This generation has learned how to use the new technologies to their advantages, and

these applications have greatly impacted the way students learn and complete homework at

school, whether that be for the better or not in the long run. On the positive side, more students

spend time learning code so they can design and create their own applications that can help them

overcome certain obstacles in their lifetime. With the use of the numerous applications and

software available on the world wide web, students have figured out how to do more in less time

and be more efficient. The fast-paced lives of students today do not compare to the daily

activities that a student of past decades would have gone through. College applications demand

much more in a student than they ever have in history, and the increased comparing amongst

students has led to behavior that would have been considered unethical in the past. However,

most of these new technologies were created with good intentions, and those have served their

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purpose well. Now, students have access to more resources, which results in pervasive sharing

and communication. The globalization of the internet has led to great things, and students just

have to wait to see what will come out of it for the next generations.

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Works Cited

Bhardwaj, Yogesh. Software Engineer. Personal Interview. 4 March 2018

Brown, David G. ​Teaching with Technology​. Anker 2000

Hanna, Donald E. ​Higher Education in an Era of Digital Competition: Choices and Challenges.

Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing, 2000.

Charles, Fadel, and Trilling, Bernie. ​21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times​. John

Wiley & Sons, 2009.

Chwalik, Gabrielle. Software Engineer. Personal Interview. 26 February 2018.

Garrison, D. R. ​E-Learning in the 21st Century: a Framework for Research and Practice​.

Routledge, 2011.

“How Has Technology Changed Education?” Purdue University Online, 25 Apr. 2017,

online.purdue.edu/ldt/learning-design-technology/resources/how-has-technology-changed

-education. Accessed 15 Feb. 2018.

Jackson, Anthony W., et al. ​Turning Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in the 21st Century​.

Teachers College Press, 2000.

Lombardi, Marilyn M. ​Authentic Learning for the 21st Century: An Overview​. Edited by Diana

G. Oblinger, Educause Learning Initiative, May 2007,

www.researchgate.net/profile/Marilyn_Lombardi/publication/220040581_Authentic_Lea

rning_for_the_21st_Century_An_Overview/links​. Accessed 16 Feb. 2018.

Paddick, Rebecca. “Five Ways Technology Has Changed Teaching and Learning.” Education

Technology, 1 July 2016,

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edtechnology.co.uk/Article/five-ways-technology-has-changed-teaching-and-learning.

Accessed 15 Feb. 2018.

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