Technology in Education:

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

P. Pete ChongAssociate Professor of MIS

Gonzaga University

Examples of Technology Used Calculator Word Processor: term paper Spreadsheet: data analysis Database: library, student records,

scheduling Telecommunication: Internet (email,

Websites, usenet, aim), phone

The Good Reduce the cost of

information processing Reduce the cost of

information transportation Reduce the cost of

information storage

The Bad Academic honesty issues Focus on packaging, not contents Poor time management in

homework Distractions (mp3, aim, etc.) Deteriorating source of

information Triviality

The Ugly Loss of essential skills (esp.

math) Missing the point Digital divide Loss of mission Misallocation of resources

Summary Why technology? What is the mission? What are the goals? How can technology help achieve the

goals? Does the benefit outweigh the cost? How are benefits and costs

assessed?