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PreK-12
Home›PreK-12›The Dark Side of Educational Technology

The Dark Side of Educational Technology

By Matthew Lynch
October 15, 2016
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There’s no denying that technology has great benefits for schools. However, any conversation that does not include the potential dangers of the widespread use of technology would not be complete. Here we will discuss the dark side of technology when it comes to its use in schools.

Tablets are a learning fixture in many K-12 classrooms these days. Teachers, administrators, and parents have all been on board to push for one-to-one tablet programs in classrooms throughout the country. Why? Because a tablet has the potential to provide quick access to information and personalized learning. While few schools have met the one-to-one goal yet, nearly 60 percent of administrators say they have implemented some form of mobile technology in classrooms.

The push reflects a global trend. Gartner research expected tablet sales to surpass laptop and desktop sales in 2015. Children have access to tablets and smartphones outside school grounds, making the technology in the classroom an easy adaptation. The difference, of course, is that instead of playing the latest version of Angry Birds or Candy Crush, students on tablets in the classroom can tap into the latest reading, math or history app. Administrators and teachers are also interested in the potential for so many other useful tools. Take digital textbooks, for example.  Imagine a student with no back pain. Other applications include life skills tools, like calendars, to-do lists, and other time management applications.

Looking at surveys, it appears that the only reason administrators have NOT implemented the one-to-one tablet initiative is financial. The cost of the tablets themselves, along with maintenance costs, higher bandwidth and security features, and more manpower in school IT departments, are certainly obstacles. If money were no issue, though, it seems that most school districts would adapt this cultural push toward tablets as student rights.

It’s Always About Money…Except For When It’s Not

But is money the only sticking point when it comes to mobile technology in the classroom? Isn’t it just as possible that teachers and administrators, along with parents and kids, just got caught up in a commercial trend fueled by the companies that design and build tablets and smartphones? By the time classrooms reach a one-to-one point, will it be time already to upgrade to something else?

In a post titled “5 Problems with iPads in Education” digital CEO Mike Silagadze says that getting iPads, or other mobile devices, into classrooms is just the first step. What many school districts fail to consider when budgeting for the initial purchase is the cost of software, not to mention the teacher training that will be needed to make those devices effective. He points out that the current push for tablets in K-12 classrooms echoes the sentiments once reserved for in-class computers. In many cases, the learning promises associated with those computers did not come to fruition, he says, leaving behind a wake of technology-jaded educators. He says:

“We need to be careful to introduce technology in thoughtful ways or else we will be left with another generation of teachers who see technology as nothing but overpriced distractions rather than useful teaching tools.”

He raises a good point, though. Can the potential of mobile technology in classrooms ever live up to the hype surrounding it? Sure, the convenience and ability for student self-direction are benefits, but these can also send the wrong message to the next generation. Learning does not always have to have a “fun” portion attached. Sometimes it is just challenging, but the payoff is greater. Students that learn to read electronically and to find books at the touch of a button will never know the joy of tracking down a library book, via Dewey Decimal System. The instant gratification tablets in education provide make accessing knowledge easier – but does that make it better?

As more schools get closer to reaching one-to-one tablet goals, more than just budget constraints need to be addressed. Questions of work ethics and the value of traditional, non-digital learning methods need to be asked too.

Let’s look a little deeper into the idea of using technology right. This concept applies even on a global scale.

Around the world, 6.5 million mobile device contracts exist — making tools like smartphones and tablets an indispensable and necessary part of life. How can this technological shift benefit students in classrooms, though? That seems to always be the subject of debate, with some people claiming more technology for K-12 kids is needed and now, while others say that learning is being sacrificed for the sake of flashy technology.

At the Education Fast Forward event, education and technology leaders debated the best ways to use classroom technology across the globe, to help it reach areas that do not yet have it in place. The focus was on how to improve digital technology.

Success stories were part of the discussions. Professor Miguel Nussbaum of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile was among the speakers, and he talked about how his developments are leading to better integration of technology in classrooms in India, the U.K. and the U.S.

