By Jay Helbert
A few weeks ago I came across an interview in New Scientist with author of The Shallows What the Internet is Doing to our Brains, Nicholas Carr. In this interview (http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2010/09/nicholas-carr-surfing-our-way-to-stupid.html), Mr Carr lays down some of the key ideas from his book including the idea that the way information is presented on the web is changing the way we use our brains. He states that small, simultaneous bits appeals to something very primitive in our minds. Early in our evolutionary history we were rewarded for our ability to quickly shift attention and learn as much as we could about our surroundings. Later, especially with printed books, we learned to focus our attention. Today, the internet is leading us back to a more distracted, scattered, skimming and scanning mode of thought and away from attentive, contemplative thought.
In an interview with the BBC World Services Digital Planet programme (listen at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009hrl9#p009vls2) Mr Carr goes on to say that there are benefits to multi-tasking with information such as keeping our minds sharp as we grow old and clearly we are able to do more things in a shorter space of time but this is to the detriment of some other faculties; deep understanding, reflection, concentration, reasoning.
Research he points to include a study of London Taxi drivers who rely on GPS rather than The Knowledge which showed that these drivers have a lower capacity for visualising space than their less tech-savvy colleagues. Another study led by a Dutch team found that people who solved problems with the aid of user-friendly software were less able to recall the necessary strategies a week later than subjects who solved the same problems with less useful technology.
I think Nicholas Carr makes a compelling argument but it would be foolhardy to conclude that the internet is bad for our brains or has a net negative impact on learning.
Yes the media children are exposed to and interact with is fast, zippy, bite-sized and often simultaneous but it is also the source of a wealth of educational material (for the discerning) and learning tools. Children are developing certain talents and skills to such a level which those of us of an older persuasion may never reach, skills which will equip them for the world we live in now and in the future. The world is changing at an even faster rate than it was when Delors et al published The Treasure Within and thanks to neuroplasticity we are equipped to adapt to the changing world. Our habits shape how we think and learn. I think therefore that the question posed by some sections of the media since the publication of the Shallows Is the internet bad for our brains is the wrong question to ask if intelligent debate and enquiry is to ensue. A better question might be how is the internet shaping the ways in which we learn.
A further question should follow, that of what does all of this mean for education?. Do we as educators bemoan attention deficient children who want to be entertained not educated? Do we blame television, video games, the internet and mobile technology for the fact that students are not turned on to school? Or do we do something about it and embrace technology, not blindly allowing it to do the job for us, but making it work with us? Even if we as educators wanted to, we could not eradicate technology and so, if it is indeed to blame for shorter attention spans, the only thing we can do is to adapt teaching and learning approaches to suit the clients we have. The directors of the Ford motor company do not sit around blaming consumers for wanting safer more economical cars, they work on developing technologies to deliver the goods. This is exactly what teachers need to do develop our practices to deliver the goods for our young people if not we are failing them.
All of this is not to say we should abandon the development of skills needed in order for children to perform longer tasks (patience and the ability to focus and concentrate), similarly young people need to develop a love for and ability to interact with novels and other longer single format texts. The key, as always, is to find a balance.
I think that there is enough evidence to suggest that the internet is changing the way we think and learn and while we need to be careful and considered in how we use it, there is no convincing evidence that the changes are a bad thing. In fact the unwieldy, public access depository that is the internet can, if used responsibly and with care, be a force for educational good.