Science and Technology
1. In light of the technological route that education is on today there has been some speculation as to the role of teachers in future education. To what extent do you think teachers are being replaced by computers?
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is quickly playing an important part in teaching in schools and other educational institutions. As more and more subjects can be taught via the computer, there would seem to be less and less need for teachers to be present, as self-study and autonomous learning are encouraged with the assistance of a computer. However, computers will never replace teachers because technology is only a tool and can never replace the spiritual element of the teacher.
Self-study and independent learning using technology is a means of teaching that can be highly effective for practice drills, the study of factual knowledge, or for pure rote memorization. For instance, computers can help students solve math exercises and memorize historic facts. This type of teaching reduces the need of the presence of a teacher. Online teaching or video conferencing allows a teacher to teach to a greater number of students, optimizing costs for schools. This is already happening at the university level where many universities are offering online degrees, for example. Such teaching is profitable to universities as it optimizes costs by increasing teacher-student ratios. I t would therefore seem that technology is making the teacher more and more redundant.
But a crucial element has to be considered with regards to ICT and teaching. Good teaching takes place when the learning is directly associated with our emotions. We learn best when what we are learning has a direct implication on what we believe and what we feel. The computer may communicate concrete knowledge, but only the teacher is able to communicate wisdom, to build self-confidence, and to make one think creatively, which is a more important part of learning. Therefore, no matter how sophisticated technology becomes, a teacher will always be needed, because only with the presence of the teacher is there true interaction.
What will happen is that technology will not replace teachers. Instead, teachers will no longer be able to teach students by rote memory or drill type exercises. The computer will take care of that. The teacher will have to stimulate the minds and bring out the creativity in his or her students. The teacher will have to become a better teacher, a real teacher. ICT will improve teaching, and force teachers to be better teachers; it will never replace the teacher, it will only make him or her more important.
2. The younger generation is up-to-date with new techniques and advances in science. They are often better able to make important decisions than their parents are. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
The Net-Generation is here and whether we like it or not younger generations are in a position to be able to make significant decisions that will affect us all.
What causes this generation to be poles apart from its predecessors is not just its demographic force but that it is the first to mature surrounded by digital media. Computers can be found everywhere and digital technologies such as cameras, video games and DVDs are now commonplace. Increasingly these new media are linked by the Internet, and increasing web of networks which is attracting a million new users monthly, according to popular news sources. For today’s youngsters digital technology is no more frightening than a VCR or a vacuum cleaner.
For the first time in history children are more at ease, clued-up and literate than their parents about an innovation of innermost importance to society. I would argue that it is through this use of digital media that the N-Generation will develop and superimpose its culture on the rest of society.
Already the Net-Generation is defining itself as a reckonable force for social transformation. Unfortunately, few parents are aware of what their children are doing in cyberspace which intensifies the traditional norms associated with the generation gap. School officials are also struggling with the reality of students often being far more intelligent on cyber-issues and new ways of learning than their teachers. Likewise, corporations are trying to establish what these kids will be like as employees since they are used to very different ways of working, collaborating and creating and they discard many basic assumptions of today’s companies.
I believe that there is no single issue more imperative than understanding what the Net-Generation intends to do with its digital expertise. There is a lot we can find out about a whole generation, which is in the process of taking on new media, from the children who are most adept in their adoption of this technology.
3. Many are of the opinion that the Internet is inundating our children with dangerous information. There is however no doubt that the Internet represents great advances in communication and the dissemination of information. Discuss the pros and cons of the Internet and present your opinion on this matter.
Bearing in mind the likely effects of the Internet on today’s users is important, because it is an issue that is discussed daily nowadays by people in both the private and public sectors. It is an everyday occurrence to come across articles in newspapers and there has been a visible boom in websites devoted to the trend. I would like to argue that the importance of this topic, regarding the pros and cons of the Internet, lies somewhere in the broader framework of questions raised by the Internet debate.
The Internet as the name suggests is a complex net of computer. Conversely, it might be more useful to think of the Internet as a network of people who make use of computers. A significant feature of the Internet is that it offers more ways to communicate than any medium in the past; thereby enabling users a variety of ways to retrieve information from the same computerized network system.
