In exploring the question of what students learn from technology, the author of the post explored efforts by the Susan Crown Exchange to back research initiatives into what kinds of educational technology are most effective for students. One example of this is called the Common Sense project, which is trying to develop a rating system that parents can use in purchasing educational software. I found one portion of this research to relate wonderfully to our first Interactivity:
With the Common Sense project and others the foundation is supporting, the idea is to explore whether there are keys to understanding learning behavior in activities that may not be aimed at teaching in the first place. For instance, he said, players of World of Warcraft might be learning leadership and collaboration skills. Or, he said, anecdotal evidence suggests that children who spend a lot of time communicating online might be developing reading and writing skills that are not translating to standardized tests.I thought the portion about World of Warcraft and general online communication was a great tie-in to the second video we watched where students explained the role technology plays in their lives. It was interesting how one student mentioned video games and how they benefited him and then, after reading this blog-post, there are actual research initiatives looking into this. While it makes sense to me that online communication and online gameplay may have some benefits for students, I cannot see them being very substantial. If someone is playing World of Warcraft for 3 hours, as opposed to doing homework or working with a group of peers on a project, the benefits of that technology are far outweighed by the non-technology alternatives. Similarly, playing World of Warcraft would not be a good alternative to an educational software game (such as old-school MathBlaster).
However, it will be interesting to see where this research goes, and the effects it has, if any, in the way educational software and tools are developed. Any more insights, large or small, that we, as educators, can get into the effects of technology on learning would be to our benefit.
I completely agree with your statement, "…the benefits of that technology are far outweighed by the non-technology alternatives". Although the article states the benefits of using video games to gain leadership and collaboration skills, they do not state the amount of time that you should limit yourself to the use of these technologies. As you stated above if you’re playing video games for 3 hours a day, I don’t see how this use of technology will be that beneficial. As we are using technology to develop skills, whether being social skills by social networking or leadership skills with video games, we must put a time limit to our use of these technologies. With technology continuing to grow, we must keep in mind the importance of social interaction and getting involved with our peers outside of technology. A balance of technology and one on one interaction is really important in today’s society. I believe this is a struggle that many of us face, limiting our time to playing video games or using Facebook and actually continuing to take part in group projects or go outside and interact with our peers, while playing a team sport. Technology is important, but it is also important for us to find a balance.
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