The Use of Technology in the Classroom: Its Effects

Introduction

The way technology effects a college students can vary in many ways. Many studies have proved that using technology in college classrooms had a mostly positive outcome. One study found that 70 percent of students learn better when they have classes that are partially a physical class with a teacher verbally teaching and partially with online work or the use of technology in class like power points, videos, interactive application, and other technology. In the same study 64 percent of the students said that the use of technology in a course helps with learning. They call this type of learning blended learning.

Other studies have also proven that there are some negative impacts of technology use in the classroom. Cell phones for example cause distraction in class along with laptops and tablets. Also having classes with just technology use and no person to person discussions keeps students from learning whole ideas and basically just learning the test. The studies have proved that a blended class room with the use of technology and also times where devices are put away for discussions impact students the most positively. Professors Using Technology in Class

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In research that studied the effects of technology in classes by professors the students agreed that it helps them and their ability to learn. In the year 2012, 68 percent of the students in a study reported that professors use technology proficiently in class and help with the students' ability to learn better. 70 percent of the students in the study also said that using the technology in class helped with their academic success. Only 2 percent of college students would like no technology what so ever used in class, however, 98 percent of college students would like the use of technology in class to help them better understand the material and keep them focused in class. Technology in class can be anything from Power Point presentations, videos, websites, and the use of response clickers and basically anything that isn't just reading from a book.

Many professors have adapted to the growth of technology and have added it to their teaching. Keeping a blog is becoming a bigger thing in college courses. Some professors are requiring weekly blog posts from each student's individual websites. These types of assignments work better for students than requiring summaries of lessons or other types of homework on paper. A student is much more likely to enjoy posting a blog because it is linked with social media and so many students have profiles on at least one social media application. The use of different technologies are being used more and more as the technology is constantly being updated. There are so many way to use technology in class and also get higher grades and participation from students. Laptops

Laptops are the most commonly used device among college students. In fact, 9 out of 10 college students own a laptop. Although most students use the laptops at home for working on papers, research, or other school work, they also use it during class. Laptops can be used to take notes from class lectures, however, studies show that the test scores of the college students who use laptops in class are worse than those who do not use a laptop in class. Because of this many professors have banned laptops from in class use. Just because laptops are not always allowed in class does not mean that college students own other devices instead. In student polls the students say that laptops are the most efficient way to get things done. Many students own laptops because they are the easiest devices to write papers and get research done.

Smart Phones

Smartphones are really popular devices in college students. In 2015 about 85 percent of college students owned a smartphone. Although this is a high number according to a study in 2015 only about 6 percent of students say that they use a smartphone for school work and that it also helps them learn and succeed in classes. Smartphones are pretty much just used for other daily tasks and entertainment. Smartphones can also lead to distractions like texting. games, social media, and some professors have also seen students watching movies. While smartphone can be used in beneficial ways they are mostly a distraction. Tablets

Groups of all ages believe that tablets work efficiently in helping with learning in class. About 7 out of 10 college students believe that the tablet is a great device for school use. However, only about 1 in 12 students actually use a tablet. According to a study done in 2015 the laptop is still the most commonly used device for studying and doing school work. About two thirds of college students use a laptop for school.

Another study reported that only about 18 percent of the students surveyed even owned a tablet. While tablets are great for watching movies and a lot of other entertainment they just don't seem to cut it in educational uses in colleges. Many students were asked why tablets are not good enough for school work and they answer with you can't multitask that well on a tablet and you can't really write a 10 page research paper on a tablet either. A basic laptop has easy ways of multitasking and a simple interface to get things done quicker and easier. E-Books

A digital text book will give you access from a computers, laptops, smartphone, tablets, etc. An estimated 17 million college students own a smart phone. From estimates made in 2013 about 69 percent of students who attended college owned a smart phone. About 85 percent of students, however, owned a laptop. In surveys about e-book usage in colleges the numbers are not what most expect. About three quarters of college students preferred the physical text rather than an e-book. The reasons are simple though like you can't e-book companies do not have a buy-back option or the content is lost after the semester is over.

