Video Discussion: Frontline: Digital Nation

Dretzin, R. (Producer). (Feb. 2, 2010). Digital nation: Life on the virtual frontier [Frontline]. Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation. DVD.

In an effort to better understand the implications of digital media on learning (and how different areas of education and work are embracing it) I watched "Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier." I will highlight and discuss a few of the main points, and their implication as libraries and librarians continue to adapt their service to meet ever-changing patron needs.

According to the video (and supported by my personal observations) everyone is immersed in technology. Technology is used in daily activities from work to play, and it's not just in large technology-oriented companies. Multitasking in military operations and elementary schools happens. The correspondents visited the campus of MIT in Cambridge, MA, one of the most wired college campuses in the nation. What they saw there was constant multitasking. Students were using chat, email, in-person conversation, Facebook, and multiple other computer applications--and not just between classes, but during class. Instructors discussed how that changes how they teach. By modifying their teaching practices to distract students from the Web. This is a difficult task; one many professors are struggling with. One professor's observations were that students were not balancing this intense multitasking with their studies, and scores are suffering.

So, are we changing what it means to be human by using this wide range of technology so much? According to the video young people (age ranges were undefined, but it was implied to be elementary through high school aged children) are spending over fifty hours per week with digital media. It is unsure how this is impacting brain development, though researchers are attempting to observe. Gary Small, from UCLA, has been studying brain scans of those reading a book and comparing them to those conducting an online search using Google. When using Google, the decision-making parts of the brain showed increased activity. What is unknown is to what level this impacts learning.

The correspondents went to South Korea to observe a culture that has fully embraced digital media. They examined the fallout of the digital revolution. Of the approximate 90% of Korean children using the internet, 10-15% are in what is considered the high-risk group for digital addictions. Because we are now so connected through devices we are now living connected all of the time. In the schools, Korean children go online the same time they are taught to read (second grade), but are also taught how to use computers responsibly (including songs about internet safety, posters throughout the school emphasizing proper internet etiquette, and school lessons).

At a school back in the United States, the classroom teachers are meeting kids where they are (and prefer to learn) incorporating technology into their classroom. The teachers and administrators see education adapting to a different purpose, requiring students to produce digital artifacts (do things, build things, solve problems), not strictly memorize. This fluency in technology lends itself to communication and problem solving, and presenting classroom content when technology is utilized makes more sense to the students as learners (as opposed to traditional lecture-type instruction). A couple of online resources mentioned were Edublogs (for student and teacher classroom blogging and sharing) and Ning (for creating a social network, in this case, specifically for a class or assignment). I like the limited nature of both (the education focus, and the self-created networks/social Web page), but feel they best serve the K-12 environment. If utilized within the higher ed. community, students might feel as though they have "one more thing to check" (in addition to their school email, personal email, Facebook, Twitter, course management software, class registration interface, etc.). Some schools, once considered failing, upon integrating laptop use into their courses have seen attendance greatly improve, student scores improve, and violence decrease.

Others are concerned about how this impacts students' attention spans, how it impacts the thought process, and how online distractions detract from learning. Todd Oppenheimer, the author of The Flickering Mind, worries about the loss of linear thought. Others have noted the difference reflected in student writing. No longer written as a whole, student papers are often paragraphs pieced together into essays, lacking flow and coherency.

New approaches to learning and teaching will always stimulate discussion. While it is comforting for many to approach education using known techniques, it is also important to keep in mind that the old ways that were once considered the most effective approach are sometimes held in practice for too long. Simply because it was once the best approach, does not mean it is the best approach forever (if that was the case we would have few medical, mechanical, and technological advances).

A wide range of technologies and their use were examined, one of which was Virtual Reality (particularly Second Life). The correspondents showed the business applications for Second Life and other technologies that allow for remote working. Instead of IBM conducting meetings in-person, flying workers to various locations, meetings were held in Second Life. The users preferred Second Life to conference phone calls because the added element of perceived interaction (with the avatars) added a more personal feel. Researchers at the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford have been studying children and their perceptions of virtual reality. They found young children had difficulty differentiating between reality and virtual reality when recalling different experiences.

The military has found use for digital simulations, gaming, and technologies allowing for remote piloting. Digital simulations are used to help train personnel, as well as help treat individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Army has begun using gaming centers (Army Experience Centers, modeled after the Apple Store) for recruiting. Though controversial in some areas, representatives have found them helpful for increasing recruits, and for visiting with potential recruits who are too young to sign up for service. Another application using digital technologies is the use of remote pilots to fly drones in the Middle East. I can see continued use of these types of technologies at University of Dubuque (where I am doing my internship), particularly with their pilot programs. Allowing students opportunities to practice as much as they can without using fuel or risking expensive equipment is invaluable to this community. We have one flight simulator equipped computer in the library in addition to the equipment housed elsewhere.

At Quest to Learn in New York, the students' entire education is surrounded by technology. They learn through games and navigate easily between the real world and digital experiences. The teachers and students feel the mix results in an engaging learning experience, in which learning is done through problem solving and first-hand experience. One teacher compared the game world to that in novels, saying it was equally as rich of an environment. By using their interests to motivate students you are creating that engaging environment necessary for learning. Critics are hesitant to embrace the degree to which Quest to Learn has integrated these technologies, saying sustained conversations about the future of education, what we value as components of education, and what is sacrificed through this process, need to occur. A large theme throughout the program was what is technology's impact on us, how is it changing us and remaking the world in the process?

I have observed both the perceived benefits, draw backs, and reactions to incorporating technology in students, faculty, and myself. While new technology shouldn't be dismissed, I am one who prefers to experiment and test out tools prior to incorporating them into my teaching repertoire. In having that strong background, I feel more comfortable when employing the technology professionally. That said, with the speed technology is changing, it requires constant adaptation on my part, and I can see how veteran teachers might prefer to stick with their tested and true teaching techniques. Students are (usually) those comfortable with merging their digital world with their in-person world, overlapping their Facebook, Twitter, coursework and in-person interactions. Particularly with library instruction sessions held in computer labs, keeping students on task can be difficult--which calls back to how engaging the instructors are. If the instructor is engaging and creating a learning environment in which students are expected to actively participate (whether it be through verbal discussion or online forums), the students will be more invested in what is happening than what may be happening on Twitter or Facebook. It's constantly changing, and I'm glad to be along for the ride!