Evolving tech offers both conveniences and detriments in academic setting
By Olga Mosiychuk
Technology has steadily infiltrated every facet of American students' lives for the past few decades. Sophomore Frank Ohmes remembers using a typewriter in his early elementary school years.
"It was fun to use, but it wasn't very efficient because if you messed up, you were basically screwed," he said. "It was like 'damn it,' and you had to start over."
Well, the days of typewriters are long over. They have since been replaced by the likes of desktop computers, laptops and even smart phones, all which seem to be making students' lives simpler (and papers easier to edit).
Engineering major Zach McMullen has taken a few computer-based courses at UP and is especially thankful for technology this past week.
"We are doing a project right now that involves a million iterations and doing those by hand would not be fun," McMullen said.
Both students and professors use new technology to their advantage, and many find that it enhances the overall academic environment, citing e-mail as one of the most helpful communication tools that has come out of technological advancement.
"One of my professors would get back to me in like half an hour, at the most, after I emailed her," said McMullen. "It is about as helpful as meeting with her in person. E-mail is a good alternative when you can't actually meet up."
Economics professor William Barnes, who has made all of his classes virtually paperless, commented on the convenience of having technology in and outside of the classroom.
"I like being able to post things online so that students can access things easily, without using large amounts of paper," he said. "I think it's been catching on with a lot of other professors."
Barnes also finds technology important when it comes to sharing new information with students.
"It's a good to have a place to post clips and even videos," Barnes said. "Technology is very useful for things like bringing in topical news stories about environmental economics in the middle of class."
The academic benefits are evident, but sophomore education major Katie Kroger argues that technology can also be detrimental to the traditional way that classes are run.
"Technology almost defeats the purpose of going to class," she said. "People don't pay attention to lectures and just copy down PowerPoint slides. Or they don't even bother writing because they can just print the notes off online, so students just end up skipping."
All individuals agree, however, that technology has changed the way that students interact with the classroom, their professors and even each other.
Facebook, a relatively recent phenomenon, has become commonplace at universities throughout the nation and is used frequently among UP students for everything from coordinating study groups to spreading news about next weekend's toga party and replenishing water-damaged cell phone contact lists.
"It's like a relationship can't even be official unless it's on Facebook," said Ohmes. "We use it for everything."
Sophomore Monica McAllister commented on the importance of Facebook for social networking.
"I can keep in touch with all of my old friends and post updates about my life," she said. "But the whole thing takes up a bunch of my time! Though, it is nice to find that the cute guy you met at a party last night friended you this morning."
Whether students are using technology for work or play, they agree that it has influenced the dynamics of their relationships with each other as well as the classroom.
"Who knows what new things they will come up with next?" asked McAllister. "I sure don't."