It is widely accepted by most that education is something that most, if not all people come into contact with at one point or another in their lives. This contact occurs typically and to the greatest degree at an early age. The principle role of schools is to educate people about their nation and the wider world, and also to help prepare them for the job market. The problem of unemployment is a commonly recognized fact. If schools are indeed doing their best to prepare young people for the job market, then their national curriculum needs to reflect the skills considered necessary for the most popular work sectors.
Depending on its use, the Internet may or may not contribute to the development of key skills related to critical thinking, group work, and problem solving. Over the course of time, I believe children will most likely adopt a different and possibly greater responsibility as learners when using the Internet.
As we are all aware, there is more information offered on the World Wide Web than anyone could possibly need and most of this information is very easily reached. Therefore, students have to act responsibly when choosing what information to use. The risk of being distracted while using the Internet is always there; however, even if young learners do browse off every now and then, they are still using the most hi-tech interactive tool we have in education for today’s world.
4. Spending money on scientific research should only be approved when there are economic benefits resulting form the research. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
A primary challenge for developing and post-industrial societies is not only to garner enough funding for scientific research but to go further in their spending for development if they want to secure positions as truly knowledge-based economies. An appreciation for investing in scientific research has matured steadily in recent decades. Having said this however, most would agree that it is not easy to gauge the direct social and economic benefits resulting from scientific research. Many of the features of our modern world are the direct results of scientific research. Computers are but one area that receives a staggering amount of investment as countries compete with one another for stakes in this lucrative market. Medical research, likewise, is well worth the investment that is made for finding new ways to ensure the well-being of those fortunate enough to be able to receive treatment. These are but a few obvious examples.
However, what is almost certain is that in many cases the time from scientific discovery to the commercialization of research results may often be long. However, there are many instances of breakthroughs in research that provide additional support for the popular principle that public investment in basic science generates continued economic and social benefits.
The evidence presented in research journals available to the public confirms that government-funded research is a vital source of investment for increasing a society’s knowledge and skills. When governments invest in scientific research their funding in trun expands the technological opportunities available to companies who wish to develop new products and processes. Such spending on scientific research also supports the education of students who in turn transfer their competencies in science and technology into the private commercial sector.
Due to the widespread understanding that the development of economically viable research projects is often a lengthy and time-consuming process it is natural that some people would be opposed to the idea of further government money being spent on scientific research. However, I believe the rewards from research and development are well worth waiting for in this ever changing world of ours.
5. Although many benefits may result from space exploration, the costs involved are enormous. There is some debate as to whether this money could be more wisely spent to provide for the basic needs of mankind such as food, clean water, contraception etc. For this reason space exploration should be restricted. What is your opinion?
One giant step forward for mankind: there were the words of American astronaut, Neil Armstrong, the first man to land on the moon.
Space exploration is considered by most developed countries and those aspiring to compete in the race for development as the last frontier known to mankind. However, there are many people who belong to nations which have space programs who question the expenditure involved in continued space exploration when it is apparent that money is needed to deal with many of the world’s existing problems, for example, pandemic situations like AIDS and poverty that are always on the increase.
A trip to the moon was an incredible success in 1969; however we have plainly taken a step backwards in the last 30 years or so. The dreams of travel to outer lying planets like Mars and Pluto remain as distant as ever, not forgetting the dream of interstellar voyages and exploring new solar systems. A big part of the problem is that our current technology is simply unable to realize these dreams. Even our best chemical rocket would take somewhere between one and two years to reach the closer planets and this is largely due to the fact that before reaching the desired destinations rocket fuel is likely to run out.
The amount of money required to fuel space exploration programs of such large proportions begs the question of just how feasible all this spending is. It is clearly prohibitively high and a key objective for the years ahead will be to lower the cost to a fraction of today’s value. In the meantime however, we need to realistically face the problems existing on our earth which are far more pressing and far more concerned with true development.
Making dreams come true on this planet, of a better world for everyone to live in, is surely more achievable for mankind than reaching outer lying galaxies which are light years beyond our existing capabilities.
