When you look online to see how students feel about educational technology, you will find all kinds of articles and information about whether or not it is effective, ways to implement it, and what the newest trends are.
What seems to be missing is what the students are feeling and saying about this thing that has literally changed the face of education for several years now.
So how do students feel about educational technology? They love it! The vast majority of students have been using technology almost since birth and cannot imagine life, let alone education, without it. But they also talk about some drawbacks they have experienced with educational technology.
In this article, I will talk about what students love about educational technology as well as what they don’t love about it. And then I will finish by talking about what trends they think are on the horizon with educational technology and how they think it will affect their education personally.
I would like to emphasize before we begin, however, that this article is not going to cover the strengths and weaknesses of educational technology. (For some articles covering these topics, I have left some links at the bottom of this article.) It will just be covering how students feel about it and how they feel it affects their education.
Table of Contents
What Students Love About Educational Technology
Let me begin by sharing this graphic with you explaining what students believe educational technology can do for them. It is based on a survey done by McGraw Hill. You can access the whole survey article on their website by clicking here.
Also note: It was college students that were surveyed, so this material is a bit different than what I generally cover on Complete Literature. But I am pretty confident that the answers would be very similar with younger school-age students.
In addition to this survey, I also personally interviewed several college students. The purpose of those interviews was to get their opinion on the information I had gathered from the survey.
These results are not surprising, especially considering the fact that most students today have been exposed to and using technology almost since birth. They really can’t imagine any part of their life without it. And certainly they can see the benefits of using technology in every part of their life.
Students Believe it Improves Their Education
The reason so many believe it improves their education? Because they believe that they literally have the world at their fingertips. There is almost no information that they can’t get online, usually with just a Google search.
They also love that they are not restricted to the classroom during their scheduled class to learn. Students can learn at any time that it is convenient for them This allows them much more available time to study.
They love that they can study across multiple digital platforms. Doing so allows for flexibility in materials as well as more material available.
The students surveyed also expressed that they loved that they could learn on the platforms that worked well with their learning style. They believed that this helped them to learn more material faster. And because of this they were able to learn according to their educational strengths.
And finally, they loved that most of the time digital learning over time was more affordable than buying physical books. Many books at the university level are very cost prohibitive.
What Students Don’t Love About Educational Technology
When asked what the drawbacks to educational technology were, students were quick to answer with several great points.
The number one drawback that students talked about was distraction. Almost universally, they said that they would visit at least 2-3 other websites before finally going to the one that they were using to study. While they all recognized that as a top issue, very few said they planned to do anything to stop it.
Another disadvantage that students talked about was power outages or other occurrences that caused them to lose internet connectivity. Many expressed concern that it caused them to not get assignments turned in on time. (Personal note: there was not any info in the report that talked about how long they procrastinated.) Most said it was not a big problem. They could go get a snack or do something else until they could get back to their online studies.
Many talked about the lack of social interaction when they were getting most of their education with technology. Most of the students said that they made intentional movements toward more social activities to make up for this.
How Students Believe Educational Technology Will Affect Their Future Education
We all know that educational technology is not going anywhere. There are new things being created every day that will blow all of our minds. But what do students see as the future of their education accompanied by technology?
Many talked about the desire to have online classes similar to what already exists, but where all of the students could interact on-screen instead of in forum-type media.
Similar to that, some students talked about the ability to tune into a live class. Then if they had to miss because of illness or other reasons that they could not physically show up they wouldn’t miss the class. And they wouldn’t have to worry about finding the time to make it up later.
There was one top benefit that students mentioned regarding educational technology in their future. It was their ability to continue to learn after they finish school. There will always be resources to find and more resources coming available. They basically considered it education for life.
And they expressed that this newer way of keeping up with information in their field of study was more economical than attending seminars and courses to further their education post-degree. While they still expressed the value of attending those types of events, they said they would not need to do it as much if they could find the same or similar content online. They also talked about the ability to get reports after seminars that they had not attended.
Conclusion
At then end of the day, we know that technology is going to remain a strong presence in classrooms worldwide. And that is a good thing. It is preparing our students to be productive adults in a world filled with technology.
It is a good thing that the students of today have embraced it so naturally, in spite of many drawbacks to technology.
So maybe a good focus going forward can be on how to make technology work best for all of us. It is a great dialog to have! And it’s a great way to bridge the “communication gap” between generations. Who knows, maybe the thing that has been blamed for removing personal life and interaction from our students today can actually be used to bring us all back together again!
I have one final thought. The most interesting (in a humorous way) fact that came out is this: 100% of the students still use paper and pencil. And 100% plan to continue to that throughout the rest of their education. There is no substitute for some things in the classroom!
A Couple of Post-Conclusion Final Thoughts!
I also have to say that I love how candid they were when talking about this. They were great about what they loved as well as what they struggled with in dealing with educational technology. With that kind of openness they will make even greater strides as they continue to work on their education and life of technology.
What are your thoughts regarding educational technology? Do you think things are going in the right direction? If not, what direction would you like to see? Feel free to comment below!
To read more of my information on Technology in the classroom, click to read this two-part series:
What a great read! It’s true, technology has created a whole new world for education, it’s allowed sharing information to be nearly instant! I agree it has some downfalls, but that’s expected with anything. I think that education is moving in the right direction with the implementation of technology in the classroom. It’s creating a whole new world for young minds to explore & making information much more attainable than it ever has been before!
I agree, Jennifer. Even though tech has some downfalls, the opportunities in the classroom are at an all-time high. And I think it is just going to get better.
This is amazing! You know i never thought about how kids would feel about educational tech, i was always under the impression that they would be more or less excited about it.
