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Technology overload

Universities should be mindful that technology not devalue their academic experiences

Whether it’s MOOCs, collaborative virtual classrooms or Big Data, digital technology continues to change the face of higher education. Such changes can be positive, but university officials must be mindful that advances in technology don’t merely mask other shortcomings in academia.

The University recently purchased new language software called Mango, which will enable students to learn 60 different languages, but will not replace a foreign language course. The software was purchased because of positive feedback from users during a trial period last year. The University should be investing in new technological materials if the students desire them, but should still be mindful of what combination of technology and academia optimizes student learning, as some technological investments come at the expense of a quality learning experience.

The University of Colorado at Boulder committed to an e-book deal with Oxford Scholarship Online in order to save money last year, and the university will no longer be purchasing hard copies of textbooks from the publishing company. This might be a good way to cut down on the cost of textbooks, but it leaves students with fewer options and could upset professors by forcing them to rely too much on electronic materials.

Many professors do not allow the use of laptops or tablets in their classrooms, because they divert students’ attention from the material and can be distracting to peers. But a shift to e-books could force professors to reconsider those policies, if they want their students to reference their texts during the lectures or discussions. It is possible to print e-books once you have them, but for long textbooks this could become extremely tedious, and there is also the cost of ink and paper.

The limited availability of print textbooks could ultimately compromise the technology-free classrooms professors value because they feel such an environment better facilitates learning. And even when students study the materials on their own, some may feel they better absorb the material if they read from a hard copy of a book rather than a digital text.

Technology can be an excellent supplement to a learning environment. Some students may prefer to have an e-book because it is convenient, and some students may want to work with language software outside of the classroom if they desire their own individualized learning time. But whenever universities make decisions to invest in new digital technologies, they must remember to ask themselves whether the technology serves as a supplement or a replacement, and if it is the latter, what they might be losing.

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