Technophobia in Education

This paper discusses technophobia in the education context. In the 21^st Century, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is taking center stage. All the sectors of the economy are prioritizing technology in their operations, so technophobia should be handled with care if it is not to become a stumbling block. Since I am not a psychologist but an educationist, I base my discussion on years of experience in the education sector where I gained valuable insights into socio-educational interactions. Before venturing deeper into the subject, let me define what technophobia is, as I see it.

What is technophobia?

One’s fear of using technological devices and applications or anything that exhibits some technological advancement features. It’s not a mental illness as such, but some state of mind that fails to embrace technology.  This may be due to confidence deficiency or just some fear of the unknown. Or is it just some laziness to learn some new Science innovation. It’s some psychological state of confusion regarding technology acceptance. Psychologists refer to these people as technophobes.  

Signs of technophobia

Avoidance of technological sessions or devices by the technophobe. One will create so many excuses just to avoid any session were peers are engaged in some form of training on technology. One creates alternative traditional strategy as plan B of the expected technological alternative strategy to justify the value of the old school of thought.

No one pedagogy is perfect or water tight. However, one may come up with excuses or blame games to justify non-compliance with an organisation’s ICT policy. Exaggerated blame placed on an ICT device to cover up for one’s inadequacies becomes a slogan of the day. One will blame every device and everyone other than oneself. For example, ‘Technology does not work because….. blah, blah and blah.’ Who said that technology has no side effects?

One discourages colleagues from engaging in ICT training sessions with the excuse that it never works or that it has never worked. One tries to get some allies to support one’s stand point so that one is not left alone and isolated. The blind cannot be left to lead the sighted otherwise that would be the end of the world.

One might be too conservative- Singing songs of glory about the good old yesteryear pedagogical techniques that were more effective than current ones. The past can guide the future, but the past remains in the past. Knowledge is not dormant.

Why Technophobia

Initial exposure to technology might make one feel as if drifting away from the comfort zone into some alien zone. Fear of the unknown. This can unsettle some people. Check what happens at bank ATMs. Smartly dressed elegant customers literary shivering and appearing nervous in front of that technological device that is meant to assist them. Fortunately, in most cases, an alert bank employee rushes to one’s aid before some conman pounce on the technophobe. 

Some unforgettable unfortunate negative encounter with computers when one first attempted to use them may have left a mark on someone. It reminds me of a reflection on the workshop by one of the participants who attended my SMART Board/ SMART Notebook training some time ago. He said to me, ‘I don’t know how you make technology appear so simple. I had some negative attitude towards use of computers because long back I had some frustrating experience with computers. I had to visit some office in some faraway province to sort out important papers. When I got there the receptionist could not assist me because the computers were not working properly…’ To cut a very long story short, he was told to return some other day when the obsolete computers are in order. Imagine having to travel the long distance back to his province without accomplishing his mission. His conclusion then was that technology is a handicap to mankind not an aid. Yes, it can be a handicap if people want to be replaced by it instead of using it to assist them or to make work lighter. In the above scenario, the receptionist had been replaced by technology. The receptionist in question was supposed to have a back-up plan just in case something went wrong.

One might not be interested in attempting to use ICT devices for fear of being exposed to computer literate younger generation. The feeling that children will laugh at me if I make blunders along the way and get stuck. But the truth is that children are very glad to help when one is stuck. They are usually naughty if you pretend that you know everything there is to be known about technology then you blunder. That is when they will have a party on you. Ask children to demonstrate what they know then you will be friends because they also want to be appreciated.

Negative attitude towards issues to do with capitalism…. The feeling hat embracing technology will make some capitalist somewhere richer…. The usual political games you know. Or is it just conservatism at its worst. In such cases trying to overcome technophobia might be an uphill task since it involves some political ideologies, as I see it.

How to handle technophobia in an organisation, as I see it

Any form of change is bound to be resisted by some people because it can be deskilling and result in removing one from the comfort zone. So, change should be well managed. In the same vein, technophobia should be handled with care of else one is bound to cause more damage than good.