Online Classes The number of students that have taken a completely online class double in 2012 to 31 percent from 15 percent in 2008. In 2012, 12 million students were taking one or more online courses in college. A lot of students are taking online education courses because it can be cheaper for some people. Online students save money by not having to spend money of gas and housing. According to a 2008 study, students in online classes engaged more in class discussions and activities.

Effects of Technology in College Students

College students' ability to learn is greatly increased by adding technology to their classes and studies. Many studies prove that college students learn far better when technology is used. During class students learn a lot more and can understand things better with online presentations via Power Points or the use of videos on YouTube. Professors are also starting to use social media as part of the class. You can either friend them on social media or class groups could be created to communicate with the professors as well as your class mates. Social Media

Social media has been proven to help students get engaged in class discussions and activities. In a particular study, a professor used twitter as an experiment to get students more engaged in learning the class materials and even more engaged with each other. While using the twitter account in her class she would post questions for extra credit points for the first person to answer correctly. She started to notice that the more she posted information and activities the more responses she got. The students also started to tweet each other and engage in conversations about the class materials. Most social media applications can be used in class to get students more engaged in the course materials. From numerous studies this has been effective.

Power Points

The use of Power Point presentations has also help students in taking information and storing it in their long-term memory. When power points are used with images, color, and animation it catches the attention of students and is easier to remember visual information than auditory. You can also put animations, videos, pictures, and audio on Power Points which can help to store the information in the long-term memory. It helps to see the information rather than just hear it from the professor according to college students. It also increases their attention p and will keep them focused for a little longer. Response Clickers

Using response clickers work to engage students into learning. Response clickers are basically a small device numbered 1-9 with A-I on them as well. Professors can put questions on power points and the students can answer them via the response clickers. Then a graph is shown on the power point of the percentages of the students' answers. Using response clickers this way makes learning the material kind of like a game. It is more fun to answer questions in class this way and it is also a way to get everyone to participate. The professor will also know the ratios of students who understand the material versus the students who do not.

Clickers can also be used for quizzes and tests. It is easier for students to take the quizzes and tests and easier for the results to be graded. Students who were asked what they thought of the clickers responded very positively about them. They said that class became kind of like a game where you had to answer as many questions right as you could but without any real consequences for wrong answers. They said that it made class more fun and encouraged peer discussions as well. Professors also think very positive of clickers. They say that they encourage class attendance as well as keeps students focused throughout the class.

Negative Effects of Technology in Class

With positive effects there also comes negative effects. Students who use a lot of technology in general may not be able to memorize as well as others and may not have as much creativity as others as well. Students who are used to searching for information on search engines a lot are able to get much of the information needed but are not able to remember it as well.

Using devices in class can have many positive effects but it can also cause distractions. When students use devices such as laptops or tablets to take notes in class they are likely to get social media, game, or text message notifications and most likely click on those links. A lot of college professors make sure phone are put away during class to decrease the distractions of the students. Some professors don't allow any devices at all including tablets and laptops to keep students focused on the class lectures.

Classes offered online do not always have a positive impact on college students either. Students do not get the face to face time with the professor or class mates like in a normal classroom setting. Most students would think that online classes take less time. When enrolled in an online class you have to make time to read course material and take the quizzes and tests online that would normally take place in the class room. Online students also get less feed-back from peers and professors. Online classes have a higher rate of failures and drop outs that a traditional class room setting. A study that took place in a community college had results of a 90 percent success rate in students who took classes in a traditional classroom setting and an 83 percent success rate with students enrolled in online classes. The dropout rate was 34 percent for students in online classes compared to 26 percent of student in classrooms.

Conclusion

Technology in college classes has a major impact on students positively with a few cons. Overall it helps students get more engaged in class and get involved in class discussions. It has also been proven to raise grades and cause students to have better attendance. With the small amount of negatives it can be said that if students' devices are off during class but technology is still used as a teaching tool in class the students will do much better in class.

References

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8. Callaham, John. "Survey: College Students Still Want Laptops over Tablets." Neowin. 5 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2016. http://www.neowin.net/news/survey-college-students-still-want- laptops-over-tablets.
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