In talking about his research with the Huffington Post, Nussbaum said that while Chile has tried to implement its practices when it comes to teaching and technology, his ideas are more integrated with the actual material.

“The main problem is that government lead projects have been targeted to introduce technology without considering the pedagogical practices that are associated to produce learning,” he said.

Though he is talking about his home country, I think his point is well received here in the U.S. too. While I applaud the government’s involvement in ensuring that technology learning and equipment is reaching classrooms, I do think that some of the responsibility should be given to educators themselves and even private entities that can bring in greater levels of innovation for students.

Does the Widespread Use of Technology Leave Some Students Behind?

Technology can be a great equalizer for students while they are in school, as all students have the same access to classroom resources. But what happens when the students go home?

Even today, some students do not have Internet access at home.

One example of this challenge is playing out in Madison, Wisconsin. A Tableau survey of over 27,000 students found that around 12 percent of students in the Madison Metropolis School District do not have access to the Internet.

Of the elementary through high school students surveyed, 97 percent of white students and 93 percent of Asian students have access to the Internet – but only 74 percent of African-American students and 79 percent of Hispanic students have access.

Similarly, only 78 percent of low-income students have access to the Internet, compared with 98 percent of students that did not fall into the low-income category.

The district is hoping to improve the equity of access for all students.

I think it’s really important to remember that not all students are fortunate enough to have access to the Internet. Providing technology devices is a great start, and I think it’s terrific that Madison Metropolis School District can do this for its students. However, if not everyone can get online from home, it hinders the potential good of the devices.

It sounds like Madison needs to make sure students without Internet access at home can find locations to take advantage of their devices, such as ensuring the school campus has open Wi-Fi. I hope that we can find ways to overcome the issue in Madison and other school districts out there facing the same challenges to keep minority and low-income students from falling further behind their peers.

Can Technology Magnify Your Problems as an Educator? Yes, Yes, and Yes.

Some actions are bad enough as is. Cheating is one of those things.

Imagine how much easier it can be to cheat with the increasing use of technology.

Academic dishonesty is nothing new. As long as there have been homework assignments and tests, there have been cheaters. The way that cheating looks have changed over time, though, particularly now that technology has made it easier than ever.

And perhaps the most interesting caveat of modern-day cheating in U.S. classrooms is that students often do not think that what they are doing is wrong.

A study by the Josephson Institute of Ethics interviewed 23,000 high school students and asked them a variety of questions about academic ethics. Of the teens surveyed, 51 percent said that they had knowingly cheated at some point on an exam but that they had no qualms about the behavior. A Common Sense Media survey found that 35 percent of students had cheated via cell phone, though the parents surveyed in that particular study did not believe their kids had ever cheated. In many cases, students did not realize that tactics like looking up answers on a smartphone were cheating at all.

In today’s K-12 classrooms, students who cheat are rarely caught. There are no formulas written on in the insides of hands or students looking across the aisle, or whispering answers to their classmates. Today’s students use smartphones, tablets or even in-class computers to aid their cheating endeavors and leave no trace of their crimes. Since cheating through technology is not listed specifically as being against the rules in many school policies, students do not view the actions an unethical.

Consider the following ways that technology aids in modern-day academic dishonesty:

  • Storing notes on a cell phone.
    • Purchasing prewritten papers online, or ordering them to be customized.
    • Writing a paper that is the same as something else found online, but changed enough to look original.
    • Students text messaging each other answers.
    • Using a smartphone camera to take a picture of a test or exam.
    • Using voice recorders or virtual assistance programs to record or ask for answers.

Most of the tactics on this list were non-existent ten years ago, or at least the technology was not in common use by young people. A Pew Internet survey found that 78 percent of teenagers have mobile phones, up from just 23 percent in 2011. The technology is being adopted so quickly that school districts cannot adequately keep up with cheating policies, or even awareness campaigns that alert students to the problem with using technology to find answers in a certain way.

