THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ON STUDENTS’ LEARNING

Year 2015, Volume: 2 , 173 - 177, 01.09.2015

Tolga Gök

Abstract

The technology providing quick and
easy online access to information and social activities has undeniable effects
on academic lives and study hours of students. It was therefore important to
investigate what we know about the impact of digital technologies and social
networking sites (SNS) on education. This study investigates the effects of
developing technologies and social media on the students’ daily life. The
research was conducted with 220 university students. Data were collected using
a survey designed for gathering the students’ opinions about the digital
devices and social media. The students were asked some questions such as
why/how long/when do they use the digital devices and social media. The results
of the research indicated that the digital devices and SNS had negative impact
on students’ knowledge and learning due to distraction from academic tasks. The
study reveals that most of the students spent more time on social media
(facebook, twitter, youtube etc.) than academic courses. Detailed results and
recommendations based on the academic success are presented in the study.  

Keywords

Digital devices, educational technology, higher education

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