Technology Can Increase Academic Sucess

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Technology is defined as the use of science in industry, engineering, etc., to invent useful things or to solve problems (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, 2011). It seems that no matter where you turn there is some sort of technology that you have to deal with on a daily basis because as a society we have become reliant on technology to help us do the simplest of tasks. This is not a bad thing when you put technology to good use such as by implementing it into school curriculums properly in order to increase the academic success of students. Technology can increase academic success through the combination of mobility, flexibility, and accessibility that it provides.
Technology seems to be all around us and can be seen more in the college student population as shown by Dahlstrom’s (n.d) research of student device ownership in which 86% own a laptop, 62% own a smartphone, 33% own a desktop, 15% own a tablet and 12% own an E-Reader. The top two devices have a common theme that they share which is mobility. Through mobility of technology comes the ability of being a student on the go and still being able to accomplish tasks such as readings and assignments. This means that you are free to roam out of the walled compound that is school and you are free to access you inner creativity anywhere that your device can work from. With that mobility comes the urge of instant gratification of knowledge that devices such as smartphones give. As Fox (2007) states, “Patrons want answers at their moment of need—a price comparison while at the mall, the answer to a bar bet trivia question while watching a ball game, the history of a cultural landmark while standing in front of it.” This means that when a student needs help while riding the bus to scho...

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...library/resources/ecar-study-undergraduate-students-and-information-technology-2012
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Fox, M. (2007). Information tomorrow: Reflections on and the future of public and academic libraries. (pp. 3-18). Medford, New Jersey: Information Today, Incorporated.
Kumari, S. (2000). Adopting information technologies for instructional environments. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing.
Shank, J.D., & Bell, S.J. (2007). Information tomorrow: Reflections on and the future of public and academic libraries. (pp. 3-18). Medford, New Jersey: Information Today, Incorporated.
Technology. (2011). In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technology

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