Does technology make our lives easier?

A very close friend of mind asked me today, “Does technology make our lives easier?” I answered quickly “oh yeah “but he challenged me to point out facts of how it does. Well as so often I do, I had to take the challenge home with me and work on it. Tell me if you agree with me or not, I really want to know!

Does technology make our lives easier?
Good question. Many believe that I.T. people would be the first to lead the bandwagon and answer with an unequivocal ‘yes’. However, based on my personal experience teaching, managing, and consulting on issues of educational technology, I believe the answer should be ‘it depends’. Yes, word processors have made writing more efficient and yes, e-mail has made professional networking easier, and yes, the Internet seems to have made doing research quicker, but caveats remain.

Mainly there is the issue of the learning curve—in other words, to become proficient enough with these technologies so that they do in fact make our lives easier, we have to become novices and remember how to start learning from zero again.
And what about teaching? I believe that technology will only reveal its true power to transform learning environments when instructors realize that as part of the learning environment, they have to allow technology to transform them as teachers.

While replacing paper course syllabi with online course syllabi is a place to start, it can seem pointless in the long run if that’s all the Internet is ever used for. When considering new technologies, consider new activities. Active, collaborative learning techniques such as group work, problem-based and inquiry-based learning mesh particularly well with technology-integrated approaches. The World Wide Web is the perfect place to practice critical inquiry. Think of computer technology as a tool for students to manipulate content, not just a medium for content delivery.

So here’s the standard cliché about the journey, the destination, and the information superhighway. What would those who have made the journey say? Ask a colleague who’s been there, one who has used or is using educational technology. Are they still on the road or are they at a rest stop? Do they feel they have found a good map or do they feel lost? Are they driving like a maniacal Bostonian or are they timidly waiting for a break in traffic? You get the point. Everyone’s had a different experience, some good, some bad, but all of them will tell you one thing: the journey is much longer than they expected and the destination is nowhere in sight. And learning to drive was probably the hardest part.