Can Technology in Schools Arouse Student Curiosity?

Curiosity killed the cat is an old saying. However, in the case of human children curiosity can have great positive impacts on their development and knowledge acquisition. Ally curiosity with technology and it makes for a potent combination. Technology in schools can help students to know more and learn more.

Children are Curious

Children, by nature, are curious. Some are outspoken and outgoing about expressing curiosity while others are shy. Give them anything related to technology and it arouses their curiosity. Technology, for children, is new. It helps students to give full vent to their curiosity.

The brain likes curiosity says research

The brain likes curiosity according to research by the University of California. Their findings indicate that curiosity promotes learning in the brain. When technology is used it is found that students find it to be an interactive experience and it is rewarding. One example is smart boards in classrooms that help students to explore and find out information without asking questions. Students are apprehensive about asking questions of teachers because they fear reprimands but technology does not reprimand or dampen their enthusiasm.

On the contrary, it promotes more curiosity as students are encouraged to find out what happens next. This sparks increased activity in the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and the reward experience. Use technology in schools and students, instead of suppressing curiosity, will become exploratory and find out answers. While exploring with the help of technology further questions may arise that they will try to satisfy on their own and learn more in the process. Give them a gadget and they will want to touch, feel and try it out in every possible way. Show them a picture and try to explain and it will not have the same effect. Curiosity leads to inventiveness and innovation but it requires support and technology steps in to fill the gap.

Schools need to adapt

Compare schools that follow the age-old method of classroom training by a teacher and schools that incorporate technology. Students from the latter schools will do better in all respects. There is a need for educational technology given the rising standards and competitiveness and also the evolution of study materials. A student has a lot to handle and simple textbooks or classroom lectures are just not enough.

Besides, teachers may not have time or be inclined to address each student’s questions, which in fact further dampens curiosity. Give them technology in the form of digital study materials, interactive tutorials and actual technical gadgets they can experiment with in order to buttress theory and you will find they learn more and retain more such learning. School management systems are digital no doubt but still lags behind in technology implementation as educational aids that arouse curiosity. The current method of education suppresses curiosity and emphasizes robotic learning rarely deviating from the narrow curriculum path. Technology in schools can transform children’s minds into thriving hives of curiosity and expands horizons of knowledge acquisition. Get the right technology implementation agency for your school and you will be transforming students into creative, inventive adults.

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