On the other hand, says Kristen Purcell, associate director for research at Pew, the findings can also be viewed from another perspective and that the education system has not done enough to adjust to the way that students learn, a point supported by some teachers interviewed. Ms Purcell is concerned that the label of ‘distraction’ –often used about digital media - may be a judgmental response from the perspective of an older generation and may not reflect the truth.
and that this can lead to teachers adopting more dynamic and flexible teaching styles.
Positive aspects are also noted by the majority of teachers who state that the internet and search engines have a mostly beneficial effect on students’ research abilities, and that s u c h t o o l s h ave m a d e m a n y students more self-sufficient researchers. However, in contrast, teachers also refer to what be called the ‘Wikipedia problem’, in which students have become so accustomed to finding an answer within a few mouse clicks that if an easy solution isn’t found then they fail to persevere. The majority of teachers interviewed in the research believe that students have been conditioned by the Internet to find quick answers.
There are also some apparent contradictions in the research: while teachers report a general decline in attention spans there is also a perceived improvement in subjects like m a t h s , s c i e n c e a n d re a d i n g . Researchers think that these anomalies may be explained by subjectivity and bias and Pew claims that its research gave a “complex and at times c o n t r a d i c t o r y ” p i c t u re o f teachers’ views of the impact of technology. In the expert opinion of Dr Dimitri Christakis from the Center of Child Health, t h e s u b j e c t i ve v i ew s o f t h e teachers could well be accurate in sensing diminishing attention spans amongst students, a view supported by his own research.
There is a reported decline in students’ abilities to face academic challenges which seem to have an exponential relationship with the amount of access to television, phones, iPads and video games at home. What is needed is a more balanced media diet, according to Jim Steyer of C o m m o n S e n s e M e d i a . P a re n t s n e e d t o understand that “what happens in the home with media consumption can af fect academic achievement.” Others point out that technology is as much a solution as a problem, and claim that educational video games and digital presentations are excellent ways to engage students on their terms,
“I’m tap dancing all over the place,” says teacher Dave Mendell. “The more I stand in front of class, the easier it is to lose them.” He goes on to say that it is harder now to engage the interest of students but that once they are engaged they are just as able to solve problems and be creative as students in the past.
The heavy use of technology, says Dr Christakis, “makes reality by comparison uninteresting.” Teachers working in Portuguese speaking countries will have their own views on this topic, and no doubt will vary from country to country, from one different experience to another. We would love to hear from readers of IED about their views on the use of digital media by their own students. You can post your comments if you follow this link. We look forward to reading them!