If Croydon’s Presbyterian Ladies College is anything to go by, we could be seeing i-Pods, mobile phones and the internet in examinations quicker than you can Google ‘brain dead’.
The school is introducing the gadgetry in an attempt to redefine “cheating” by incorporating the process of disseminating data from the web, while citing information sources.
Obviously, old school fusty dusters will be red in the face about this – but the reality is unshakable, the internet is here, and it’s here to stay. So it’s a wise decision to incorporate some elements of the net into the school curriculum, and indeed examinations, so that kids can wise up when it comes to the web.
After all, it’s a science in itself to process the overwhelming information available on the net – and with the sheer volume of web pages devoted to every given topic – it’s important to be able to discern what the gold is, and what is about as valuable as a Nigerian investment opportunity.
The question is – has technology diminished our raw grey matter? Are we relying so heavily on the Web and other tools, like calculators and converters, that it has eroded our ability to process tasks that 30-40 years ago were second nature?
The answer is yes… and no.
In some ways, the very existence of the humble calculator has encouraged laziness when processing simple mental arithmetic. The spell checker has allowed us to perfect spelling in our documents, but has diminished our ability to spell correctly without one. Examples of the influence of technology on our brain capacity, and ability to freely perform tasks, are abundant.
But on the other hand, technology has awarded us an unprecedented vista of information that offers endless reams of detail on anything we care to think of, and then some. A simple search on a topic of interest uncovers hyperlinks to tangents that undoubtedly enrich the user.
The advent of podcasting has given us the ability to experience discussions, interviews and lectures that normally would be reserved for those undertaking costly university degrees.
So while our brain capacity may be decreasing in some aspects – it’s growing rapidly in others.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to read this Wikipedia entry on the history of Velcro, then watch a YouTube video of cats jumping off stuff, which I’ll stick on my Facebook page, in between posting comments on forums about how much new movies suck.
