TECHNOLOGY IN THE 21ST CENTURY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

With the fast paced technology growth occurring in today's society, it is hard for schools to keep up with the latest technology. With the increasing use of technology in today's world, questions are being raised as to how technology within the learning environments is affecting students. Studies are continuously shifting between whether or not technology is benefiting students or hindering them. These researchers wanted to understand how students use technology in learning, where it is useful to them, and how it can hinder their learning. These researchers used mixed method research approach. The qualitative research included review of published research on this topic, case studies, observations, and interviews to obtain the data. Their review of published literature on this topic indicated that technology in schools, while necessary for some learning, is not always necessary for all instruction. Based on these literature reviews, these researchers hypnotized that a classroom solely dependent on technology will not be as effective as a classroom that uses technology to supplement learning. To test their hypothesis, these researchers observed a local high school to understand how students use technology in their classroom. They also surveyed the high school students to understand the most effective way to incorporate technology into their classrooms. They also interviewed these students and observed their activities and behaviors in their classrooms. This research team's findings suggested that some schools don't implement technology as much as they should, while some schools overuse it. The use of technology use is also dependent on different demographics and age groups and various other factors. In this paper, the researchers will share their research methods and findings in detail. The results of this study inform how students viewed and reacted to the amount of technology in their classroom setting.