What is the relationship between our use of technology and critical thinking?

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It was refreshing to hear during our discussion yesterday that other educators are as concerned as I am about our role in developing students’ critical thinking skills and how current technology may be impacting that effort.

In "Is Technology Producing A Decline in Critical Thinking And Analysis?" Published by Science Daily out of UCLA, there is reference to research from Patricia Greenfield about how visual literacy has increased, but depth of thought is declining. Her view of technology integration was refreshing, as it seemed balanced and based on actual data.





“No one medium is good for everything,” Greenfield sad. “If we want to develop a variety of skills, we need a balanced media diet. Each medium has costs and benefits in terms of what skills each develops.” She then goes on to talk about advantages and disadvantages of various media. Prensky should perhaps focus his ranting towards laparoscopic surgeons rather than educators as there is data that say gaming skills are a good predictor of these surgeons’ success.

Greenfield also refers to studies of classes where students are listening to speakers: Those who did NOT have access to Internet learned more than those who did. I think this speaks to the issue brought up during our open forum yesterday about focused listening and our need to work with students about when and where use of certain tools is appropriate and helpful and when they’re not. Perhaps if the US Congressmen had had such guidance, they wouldn’t have produced such embarrassingly juvenile twitter statements yesterday when listening to Obama’s speech. (click here to see Washington Post article.)

Are we becoming "Googlized?"


Greenfield also cites research about how “multi-tasking prevents people from getting a deeper understanding of information.” This speaks directly to the article from the Atlantic, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" As Nicholas Carr, the author, writes, “The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.” He attributes this to the extensive time he spends on time surfing and searching, as well as interacting with his multiple other communication tools. I was disturbed to what extent I have felt the exact same thing happening to me.

Greenfield refers to studies that show that reading develops “imagination, induction, reflection and critical thinking, as well as vocabulary . . . reading for pleasure is the key to developing these skills.” Carr similarly refers to Maryanne Wolf, a developmental psychologist from Tufts University who says, “We are not only what we read. We are how we read.” Wolf hypothesizes that the current approach of online reading for efficiency may be turning us into information decoders rather than deeply engaged readers who interpret, make connections, and grow original ideas. And she argues (and I believe many of us would concur) “deep reading is indistinguishable from deep thinking.”

Like we were all talking about yesterday, the current media seem to make us all a bit ADHD (not to mention OCD). Carr’s analysis is that since most online content is injected with “hyperlinks, blinking ads, and gewgaws” that we are distracted and unable to fully concentrate. Carr goes on to assert that Google and other such companies do not want to encourage “leisurely reading or slow, concentrated thought. It’s in their economic interest to drive us to distraction.” How true—the more links I click on the more revenue in their account.

I appreciate what Google does in terms of efficiently giving me access to information and more effectively organizing the “tsunami of information” available. However, I now, more than ever, believe that we educators need to focus our energies and talents on finding ways to keep the deep and critical thinking central to what we have kids spend their time and energy on, regardless of the tools involved.