Technology has been found to have both negative and positive effects on the learning process of students. This has always fascinated experts on how it influences the curiosity of students
Student curiosity is an important aspect of the learning process and may determine how a student engages in a subject. Curiosity is that feeling and cognition that accompanies a desire to learn what is unknown. Neurological research has been carried out by various experts to explain this phenomenon.
Min Jeong Kang and fellow researchers, for instance, did research focused on how the brain reacts to answers and questions that require high curiosity or low curiosity. They could measure the brain activity during each question and each answer and what they found out was fascinating.
The research found that the desired level of knowledge increased sharply with a small increase in knowledge. This means that the gap of desired knowledge and the actual knowledge increased. The research also found out that when knowledge was sufficiently acquired, the desire for new information reduced significantly. This research forms the basis of the information-gap theory.
Technology as stimulant for learning
Technology has been a stimulant for curiosity. People are being bombarded by new information daily and this leads to an increased desire to learn more about different topics. This has led to the increased curiosity which has, in turn, lead to many people opting to research on their own for any new information they are bombarded with.
Students and teacher relations have also been redefined in the way teachers approach teaching. Teachers must be cautious about what they tell students to read on. This is because, with easy access to education, most students, if given a lot of information to read on as part of the classwork, it becomes boring, demotivates them and can lead them to not do the required research. However, new knowledge administered step by step has been shown to lead students to become more curious about the topics.
Technology negative effect on learning
Technology has also a negative effect on how students approach homework and personal school tasks. Students no longer want to research subjects because they can easily ‘Google’ the information. Why bother and everyone else is doing it. This has led to a situation where students are no longer curious and only doing research for grade purposes. This has a negative influence on education.
Technology, therefore, can cause an increase or decrease the level of curiosity depending on how it is approached. We should be careful about how to approach our students while learning. Ensure that the students are not being pushed away from being knowledgeable and this may lead to a negative effect on the learning process of these students.
