Question

Excessive use of technology in teaching will make a learner

• A. creative
• B. rational
• C. robot
• D. alternative

Hint:

While technology is valuable, balance is key. Over-reliance can lead to rote learning and dependence, hindering higher-order thinking skills and genuine understanding. The goal is to use technology as a tool to enhance, not replace, human cognitive processes.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Consider the potential impacts of technology in education.
Technology can be a powerful tool to enhance learning, providing access to information, interactive experiences, and new ways to collaborate. However, like any tool, its excessive or uncritical use can have negative consequences.

Step 2: Analyze the implications of 'excessive' technology use on learners.
Excessive reliance on technology in teaching can lead to:
Reduced critical thinking and problem-solving skills: If technology always provides answers or automates thinking processes, learners may not develop their own analytical and critical abilities.
Decreased creativity and independent thought: Over-reliance on predefined technological solutions can stifle originality and imaginative thinking.
Passive consumption of information: If technology is used primarily for content delivery without active engagement, learners might become passive recipients rather than active participants.
Lack of human interaction and social skills: Excessive screen time and digital interaction might reduce face-to-face communication and collaborative learning.
Dependence and inability to function without technology: Learners might struggle with tasks that require manual effort, abstract thinking, or non-digital solutions. This can lead to a state where the learner merely executes pre-programmed instructions or relies entirely on technology for answers, much like a robot.

Step 3: Evaluate the given options in this context.
(1) creative: Excessive use often \textit{reduces} creativity, as learners might follow pre-programmed paths.
(2) rational: While technology can aid rational thought, excessive reliance might bypass the internal reasoning process, making the learner less independently rational.
(3) robot: This option best captures the idea of a learner becoming overly reliant on technology to provide answers and dictate actions, losing their own critical thinking, creativity, and independent problem-solving skills, essentially behaving like an automated machine.
(4) alternative: This term is too vague and doesn't describe a negative outcome of excessive technology use in this context.

Step 4: Conclude the most fitting description. Excessive use of technology in teaching can make a learner dependent and mechanistic, similar to a robot, by hindering the development of independent thought, critical thinking, and creativity.