A chemistry teacher at St. Mark’s School, a private secondary school, jubilantly told parents today that he gave online quizzes to students in the evenings because it freed up time in the classroom for teaching. The system he used (which he didn’t specify) allowed him to control when a quiz started and ended so that all students took it simultaneously. This, he said, prevented the discussions that might occur if they were taking it at different times outside of the classroom. He furthermore said that he never handed out assignments now because they were all online. He could even tell how long a student spent on them.
What struck me about this was the mixed blessings this technology affords depending on perspective.
For the teacher, there are start-up costs: the effort of learning a new system and converting materials. Since other teachers didn’t discuss this, he might be a rogue. Then, there are the benefits that accrue from freeing up class time and also not having to prepare homework handouts, not to mention that less paper is used (unless students print everything themselves). His assignments arrive online and he may have tools to assist with grading. Finally, at the end of a class, he presumably can save everything easily and without boxes and folders.
Not so many mixed blessings, then, but lots positive especially if there isn’t a steep learning or conversion curve.
For the students, who are now taking quizzes as part of their study time, the attitude might not be as positive. The security aspect of this seems questionable because the fact that they take it at the same time doesn’t insure much besides – well, that they take it at the same time. The online assignments seem valuable because there is less paper to carry or lose and because it is presumably easier to go back to see past ones. I don’t know what students have at the end – and how easy it is for them to save all their work unless they print it. Often students lose access at the end of a class or when they leave a school.
For students then, there seem to be more mixed blessings, not solely advantages.
Finally, there are administrators who may be seeking solutions that reduce paper, increase security, or increase the amount of material covered in the classroom.
All technologies introduce trade-offs but they really only become apparent when different perspectives are considered. Generally decisions to introduce and use technologies are not made by students or even by teachers.