Debate archive: Continuing introduction of new technologies and new media adds little to the quality of most education

Economist Online Debate Series

Click here to enter the Economist debate on this proposition, which took place in October, 2007.

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Background and Context of Debate:

This debate proposition was coordinated by the Economist.com's Debate Series between October 16 and October 23rd, 2007. The debate stems from a series of questions and concerns surrounding the increasing use of the latest technologies in educational systems.

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Learning: Does technology detract from individual learning?

Yes

• Technological gadgets are relied on at the cost of theoretical pretexts - Tools like calculators, for example, are used at the cost of understanding the underlying theoretical pretexts of the match that is being performed.

• There is a negative relationship between computer-use and learning - Multiple studies draw this conclusion.

• Computers and the Internet offer too many distractions from real learning - While there may be an infinite array of possible learning avenues via tech and online tools, there is also end infinite array of possible distractions, including such things as IMing, Facebook, and other destinations that could be considered distractions from real learning.

• There is no clear correlation between technology and test scores - Multiple studies draw this conclusion. While does not necessarily indicate that technology is bad for education it may indicate that it "adds little".

• Teaching technologies cuts into the opportunity to teach core values and competencies - Core values are taught in inter-personal, inspirational interactions, which are sacrificed by the presence of technology.

• Communicating via computers undermines interpersonal skill development - Communicating via writing all day over the Internet is not an effective way to advance important interpersonal skills.

• Internet surfing is not a good way to experience reality and the world.

• Internet addiction for youth is a real problem

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No

• Technology allows for greater individual learning - Anyone with a computer can get online today and gain access to an endless array of knowledge. Such individual access and potential is unprecedented.

• Technology enables a more interactive learning environment - With modern technology, students can participate in a variety of new and dynamic ways.

• Technology allows for the creation of superior knowledge - Technology is not simply a forum for presenting existing knowledge, but becomes fundamentally part of the creation of new knowledge and, thus, the substance of that knowledge itself. Superior knowledge can result. One compelling example is Wikipedia.
• Technology has consistently improved education and human knowledge through history
• Technology enables individuals to perform tasks more efficiently and learn more
• Technology improves standardized tests scores
• Technology itself has become the relevant subject of study in classrooms
• Teachers should instruct students on ways to avoid the distractions of the Internet
• The educational Economist Debate Series is made possible with modern technology
• The Internet connects individuals with the real world
• Learning technical skills often requires the use of modern technologies
• Technology and software can enhance language-learning

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Teachers: Does technology provide little to teachers and teacher-student interaction?

Yes

• Technology is merely a tool facilitating education - The fundamentals of teacher training, teacher-student interaction, curriculum, and proper funding remain the most important elements of education. Technology is merely a tool around these more fundamental elements of education.

• Technology adds little to the fundamentals of teacher-student interaction - Teachers and students should interact in a face-to-face, interpersonal manner. This leads to true connections and inspirations being made.

• Improving teaching methods is more important to education than adding technology - Making good teachers through improved teaching-method study and instruction should be the focus of attention. This is fundamental, and adding technologies may distract from it.

• Improving E-learning becomes a distraction for teachers from advancing fundamental teaching proficiencies

• Technology is being poorly implemented in the classroom - Poor implementation of new technologies is a major problem. An additional problem is that sound implementation requires proficiency in these systems. As described above, this can be a distraction from more important teacher objectives.

No

• Technology allows for the creation of superior knowledge, rather than just acting as a conduit to existing knowledge.

• Technology can enable a more holistic presentation of knowledge than teachers alone are capable of providing: Let's face this. Educators don't have the ability to give a holistic education. Their qualifications in a certain subject determines their capabilities. But can he or she relate the subject that he or she masters, effectively, with other subjects that he or she isn't able to master? This is a holistic education. Technology can make an impact in this regard. For example, software can store as knowledge complicated information that exceeds the memory of a human being, in this case, educators. Such software can be used to assist teachers in giving a more holistic education.

• Technology is a very important tool for educators

• Technology benefits teaching methods by allowing for greater teacher-teacher communication

• Technology allows teachers to be more flexible in addressing student needs

• Projector screens and the Internet better enable teachers to give lessons

• Technology improves teacher-student interaction and assistance

• Software programs can be more patient with challenged students than teachers

• Schools should adopt the use of technology as a way to maintain student interest

• It takes time to integrate and optimize new technologies in education systems

• The use of technology in education can be improved by greater diligence

Workplace value: Does technology add little to educating for the workplace?

