It’s bad. It’s good. It depends….
Not too long ago we were asked to worry if Google was making us stupid. Too much scanning, too little substance; hyperactive, multi-tasking minds that have lost the ability for deep reading and thinking. Yes, I have days like that, but honestly, I think it started long before Google and Web 2.0. Nevertheless, point taken.
Now we should be reassured by a new MacArthur Foundation study “Living and Learning With New Media.” indicating that teens are developing new social and technical literacy skills online by using Web 2.0 tools that adults often don’t understand or appreciate. According to lead researcher Mizuko Ito: “There are myths about kids spending time online – that it is dangerous or making them lazy. But we found that spending time online is essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the digital age.
It seems to me that we are looking at both sides of the same coin. Students can learn to navigate online social networks in sophisticated ways, but that does not necessarily translate to interactions offline. Case in point: a new student whom I had never met telephoned me in my office and started the conversation: “Hey, how ya doin’”….
Likewise, students can become very adept at searching and finding information online, but fail at appraising the quality of information. They may be able to create an innovative mash-up of different tools, but produce a copy and pasted paper devoid of critical thinking.
So, again, nuance wins out, and it depends on how you look at the situation. I’ll hedge my bets by continuing to expand the use of Web 2.0 tools in my courses while tossing in a hefty dose of good old fashioned literacy and manners.
