ScienceDaily (Jan. 29, 2009) — As technology has played a bigger role in our lives, our skills in critical thinking and analysis have declined, while our visual skills have improved, according to research by Patricia Greenfield, UCLA distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Children's Digital Media Center, Los Angeles.

Kids today--even big kids like me--have access to some very cool gadgets. Gadgets like the Internet, video games, computers, cell phones, CD players, and hi-def TVs. Very fun and with the potential to inform, stimulate, and educate. But how is all that technology affecting our kids' ability to learn?

Patricia Greenfield, UCLA distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Children's Digital Media Center in Los Angeles, analyzed more than 50 studies on learning technology and found trends that are both disturbing and heartening.

Greenfield states that learners have changed as a result of their exposure to technology: there is a decline in critical thinking and analysis, and an increase in visual intelligence. "Studies show that reading develops imagination, induction, reflection and critical thinking, as well as vocabulary," said Greenfield. "Reading for pleasure is key to developing these skills." Yet reading for pleasure has declined among young people in recent decades.

The fact that visual intelligence has increased means students are better able to at least process information. However, visual media is generally real-time and gives little time for reflection, analysis, or imagination. Greenfield suggests that as students spend more time with visual media, evaluation methods that include forms of visual media will give us a better picture of what kids actually know. For example, I am actually seeing a much greater incidence of students creating PowerPoint presentations to demonstrate knowledge.


As technology has played a bigger role in our lives, our skills in critical thinking and analysis have declined, while our visual skills have improved, according to new research.