Yes

• Communicating via computers undermines interpersonal skill development - People are spending far too much time on their computers today, writing emails, IMs, and generally missing out on important opportunities to build interpersonal skills. These skills are very important in the business world. Performance in interviews, in social settings, and in face-to-face meetings suffers as a result.

No

• Bringing technology into the classroom introduces students into the globalizing world
• Technological proficiency is essential in the modern workplace making it important to develop in schools

Distance learning: Do tech-enabled distance learning programs add little to education?

Yes

• Distance learning models fail to enable face-to-face human instruction - Face-to-face learning is very important for many reasons, such as emotional impact, group work, and real-world lessons, among others. Distance learning misses out on all of these advantages. This is a major limitation to online distance learning.

No

• Open universities are a good example of technology's positive use in education
• Online classes allow individuals to juggle earning a degree and dealing with life constraints

Economics: Do technologies add to education costs or do they help reduce them?

Yes

• Technology adds to the cost of education - The principal argument being that educators spend a lot of money on new technologies, opposed to more traditional elements of education.

No

• Technology reduces the cost of education - This argument focuses primarily on the economies of scale that new technologies introduce in education, helping cut the costs of various tasks, transfers of information, transport of individuals and so-forth.

Third world: Does technology add little to education in the third world?

Yes

• Technology does not benefit education in the third world - Technology does no good for education in the third world without accompanying schools. Many third world countries don't even have schools and teachers. This is a more important start than introducing technologies.

No

• Technology improves third-world access to knowledge and learning - Technology enables those with limited access to higher education to connect with and learn about the wider world. While many third world `countries do not have internet access, this is slowly changing. With such changes, the opportunities for access to world's of information are infinite.

Education mission: Is new tech inconsistent with the mission of education?

Yes

• We should not test new technologies on students
• Use of technology is so common in life, that to also have it in the classroom is too much
• Technology is being introduced without a clear understanding of a problem

No

• Experimenting with technology in education is the only way to make progress
• Technology in the classroom is required to serve the purpose of education: social innovation and progress via technology

Profit interests: Are profit interests in too great of control of education tech?

Yes

• Teachers should be determining the role of technology in education, not profit interest groups - Interest groups and businesses are shaping the direction that technology is taking in the classroom. This systemic problem means that the interests of students and teachers are not necessarily at heart, which inhibits the ability of technology to add to education.

Higher education is being seen as a new profit area by some companies. But, it has been my experience that outside vendors don't do well in the classroom

No

• Profit interests are an important driver of education-tech innovation.
• Profit interests can be regulated to ensure appropriate use.

Critiques of the proposition

• Critiques of the education and technology debate proposition
• Economist Debate Series. aidan clarke. October 20, 2007 - "The proposition seems ill-phrased. 'Technology' is merely another way of saying 'advanced tool'. As such, I believe the same caveats apply to it, as do to general tools. Does EVERY new technology increase the quality of education? Probably not - the same way that every new technology does not increase the quality of, say, cabbage growing. Does SOME new technology increase the quality of education? Probably yes - after all, no new technology is adapted unless it offers some benefit to something. The best way to establish what works and how much, would seem to me to be to experiment."
• Technology in education can be good or bad depending on the technology and its use

Motions

References:

Organizations of relevance to this topic

• American Association of School Administrators - Organization
• American Federation of Teachers - Teachers' Union
• Center for Education Reform - Conservative Organization
• Children's Educational Opportunity Foundation - Pro-Voucher Organization
• Educational Resources Information Center - Government Resource
• Education Week - Newspaper
• EdWeb - Liberal Index/Resource
• Free Higher Education - Liberal Organization
• Friedman Foundation - Pro-Voucher Organization
• Home Education Magazine - Homeschooling Magazine/Database
• Homeschool World - Homeschooling Resource
• Thomas B. Fordham Foundation - Conservative Think Tank
• National Education Association - Teachers' Union
• Partnership for Public Education - Liberal Organization
• Rethinking Schools - Education Reform Magazine
• SchoolReport.com - Conservative Resource/Database
• Separation of School & State Alliance - Libertarian Organization
• U.S. Charter Schools - Charter Schools Resource/Database

See also

External links

Books