From a young age, students learn that answers exist at their fingertips through search engines and expert websites. It is more efficient to just look up the answers through the hard work someone else has already done than to find the answers on their own.

K-12 students are not the only culprits, though. When was the last time you went to the library or dug through physical records or documentation to find the answer to something? Adults take advantage of the convenience of technology all the time – even in the workplace. The difference, of course, is that most adults grew up at least partially technology-free. Today’s students will not have that life experience and instead will have learned the quickest ways to find answers – not necessarily the right ones.

Schools must develop anti-cheating policies that include technology, and those policies must be updated consistently. Teachers must stay vigilant when it comes to what their students are doing in classrooms and how technology could be playing a negative role in the learning process. Parents must also talk to their kids about the appropriate ways to find academic answers and alert them to unethical behaviors that may seem innocent in their own eyes.

Technology is an Experience

For better or worse, technology is not just about exciting new gadgets and apps. Each major new development leads to new experiences and unchartered territory. Often the results of using these technologies will be unexpected in both good and bad ways. As an educator, you need to be forward-thinking and adaptable to prepare for anything that comes your way. Be creative in how you can use classroom technologies to become better educators and think of ways to minimize its negative effects. It is not an easy feat, but I believe it is one worth pursuing.


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20 comments

  1. Unit 2 Portfolio – Jacey Adler's Blog 26 March, 2018 at 22:48 Reply

    […] in the Madison metropolis School District do not have access to the Internet. It was also found that “only 78 percent of low income students have access to the Internet, compared with 98 percent of … Since technology has become so widespread, it’s easy to forget that some people still do not have […]

  2. My Learning Reflection | Ms. Guadalupe Bryan 30 July, 2018 at 12:02 Reply

    […] M. (2016, October 15). The Dark Side of Educational Technology. Retrieved July 25, 2018, from https://www.theedadvocate.org/dark-side-educational-technology/ Schunk, D. H. (2016). Learning theories: An educational perspective. Boston: Pearson. […]

  3. Easier Education? – Literature & the Internet 13 September, 2018 at 11:55 Reply

    […] the article, The Dark Side of Educational Technology, Matthew Lynch makes the negative points of technology in education. Students can cheat easier, […]

  4. Does technology enhance or diminish learning? | Path to Becoming a Teacher 2 February, 2019 at 15:16 Reply

    […] integrations because they can not afford to have their own source to learn from. Raeann shared a great article that looked at how money and the widespread of technology can leave some kids behind. The article […]

  5. Technology: Enhancing or Hindering Learning? – Lauren Sauser's Education Portfolio 2 February, 2019 at 15:48 Reply

    […] technology into the classroom to enhance learning is provided by Matthew Lynch in his article “The Dark Side of Educational Technology”. Lynch addresses how while many people believe that technology makes the teacher’s job […]

  6. Does Technology Enhance Learning – EDTC 400 Debate 1 | Miss Osachoff's Education Blog 3 February, 2019 at 21:30 Reply

    […] gave us two articles to read. The article that I was able to connect with most was The Dark Side of Educational Technology. Some of the points made in this article, as well as some of the points that Raeann made really […]

  7. Enhancing Learning within the Classroom – Ms. Weisbeck's e-Portfolio 4 February, 2019 at 12:42 Reply

    […] one of the articles that I have provided the class, The dark side of educational technology, talks about how technology is great but we don’t consider what it means to use it in a way […]

  8. Should it stay or should it go? – Daniel Lee 4 February, 2019 at 18:46 Reply

    […] It is expensive to buy and maintain. It had not occured to me the cost of maintenance until Matthew Lynch had noted […]

  9. Technology in the Classroom Enhances Learning: Does it or Does it Not – Miss. Tiana Waldbauer 4 February, 2019 at 23:26 Reply

    […] tech savvy as their peers or whose families cannot afford today’s technology. In his article, “The Dark Side of Educational Technology”, Mathew Lynch […]