For elders who were ‘born before technology’ BBT like myself, introduction to technology for this group should be in small doses lest they feel overwhelmed and abandon the attempt. The coach should be a patient person not someone who is easily irritated by the slow pace or the back and forth motions. By this I mean that the coach should expect to move 2 steps forward then a step back at times. If there is some movement forward, the better. This type of adult prefers to be trained on a one-on-one basis as opposed to group training since they don’t want to expose their weaknesses to the juniors.

For the young adults who have not been exposed to technology much because of the home background. One should try to show off benefits of technology for that individual and to society in general. This type of people might not have appreciated yet the benefits of technology because of non-exposure to the devises. If convinced that indeed technology can lighten their workload and life style, they are bound to slowly buy in.

For children coming from disadvantaged homes, I am not sure whether we can confidently say these children have technophobia or whether it’s more of ignorance than technophobia since they may not have had enough exposure to technology because of their home backgrounds. Naturally, children are inquisitive and ready to learn new ideas. If provided with the relevant devices and guidance, they easily learn new behavior. It is important to note that children learn better from their peers, so conditions for collaborative work or team work should be developed so that they emulate technological pedagogy from peers.

If one happens to realize that one is technophobic, one can self-correct oneself by attending ICT training workshops or Online courses such as MG Online to learn valuable ICT skills. I call this self-counselling. If one realizes and admits to one’s weaknesses, this can be an important step towards self-correction. If self-correction is beyond reach, then one has no choice but to get counselling from a psychologist who is more qualified to handle such cases.

Conclusion

As I see it, learning does not end. Technology is here to stay. If you do not embrace technology now, it might replace you one day. If one feels technophobic, one should try to self-correct by creating enough time to mingle with peers engaged in technology, attending ICT training workshops or seeking help from a psychologist.

ICT/ Poetry Integration

ICT in Education

Does ICT technology have an impact in teaching and learning?
There is no doubt that ICT Technology takes a heavy load off the teacher's shoulder to enable the teacher to concentrate on core teaching obligations. So much time and effort is wasted on paperwork and other tasks by the teacher at the expense of the actual delivery of curricula. Learners on the other hand struggle to get resources for the subjects they are studying. In a 21st Century classroom, a student or teacher can access loads of information from the internet by just clicking a button. Someone should convince me that technology has no impact on student achievement and teacher workload. We can't have excuses to justify clinging to 'stone age' pedagogy. We can't expect 21st Century children to be taught the why we were taught. Not that I am against old school methodologies because they helped shape what I am but to imagine that knowledge or pedagogy is dormant, is anathema. We can let the past shape the future, then embrace the future. What am I saying? Let us be part of the future since 'ICT is the future' just to quote Gauteng MEC for Education Mr Lefusi Panyaza. We can’t dwell in the past.
In a classroom situation, how many of us can draw a volcano in eruption on the chalkboard for a Geography lesson and convince students that it is a resemblance of volcanic activity. In contrast, how about showing students a video on a volcano in eruption on a SMART Board or some simulation. One can see that using Multi-media in teaching and learning can assist in concretizing abstract concepts that may be very difficult when using traditional approaches.
So, let ICTs assist the teacher to deliver powerful interactive lessons and for students to have an opportunity to search for additional information using ICTs. Need a mind shift from the past. Learning does not end.

ICT Content Integration

Students can make use of the Memoires App to capture information gathered during an educational field trip. The application can be downloaded from the Play Store. Using this application students can take notes, record conversations and photos of scenic sites so as to produce a valuable diary of events, ready for publication or feedback at school.

