How do Technological Advancements Affect Student Learning?

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How Do Technological Advancements Affect Student Learning
Technological advancement is inevitable and significantly influences students learning. About ten decades ago, it was not a requirement for students to have computers when being admitted to a school, particularly a college or university. In particular, parents were required to buy hard copies of textbooks, which learners used at school. Today, things have changed entirely. Many schools require parents to purchase laptops for students during admission. Computers have become crucial learning tools that learners must have since they facilitate the knowledge acquisition process. For instance, many schools have implemented online libraries where students are required to access relevant academic materials using their laptops. Technological advancements significantly affect student learning since electronic devices help learners access scholarly materials important in skill and knowledge acquisition.
The use of technology in lecture rooms or classrooms has become common in the 21st century. Computers, smartphones, and tablets are replacing books gradually. Teachers and students agree that technology makes the learning process fun and interesting. For example, when it comes to teaching complex courses or topics, lecturers search for videos online to clearly elaborate on the subject. Students are not bored easily when teachers use technology in the classroom. Specifically, using technology in the classroom prepares students for their future jobs. Jobs are changing, and the digital economy enhances the use of computers (Cox). Technology improves education and has made it clear that learning is not about memorizing various concepts. Instead, it entails addressing complex issues and collaborating with others, which is an aspect attributed by technology. Technology enables students to understand various concepts well since they can search for examples that they can understand properly. Moreover, learners from different geographical regions can connect using technology and share ideas, facts, theories, and opinions to foster learning.
The Internet has become a universal medium that enables students to access more information at any time. Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” shows that technology has reduced human capacity to memorize things since they know that everything is readily available when one is connected to the web (Carr). The access to more information for students shapes their decision-making process and addresses issues they come across. Although the Internet supplies more information to individuals, it takes away students’ capacity to contemplate and concentrate. Many students cannot stay for a long period without accessing the web, particularly social networking platforms, such as Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter. Social media keeps them close to their virtual friends, which is why they cannot concentrate on learning when using electronic devices since they also know that all the information they want is available with just a few taps on their smartphones’ or tablets’ screen.
Video games and simulations, which are commonly used in today’s learning environments, improve working memory, attention span, and reaction time (Pasquinelli). For instance, teachers are using games to simulate real events so that students can understand various concepts better. When it comes to geography students, the teacher can recommend a simulation game for climbing Mt. Everest so that learners can see how the weather changes when the altitude increases. These simulation games are imitations of the real things and facilitate learning without risking students' lives by engaging in highly dangerous activities, such as climbing Mt. Everest. Video game players learn how to think faster when bombarded with a lot of information and under pressure. Kara Blacker from John Hopkins University found out that 30 hours of playing the Call of Duty series enabled players to improve their visual working memory (Pasquinelli). Consequently, video games and simulations improve students’ thinking capacity since they practice making decisions within a short period regardless of the information at their disposal. 
Digital life has enhanced and will continue to improve various aspects of human lives, students learning being one of them. When 1,150 technology experts were interviewed about the effect of technology on humans, 47% said that digital life would help more people than it harms (Anderson and Rainie). When it comes to the usage and advancement of technology, there is no turning back. For example, technological advancement has made it easy for individuals’ interconnect. Currently, it is easy to keep in touch with friends and families who are located in different geographical locations in real-time. Similarly, students from different parts of the world come together to discuss concepts they are learning, which enable them to comprehend complex topics. Therefore, the interconnectivity provided by the Internet makes the learning process simple since learners can share what they have acquired and obtain new concepts in the p...