BUiD Study Examines Impact of Computers on Education

A new study developed by researchers at The British University in Dubai (BUiD) examines the impact of technology in education, and questions whether the introduction of computers into the classroom has had sufficient benefits for children in the Middle East.

The research, which was developed in collaboration between experts in the University's Faculties of Education and Information, has been discussed at a number of international conferences. In particular, it is among the first studies to examine the overall impact of the introduction of computers into schools with a particular focus on the Middle East's education sector.

A major theme is whether teaching with computers has any impact on the depth of processing in learning for children, or whether the use of tools like the internet has merely increased the volume of information that children are exposed to.

“The British University in Dubai continues to examine the issue of computers in the classroom, using our perspective as the first research-based postgraduate university in the region to understand the issues from both the technological and educational sides of the discussion,'' said Dr. Clifton Chadwick, Senior Lecturer, The British University in Dubai.

“My own view is that teachers need to compensate the mechanical tendencies of the computer and ensure that the medium does not distort educational ends. This urgently requires more active participation of psychologists, educators and classroom teachers,'' he added.

The Faculty of Education is currently working with schools across the UAE to examine the role of computers in teaching children across a range of age groups.

Experts in the Faculty of Informatics are also heavily engaged in a number of research projects looking at the wider potential of using cutting edge technologies to organise and manage information for education.

“Collaboration between the Education and Informatics department is providing a significant amount of new data and helping us to better understand the role of technology in the classroom. In this way, we are contributing to a key discussion with the UAE's education sector, and our dialogue with both Ministries and educators is proving extremely fruitful,'' said Dr. Naz Awan, Lecturer, British University in Dubai.

The project is made possible by BUiD's strategic decision, at the direction of its governing council, to dedicate at least 40 percent of staff time toward research activities, bringing teaching hours well below the national average and into line with the typical teaching loads at leading international research-based universities