Wellington (2005)

Wellington (2005)

Summary:
There are three key debates raised by the use of information and communication technology in education. The first is whether such technology improves the readiness of the student for the workforce. It is pointed out that with the speed of technological change, learning any one particular system which may be obsolete within months is pointless; what should be learned is how to adapt to new systems.

The second is whether such technology adds value to the learning environment. It is questioned whether the use of technology such as word-processors or spreadsheets to bypass mundane work leads to the atrophy of basic literacy and numeracy skills.

The third relates to whether this technological learning plays a part in enabling the student to participate better in society; also on whether having access to a computer at home assists students in their learning. It is noted that studies have shown that home computers are largely used for playing games. (I note that the argument about by-passing basic work is nothing new: there was the whole debate about the use of pocket calculators at school back in the 1980s). Does anyone relate to this era and could perhaps share this with us? :-)

Note: I enjoyed the feedback and responses I got from the class in reference to this reading :-)