  10. Technology has the POTENTIAL to ENHANCE Learning | Miss Schneider Becoming a Teacher 5 February, 2019 at 11:27 Reply

    […] share answers with one another through devices without the teachers knowing they are doing so. In Mathew Lynch’s article, he states “students often do not think that what they are doing is wrong” when using […]

  11. Is Technology Beneficial In the Classroom? – Shaleen Anne 5 February, 2019 at 18:14 Reply

    […] how much upkeep is involved in technology. As Matthew Lynch states in his article, “The Dark Side of Technology,” after classrooms get a hold of the tablets or iPads needed, how long until they need to be […]

  12. Technology in the Classroom Enhances Learning: Yay or Nay? | Jesse Simpson 5 February, 2019 at 18:44 Reply

    […] flip side, there are quite a few arguments against using technology in the classroom. The article, ‘The Dark Side of Educational Technology’ focuses on quite a few of these problems. One of these problems is the entrance barrier into most […]

  13. Schools Need To Stop Applying Technology Into Learning. – All About Eli's Blog 11 March, 2019 at 12:43 Reply

    […] districts across the world have brought technology into education. According to the article The Dark Side of Educational Technology by Matthew Lynch, “ nearly 60 percent of administrations say they have implemented some form of […]

  14. Is Edtech Functioning as it Should in the Classroom? 22 March, 2019 at 11:15 Reply

    […] might have equal access to technology in a classroom, but we cannot ensure they have equal access after they go home. Many homes lack internet access in several countries. One solution to this problem can be […]

  15. Can Technology Enhance Learning? – Aurora Lay-Street 15 April, 2019 at 23:02 Reply

    […] Raeann brought up the very real possibility that students could use their technology in class to cheat or commit plagiarism. This is not something new to schooling, that being said, bringing technology into the equation is. […]

  16. How does technology affect education? - Classcraft Blog 8 October, 2019 at 13:55 Reply

    […] In many schools, however, technology appears to be an “overpriced distraction.” […]

  17. Advocating Tech with the Humble Elevator Pitch – Bibliothèque 20 October, 2019 at 18:42 Reply

    […] 2019, from The Edvocate website: https://www.theedadvocate.org/dark-side-educational-technology/ […]

  18. Positive and Negative Effects of Technology on Students – Royal Journaleanne 20 January, 2020 at 23:16 Reply

    […] https://www.theedadvocate.org/dark-side-educational-technology/ […]

  19. What happens when robotics industry vets have kids? - Loyal World News 20 February, 2020 at 09:19 Reply

    […] to the horror of some educators, who believe there’s too much tech in education, but the delight of a growing customer base, […]

  20. Pooja 2 April, 2020 at 04:22 Reply

    Hey Matthew, I adore you for writing the negative effect of technology on children. The digital platform is full of positive requirements of technology and it’s convenience. But every coin has its two sides and one must maintain the balance between both to achieve positive outcomes. Overdose always negatively impacts society. Students are so much dependent on the internet that they don’t use their brains to do something new artistically. Ideally, they just copy-paste every assignment.

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RSS Matthew on Education Week

  • Au Revoir from Education Futures November 20, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • 6 Steps to Data-Driven Literacy Instruction October 17, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • Four Keys to a Modern IT Approach in K-12 Schools October 2, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • What's the Difference Between Burnout and Demoralization, and What Can Teachers Do About It? September 27, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • Revisiting Using Edtech for Bullying and Suicide Prevention September 10, 2018 Matthew Lynch

About Us

The Edvocate was created in 2014 to argue for shifts in education policy and organization in order to enhance the quality of education and the opportunities for learning afforded to P-20 students in America. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. We call for a relatively radical and certainly quite comprehensive reorganization of American’s P-20 system.

That reorganization, though, and the underlying effort, will have much to do with reviving the American education system, and reviving a national love of learning.  The Edvocate plans to be one of key architects of this revival, as it continues to advocate for education reform, equity, and innovation.

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