This week our readings discussed education in many forms. From online learning, to the roles of higher vs. Lower education both in the real and virtual worlds. I found the reading on “Mobile Learning” the most interesting. This reading discussed the role that evolving technology is having on our role of learning in education. It covered items from the IPod to the Flash Drives and Smart Phones (PDA’s) and Blackberries, to the common day laptop or tablet PC. I think after reading this article that it’s evaluations of each device seem to be right on with the current and possible future uses that we currently use or may have use for in the future as technology evolves. I think that some of these devices in the right hands can prove to be dangerous devices. Such as the IPod or even a Smart Phone. I have myself seen the use of these to the advantage of students during exams for the purposes of cheating. Students can easily write out crib notes on notepad and copy them onto their IPods; they can make self recordings with their wireless devices, such a Smartphone, and play it back through a Bluetooth headset without anyone knowing. These devices can also and have already led to numerous violations of copyright law with different types of media. For example, the USB drive makes it even easier for students to swap and exchange, notes, video files, music, or other types of media which may be copyrighted. Most students assume that if it is used in class for the purposes of education that it is alright to share with anyone. Wrong. I have seen/read/heard of students being charged with sharing of media that was copyrighted and then mass produced/shared with others for what they thought was just harmless education but was in fact used for other purposes. Just shows that electronics and education can also prove to be dangerous when mixed.
Here is an article that demonstrates just how technology can be used in the wrong way and can prove to be dangerous.
2 comments:
I agree that some mobile devices can be dangerous at times. I read an article one time about students taking exams and receiving the answers from their friends by text messaging each other. The students who were taking the exam were caught and dealt with accordingly by the principle. I never seen anyone cheat using any type of mobile device. However, I have seen people cheat using cheat sheets they created. As for the USB drive, I use it now more than ever for storing information, pictures, and webpages; not to cheat. Previously, I was using diskettes. As you can see I made it plural, because I had more than one to store information. I never thought any would use an USB drive to cheat, but people do anything nowadays. I think mobile devices that were mentioned in the article, "Are you Ready for Mobile Learning?" are very helpful and useful at times so without them, I don't think we can survive.
Your response is certainly agreeable because of the different forms of electronic misuse by student. But it is noticeable that this diffrent forms of electonic media have comes in handy in that we can use as great source of survival kit. So the apart from the media as a form of disruptive media it has brought about different form of conveniences. The traditional learner would have difficulty in with e-learning because it would require them to re-learn ways of applying their course of study to fit an online resource. Most Professors though are glad it happen, who writes on the board nowadays? with Powerpoint and other online resources. It makes learning easier and edutaining.
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