Wow so much has changed since I was in school! Thanks so much for sharing this with us!
Great information! I started using technology in grade school and now my cousins who are in grade school absolutely LOVE technology.
I remember looking forward to tech in school like these kids.
My boys school uses computers in the classroom and each kid gets their own Chrome book. The kids love it and I love that the teachers have a way to seen their screen.
Info technology has created a new world of and for learning. It does have its down side – how many kids now how to use a dictionary or encyclopaedia? There is an over dependence to a certain extent,
I also am one to believe that it makes a big difference to their education. I think it really pushes them to want to know more.
I think technology in education is great. It definitely makes a huge difference in my opinion.
When I was a student I enjoyed most the practical classes in which we got to use educational technology. The lessons in the computer lab were my favorite.
I always loved technology and found it fascinating. I didn’t start using it until I was in y late 30’s. Now cannot be without it.
Yep! I am the same!
It’s so important to well educated and thank you for sharing this. It’s amazing to me how much technology is in the classroom now. I can’t even imagine having all of that technology when I went to school.
I know my kids always like learning with technology. They tend to be more visual, so it’s perfect for them.
You can have pros and cons for every topic. You did an amazing job at gathering data on education and technology, how advanced it has gotten and the benefits if used appropriately.
Thank you, Nina!
What a great article. Technology has changed so much today’s education!
I think if students in this generation focus on what they are studying thru technology without distraction it will make them improve their learnings. The parents has also a big role to guide their children using different kind of platforms.
You are right, Ruth. There is good and bad in everything. We have to figure out the good and capitalize on it.
I agree that there are pros and cons using modern technology. It’s a matter of control and how to use it properly. It’s very useful when it comes to education.
Very true, Princess Quinn!
Technology as a cliche’ has it’s pros and cons. So much to gain and lose as well. This is very informative.
Parents shouldnt be afraid of all this technology. You cant keep it away from your kids forever. And if it helps your kids, it helps you.
I love the school is adding more tech in the school. These kids will be so advance with technology!
Very true, Lily. They will need it once they are out of school, so teach them to use it well while they are in school!
I have a 5 year old and I can totally see how technology can save time. especially with young ones who need more instruction!
Very interesting reading, especially the part where the students say that distractions are one of the disadvantages. I can see this in my own life and my kids, technology can make our lives easier but also fill them with distractions.
What an educative and informative post. Well, the only thing i see as a disadvantage the any occurrences that cause lose internet connectivity. i dont see the distractions that comes with visiting other sites as a disadvantage because any body who is serious with his or her studies should know when and when not to visit other site that isn’t in line with their course of study.
I think educational technology is so helpful for kiddos. I think it will benefit them in so many ways.
Having the technonolgy we have today is truly amazing. Just keeps getting better and better.
I don’t know if I like the idea of kids staring at a screen all day, they do it already with smartphones.
I am one million percent UNsurprised by this. I know all three of my kids love using technology to learn. It’s so much more fun than boring books.
My kids are mixed in how they feel about it. Two enjoy media learning and the other one prefers in the book learning. Great article, thanks for sharing.
I know my kids love it! Technology has been a part of their classrooms since they were small!
Love how openminded kids have become about education and technology. It really is a great tool.
I think including technology in classroom learning is a good way to make the kids globally competitive in the future. My 4 year old grandson is enrolled in Kindergarten right now and because of the pandemic, their school has decided to do a virtual classroom style of teaching. So far he looks forward to meeting his classmates using the Zoom app. But hopefully, in the coming months, they’d be allowed to have interaction with their classmates. Kids need to socialize too!
Education technology has come a long way since I was in school. I remember playing educational games on the computer, in the computer lab at school. So awesome! A great way to blend learning with something different than traditional classroom learning.
I like the fact that you have done a over all reasearch about stuents. Here the fact that education is changing is a bing thing and it is mostly about what the students like or dislike…
I love technology and it is very good to learn how to use technology! The only downfall with technology would have to be distractions!
Indeed found this blog post very helpful and informative…do agree with all points and ideas…Technology is really playing a very important and vital role in everyone’s life..Glad you shared such valuable information with us… (BJ)
That’s very interesting. after all education is for students so it is important for them to like it and have benefits from
with covid and distance learning it def helps to have technology . it worked really well for my kids.
Great information! It’s crazy to think how much has changed since I was younger with technology, and how much will continue to change when my babies get older.
I think it is really a challenge because it is now “The New Normal” but I really hope that it will be transitioned nicely soon. It’s difficult but necessary to do.
My son LOVES learning through technology.
Well, I feel majority of the things connected with educational technology are moving on well….save for a few things like internet access, connectivity and affordability.
These are some really great resources that me and my family can make good use of. I never thought of how kids felt about tech. There is something here for kid!
Educational technology is great but the world used to be concern that children screen time should be at the minimal but due to current pandemic, we have to expose them again to more screen time. But all the same, it’s a great way to learn.
This is a really interesting post! Glad you shared this with us, thank you!
I am a big fan of learning apps they captivate my kids and help them learn some amazing things that I didn’t even know at their age.
Helpful and very informational post… Thankyou for sharing
Technology and online learning comes with its own pros and cons. But what I liked in the present scenario is that, kids are able to use the technology rightly so! Virtual classrooms are what I see as a future way of education system!
Yes..These are great information. I think it really pushes them to want to know more.
What a perfect topic. As the day goes by technology became a number one source of education as we experience this pandemic. This post could helo me os much to learn more about this.
This makes perfect sense as even adults have similar experiences when it comes to technology. I can’t count the number of times I’ve logged on and ended up somewhere else for hours before catching myself to go back to the original task. Pros and cons exist with the medium.