I am easily distracted by too much technology, so it would be safe to say that our students are too. My students are seemingly able to negotiate Twitter, Facebook, email and texting with ease, but I question whether they are really able to negotiate multiple streams of information—how much information are they paying attention to? If they are switching back and forth between technologies and attempting to focus in class, are they really listening to their teacher or classmates?
Students haven’t always faced such distractive technology—this makes me ponder my own high school experience, and seriously question what I was doing with my time. We did not have cell phones, and only the lucky few had a Walkman (though not allowed in class); so were we actually listening to the teachers? These days the majority of students have access to cell phones, and this technology is in the hands (pockets) of ~90% of my students, and the truth is, this type of technology is a distraction. I recognize that I am not able to pay full attention to someone [speaking to me] if I am attempting to read my email or text messages. Quite a few studies have looked into this fact, and have found that it is actually dangerous to negotiate multiple tasks--this is one of the key reasons that it is prohibited to talk or text on your cell phone while driving. Recently, I was reading a psychology article about the relationship between multi-tasking and productivity. One study found that it is possible to lose up to 40% of your productivity if you multi-task, because the reality is what you are doing is task-switching, not multi-tasking. People can’t actually do more than one task at a time. When you are constantly switching between tasks it takes more time to get things completed, you make more errors when switching, and if the tasks are complex, then the time and errors increase, and task switching is too taxing on the brain--the research shows that people can attend to only one cognitive task at a time. Back to the question: Do you think too much technology creates a distraction for students…quite simply, yes. Not that it is the fault of technology—I embrace technology and love what it allows us to accomplish—but it is ironic that although technology allows us to be more efficient and effective, and we are actually less (by 40%) efficient and effective thanks to our use of technology. Article: Multi-tasking “This is an exciting time of change for education in British Columbia” (B.C. Education Plan). The abundance of online technology tools have transformed the very nature of knowledge acquisition at an increasingly rapid pace. I envision that as a result of the ever-changing technological world, the very foundation of education will be altered and potentially abandoned forever. Over time, the traditional learning model will be gradually replaced with technological supported activities (along with a teacher) to support personalized learning environments—students will have the potential to customize their own education to fit their needs. Technology will give rise to seeing education as it should be done: a venue that allows students to specialize and focus their education, such that they are able to follow their interests and passions. There are many advantages to Web 2.0 and the rise of digital technologies, and the Internet is an effective and potent information system, but ultimately its greatest asset is about connection. The future of education seems to be heading towards a connected and collaborative pursuit. To learn online is to connect with people, tools and information in a way that has never been seen before in education. This is not new for today’s students, as social media and instant messaging have already had a profound effect on the delivery of information and how we communicate with each other. New communication tools have the potential to open new directions for teachers; I foresee that online learning will mark the end to the traditional one-way lecture model of communication, to one that teaches students that everything is about two-way communication, and supporting collaboration and participation in real world communities. Author and teacher, Seth Godin (2012), aptly conveys his thinking on education, stating that the future of education lies in a connected world, one that “…scarcity is replaced by abundance—an abundance of information, networks, and interactions.” With all the text messaging, twitter feeds, emails and online information (news, discussion groups, blogs…) we read on a daily basis, are we are impacting our ability to think clearly and intelligently? I know that on many occasions I’ve felt overwhelmed and discombobulated by the never ending technological input that is quite literally feeding (off) my brain. For instance, the CEET Meet I participated in was particularly demanding for a novice Twitter user; I felt that I was lost in a sea of technology, and that everyone else seemed to know exactly what was going on. According to Csíkszentmihályi (1997), I had lost my “state of flow”, such that the challenge exceeded my skill level (from Csíkszentmihályi map of different mental states).
Having recently viewed the YouTube video, Information Overload, I am not completely surprised by the by the grave facts and figures about the overuse of technology in our society. Do we really spend half of our year and twelve hours a day consuming information? The unfortunate aspect of this overload is our brain only takes in 10% of it, and while we are eating-up this not quite nutritious information (text messages, Twitter feeds, Facebook…), our brains are at risk of becoming re-wired, and we are less able to sustain attention. In an article I mentioned in our class discussion posts, one study found that multi-tasking is a misnomer, it is actually task-switching, as our brain is able to attend to one cognitive task at a time. An analogy to this was posed in which the author states that “…while all of us celebrate our ability to multitask, it’s really ‘serial’ tasking that we’re doing. In effect, we’re requiring our brain to act like a teenager learning to drive a five-speed: We’re shifting gears quickly and abruptly, and slamming on the brakes in the process. As it sounds, this is not always the best way to get from point A to point B.” Task-switching hinders our level of productivity (by 40%), as we spend more time “switching” from one activity to another, rather than staying focused on one task. When we constantly switch task (multi-task) or over-consume technology (watch TV, read email and text…), we are essentially obstructing our ability to listen and focus. The question is whether all of this technology is helping or hindering our lives. |
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