A neo-luddite is a person who greatly dislikes technology. A dislike of technology would usually stem from not being able to use it and find it very hard to work.
Being a student at University has taught me so much about different forms of new media and technology, Universities today are mostly run by the use of online learning and technology produced lectures and seminars. To be a neo-luddite in today's society at University would be a great challenge.
Before attending a lecture the slides must be printed off so the student has something to work from. Finding the lecture notes on the Internet or the universities home page (blackboard) would confuse a technology frightened person. As well as this, many seminars are increasingly being taught online, such as this module. A neo-luddite would fall back in their work if they relied purely on technology to gain them a degree.
As well as online learning through university there is a lot of online interaction spent if you are a student at university. Socially the Internet is very important, not just for organising meetings but for keeping up with fellow students and friends. As scary as it seems, those who interact online more than others tend to keep a larger group of friends, due to the ease of keeping in contact and the communities formed in certain groups. For example, Facebook helps students at the university of Lincoln to form communities of practice, a term coined by Wenger, by allowing students to group together.
Without technology I believe University would not be run as smoothly and would perhaps not appeal to many people. What do you think?
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I do agree that a neo-Luddite might struggle Hannah - but about universities not running as smoothly - this has problems. If you mean digital technology, well, universities did used to run as smoothly without it - I can't see why they wouldn't!
ReplyDeleteYour point about the social side of things is intersting though; as you rightly identify it is not just the educational technology that is the barrier to getting on. But then it depends too - how large a group of friends a person wants (and we don't all want lots), how much community you are looking for (as we don't all need that), how dependent one is on e.g. copying down the Powerpoint (and we don't have to) and so on. Neo-luddities would indeed be frustrated, but I think as an alternative to seeing them frustrated by barriers, they may be frustrated by everyone else's appatent dependence on those danged machines! :-))
I think that going back to a university without technology would be a struggle. There are now thousands more students at university and technology allows the organisation of courses to run a lot smoother (in my opinion) The Open University is a prime example of Distance learning and now with online lectures and seminars many more people, who before lived too far to attend, can now go to the OU.
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the groups of friends, not everyone needs a large amount of friends. However, generalising, the average student is still interested in social lives outside of the university but still in the area where they are based. The Internet allows us to see what is going on at local clubs and the daily newsletters we get inform students of sporting events and other social occasions. A Neo-Luddite would not be lost without the Internet, I just imagine they would perhaps be more left out.
The Internet provides us with information at ease, without it a lot more work must be done to gain such information whether it be educational or social information.
You are right though, I did not think how a neo-luddite would feel about myself and my friends.
ReplyDeleteIt does sometimes scare me how dependant I am on my little laptop and the click away from my Internet needs!