Positive and negative aspects of computers in the classroom

Positive and Negative Aspects of Computers in the Classroom 


On a bright September morning, young students filled the playground of High Tech School. It was the first day of school. All the young pupils sported their bronze color tans along with new fall fashions. The sparkles in their eyes displayed their excitement for the new school year to begin. The night before, they dreamt about how wonderful their teacher would be, how colorful and magical their classroom would look and all the fun, educational things they would learn. As the bell rang, they all sprinted to their assigned doors and waited with anticipation. For some students it would be their first time walking into the building and for others it would be the year they learned how to write. However, something different happened this year, the doors opened automatically and there was not one teacher to greet them. As the children made their way to the classrooms, they were disappointed to find no colorful decorations or signs welcoming their return. By this point, each student was very nervous to walk into their classroom in fear that they would find something worse. Their inclination was right. The walls of each classroom were bear, each desk owned a computer, and a computer board replaced the chalkboard. This year the students would not be taught by a teacher, but instead a computer, they would not be learning how to print or write, they would be learning how to type, and instead of textbooks, they would be researching through the internet. Slowly they would learn to be dependant on the machines for creativity while theirs slowly diminished. 

The idea of computer technology taking control over the school classroom is one that is not far fetched. As technology continues to grow rapidly it starts replacing people and their jobs. Although computers are a very sufficient tool for learning, research, and practice, they also have the ability to take way the “old fashion way” of doing things. It is important that education does not lose the concept of personal touch between the teacher and the student. The advancements of computer technology made in education have been beneficial for the most part. However, further advancement could be harmful to the student and teacher. Many positive and negative aspects result from having computers in the classroom. 

Computers supply students with convenient access to information. No matter what subject the student is studying the computer is able to provide them with endless amounts of information. One way of accessing this information is through the multiple uses of the Internet. Online libraries and search engines are two of the most popular ways of accumulating data. By simply typing a few words and clicking on the mouse a few times, research is brought to the fingertips of students in seconds. The great advantage of this is that it speeds of the process of getting work completed. In the past when computers were not as developed as they are today researching through methods of books, magazines and other written material was tedious and took a longer time. Another advantage in which the information supplied on the computer provides is colorful charts, pictures, diagrams, and animated mini-movies. This provides the learner a chance to see something related to the topic. This is often helpful when trying to understanding a concept. 

Computers help develop more interaction between teacher and student. This aspect of education is very important. In order for a student and teacher to have a good relationship, communication must be present. E-mail allows students and teachers to stay connected at times they cannot see each other. Although the telephone can also keep them in touch, the computer allows assignments and papers to be sent to and from each other’s accounts. This connection provides the student a chance to receive the help he or she needs before the next class. This type of benefit helps improve classroom performance. 

Contrary to the advantages computers offer to a student’s education, many problems also arise. One of these problems is plagiarism. Since the computer provides such a large amount of information, it is easy for students to find free essays and assignments that are already complete. This enables students to retype information and hand it in as their own. It is often easy for students to get away with this because teachers trust that it is their own work. Plagiarism is also a negative factor because it allows students brain to become lazy and dependant on other sources, rather than using their brain. If the students are aware that they can take other peoples work and use it as their own without getting caught, surely they will do it, especially if they receive decent marks. This is where computer and internet use must be controlled. 


Another problem associated with information gained by computers is the possibility of it being invalid. The credibility of a source should always be questioned, especially if it has been obtained from the internet. Although the amount of information a student can find on the internet is endless, there is not always a way of knowing if the source is valid. Many times students may think they are reading an article written by an expert, but in most cases they aren’t. People often try to pass on information as though it is fact when in reality it is just the writers opinion. Because of this problem, there is a large chance that a student can write a paper full of false information. 

The personal touch between the teacher and the student might be affected if the rise in computers continues. The ability for a student and teacher to interact one on one is priceless. A computer will never be able to take the place of a human teacher. Part of the learning process is for students to be able to discuss ideas in class with their teacher and classmates. A computer can only provide information. A teacher actually takes the information and teaches his or her students how to integrate it into their lives. No matter how advanced a computer is, it is not able to inspire a student to achieve his or her goals or show them what steps they would need to take in order to improve. In my opinion, a teacher is the only source that can truly educate. 

The advancement technology has made in education thus far has been very beneficial. However, further advancement may be harmful to students’ education across the world. Computers have positively influenced education in many ways by providing easy access to information as well as an efficient way of communication for teachers and students outside the classroom. However, by becoming dependant on these machines students will only develop poor thinking skills and lack a sense of creativity.