Since Covid-19, there has been a massive change in schooling due to the introduction of new technology. This new technology has created many new opportunities for students and teachers regarding learning. While traditional learning with a straight pen and paper may have its perks over-relying on technology, technology makes learning more accessible to people. It can also provide students with more learning opportunities.
The newest installment of technology in schooling is a digital SAT option. Most students who have taken the SAT on paper know it is a long and tiring process. With the introduction of technology, the SAT is now 46 minutes shorter than the paper version, and it will have 56 fewer questions. If the test is taken digitally, it will adapt to how you are doing on the test to make the next section easier or harder. A study done by the Paris corporation has found that 64% of employees prefer to read things off of paper, so for anyone who would rather take the test on paper, the option is still available at the same price as the digital one. The perks that come with taking the digital SAT, such as shortened passages and no-no-calculator section, make the digital test very hard to pass.
Junior at Pennridge High School, Riley Williams has voiced her opinions about introducing a digital SAT. She believes that the introduction of a digital SAT will negatively affect college admissions due to the introduction of Desmos in the math section of the test. Desmos is an advanced graphing calculator built into the test. She said challenges arose when it came down to time management, while there are a lot fewer questions, there is also a lot less time, and time management is important. Williams mentioned that the reading portion of the test did get much easier with short paragraphs instead of long passages.
According to “My Private Professor,” the introduction of digital schooling has made previously expensive books and textbooks much cheaper therefore being more accessible to all students. One downfall with digital learning is that the blue light emitted from most electronic devices can sometimes become irritating to people over long periods of time. Fortunately, this does not affect everyone, and for people unaffected, using technology is an easier and more accessible way of learning.
Rebecca Curry, who has taught for 17 years at the Palisades School district, says she can utilize technology in all subjects she teaches despite some being more hands-on. Curry mentioned that she now has the curriculum at her fingertips online, which has made teaching much easier overall. She also uses websites such as 99 Math and Khan Academy to enrich her students and keep their math skills fresh. When asked about her personal opinion on technology in education, Curry said she believes it could become a bad thing if kids become too dependent on it. If used as a tool rather than a crutch, it can be very beneficial to students.
According to PreScholar using more technology in school would not only be less stressful to students. Still, it could also make learning more accessible to students who didn’t have access to schooling before. Digital learning would also align more with today’s technology-reliant world. When it comes to classroom-related benefits, digital schooling can prevent cheating and adjust the material to better fit student’s academic levels.
Sources:
https://www.scoir.com/blog/top-questions-students-ask-about-new-digital-sat#:~:text=The%20digital%20SAT%20is%2046,for%20all%20the%20math%20questions%E2%80%A6
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/jan/17/kids-reading-better-paper-vs-screen
https://blog.prepscholar.com/is-the-digital-sat-easier
