Student Responses to Technology

• What do you expect are the students' cognitive outcomes when the students use technology?

Being that people learn in a variety of ways, I feel that students gain from a variety of methods. Using technology in the classroom could very well enhance cognition. Used properly, computers and other technology could allow for information to be presented in ways that are not available without such amenities. Technology can allow for a more organized, structured presentation of materials as well as make accessible ways of analysis and synthesis that could be more creative and original.

The downfall is that technology isn't going to be this kind of platform or tool for every student, and possibly only a select few. The ease or creativity of taking in knowledge, creating, and presenting quality learning experiences could greatly vary depending on the dynamics of the group(s) being taught.

• What do you expect are the students' affective outcomes when the students use technology?

I would say, from my experience, that students are generally excited and interested in learning from technology, namely computers. New and exciting things are motivational to learning. I have however seen that once students run into a problem which is difficult or takes time to fix (something as simple as a slow Internet connection) they lose interest in the activity. I would also assert that students who are repeatedly exposed to technology over time would, on majority, become less motivated (than initially) and in turn not be as positively affected by the technology, therefore not really enhancing the affective aspect of learning from a technological source.