Progress Report: Technology in Education – How it can be used and not abused

Technology has become an integral aspect of the educational learning procedures in academic institutions. It is inevitably used as a part of the curriculum, as an information sharing network and as a means of aiding the entire learning process. However, if this technology is not productively utilized, it can enable the students to misuse it and would thereby inhibit their learning capability. The report is essentially designed to highlight how technology can be effectively used and not misused in the education sector.  

The research in the report reflects that while technology may enhance student motivation, their communication skills and enable collaborative and integrative learning via multimedia learning and online applications, it can also hinder student learning if it is misused. For instance, technology can intrude the student’s privacy which may eventually enable students to suffer from identity theft, online stalking and black mailing. Furthermore, the students can also get excessively distracted with the use of technology, there may be an increase in the cheating incidents and the student’s writing skills will be inhibited in this endeavor.  

Hence, in order to effectively use the technology in the educational sector, the academic heads should take responsibility to regulate the effective usage of technology. For instance, they can incorporate multifaceted design for learning in the curriculum which would enable students to use various sensory modalities while learning. Furthermore, educational heads should also maximize the extent of inclusive learning within the technological paradigm. 

This topic has been selected since technology misuse is a highly prevalent issue in educational institutions these days and it is integral for academic heads to acknowledge this issue and derive solutions to it. This report is based on secondary data that is collected through academic articles available on the internet. The content for this report is derived from scholarly and peer-reviewed articles, authentic and reliable websites and academic books.  

References 

García-Umaña, A. and Tirado-Morueta, R., 2018. Digital Media Behavior of School Students: Abusive Use of the Internet. Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research, 7(2), pp.140-147. 

Gill, H., Gill, N. and Young, S., 2013. Online Technologies for Health Information and Education: A Literature Review. Journal of Consumer Health On the Internet, 17(2), pp.139-150. 

Gunter, G., Gunter, R. and Shelly, G., 2011. Teachers Discovering Computers. 7th ed. Course Technology, pp.37-38. 

Hanımoğlu, E., 2018. The Impact Technology Has Had on High School Education over the Years. World Journal of Education, 8(6), p.96. 

Raja, R. and Nagasubramani, P., 2018. Impact of modern technology in education. Journal of Applied and Advanced Research, 3(S1), p.33. 

Ravitch, D., 2017. 5 Risks Posed By The Increasing Misuse Of Technology In Schools – Edsurge News. [online] EdSurge. Available at: <https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-12-29-5-risks-posed-by-the-increasing-misuse-of-technology-in-schools> [Accessed 12 May 2020]. 

Richmand, A. and Triosi, J., 2020. What Research Tells Us About Using Technology In The Classroom (Opinion) | Inside Higher Ed. [online] Insidehighered.com. Available at: <https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/views/2018/12/12/what-research-tells-us-about-using-technology-classroom-opinion> [Accessed 12 May 2020].