Tablets and Smartphones in 21st Century Teaching/Learning Pedagogy

With the advent of technology, 21st century educators are adjusting to new roles as facilitators of education rather than lecturers or preachers of wisdom as in the past. In the past centuries, educators were viewed as ‘all knowing’ experts who were expected to fill up the empty brains of their ignorant students. These days students can be exposed to various learning opportunities, thanks to computer technology. The educator is no longer the only source of knowledge. The 21st century student is now floating in a global village and has a role in his/ her learning experiences. Educators who are being left behind in this ICT movement may regret too late when they are made redundant by computer technology. Old, senior teachers should not blame it on age since age knows no boundaries when it comes to learning capabilities. It is said that, ‘age is just but a number’… very true.

a) What is the place of tablets and Smartphones in the teaching/ learning process?

 Use of class Whatsapp groups (social media/ subject integration): Group work feedback on whatsapp, for example, posting videos and photos of class activities such as Project Based Learning (PBL) articles. 

 Whatsapp messages to parents and guardians to update them on student behaviour and academic progress or inviting them to school functions.

 Access to preloaded eBooks. 

 Dictionary/ Thesaurus Apps

 Apps such as SimpleMind app for brainstorming activities, Memoires app for diary records during field trips etc.

 Video recording when practising public speaking (listening and speaking) and role play activities.

 Videos explaining difficult abstract concepts and simulations

 Accessing exam revision papers on the web. The list is endless.

b) What are the challenges of using these devices at school?

 Parental negative attitudes: Some parents have witnessed serious abuse of smartphones and tablets by children (especially on social media platforms) so they now have a negative attitude towards use of these devices by students. Therefore, educators should reassure parents and guardians that they are going to manage the use of these devices very well. However, even if the child is denied use of a smartphone at home, he/she will still get access to it courtesy of a friend next door. That’s a negation of a negation, isn’t it? 

 Some educators avoid displaying their ignorance of ICT to students thereby demonising use of ICT devices for educational purposes. 

 The security of these devices is a major headache for schools especially the tablets that have been provided by Gauteng Education Department (GDE). It was a relief for students when they realised that they would no longer move around with loads of books since a GDE tablet would be enough to handle the eBooks. However, the joy has been short lived for some since quite a number have lost their tablets to thieves.

 Most schools do not have Internet Access, so browsing the internet is not possible. In this case learners underutilize these ICT devices since they just use them to access preloaded eBooks only.

c) How to overcome these challenges:

 Educators should be trained on proper management of the gadgets in class. Students can’t be allowed to do as they wish. Educators should be trained on proper tablet management. 

 Students should be made aware of mobile phone etiquettes (mobiquette) before they use the ICT devices at school. Etiquettes refer to a set of rules that govern how an individual should behave to be accepted in society. Mobiquette (Mobile Etiquette) refers to certain rules that must be followed by someone using a mobile phone in an organisation. Smartphones and tablets are a necessity nowadays, but they can ruin an individual’s life if not properly managed. 

 A class that is out of control can only make use of the devices in pairs or groups to avoid individuals from straying.

 Harnessing the existent learner interest and background knowledge on the use of ICT devices as a springboard for guided knowledge acquisition is necessary. Why not take advantage of this fertile ground full of weeds and prepare the piece of land for fruitful harvests rather than to waste scare energy in stifling learner interest in 21st century skills. Unfortunately, some educators have been left behind by the 21st Century learners and are forced to pretend that they are on board only to surprise everyone when they crush- land in full view of the students. 

 Educators should make use of the students who prove to be more advanced than the class/ teacher by allowing them to assist those legging behind in technology. Children understand other children better than adults I assume. Such students are usually naughty, especially when they realise that they know technology better than other students or worse still, better than the teacher. If they realise that the peers and educator are not appreciating them, the class becomes ungovernable. Just put a crown on them to appreciate their background knowledge and calm is restored in the ICT in class. However, firmness should not be sacrificed for this option.

If well managed, smartphones and tablets can be handy in improving teaching/ learning pedagogy in class in which students are very active in the learning process and are engaged in higher order manipulative tasks with the aid of ICT devices. Learner centred approaches should be encouraged in the 21st Century era.