CHAPTER II

REVIEWS OF RELATED LITERATURE AND SYNTHESIS

This chapter includes the positive and negative effects of technological gadgets on

modular learning of Grade 7 students of King’s College of the Philippines - Laboratory

High School.

RELATED LITERATURE

Positive Impacts of Gadgets on Students

Gadgets have made people’s life much easier and more pleasant in today’s

environment. The fundamental cause for introducing comfort into people’s daily life is

technological advancement. One cannot even dare to imagine life without smartphones,

laptops, tablets, iPods and so on (Tech Crates, 2012). It has raised people’s living

standard and changed their outlook on life. Technology has grown tremendously, and

devices now give excellent functionality and use to individuals, particularly students. Shy

(2010) says that no one can deny the fact that gadgets have not only simplified the lives

of people but also made them more comfortable and luxurious. Indeed, these gadgets

really made a huge impact in people’s lives and became part of it. Gadgets may have a

good influence, especially on younger children. Gadgets can help youngsters stimulate

their senses and imagination. It may also help with the development of listening, sound

recognition, and speaking skills.

In recent years, technology has been brought into the classroom to improve

students’ learning experiences. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, and even 3D

printers are now being used in educational classes to improve cooperation and engage

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students in the learning process. The use of gadgets has made the process of teaching

and learning enjoyable (Muir-Herig. 2008). Teachers and students have greater creativity

and project-based learning possibilities in the classroom as a result of increased

cooperation, making academic education more relevant. Gadgets can make it easier for

students, especially new students, to connect with their peers. In this way, they can

express their ideas or make remarks about their education.

Because of the gadgets, students have access to an almost infinite quantity of

knowledge and resources. They can look at educational apps, movies, mobile

technologies, search engines, and interactive activities. Such learning tools include online

lesson plans, instructional programs, interactive games, online video and graphics, and

access to books and articles via tablets and e-readers. A student can consult material

that is outside the scope of the teacher’s curriculum by using a device. This has the

potential to extend the students’ horizons. The effects of electronic devices on students

help them increase their physical dexterity and their comprehension of computers.

Modern technology also motivates and engages the learner when students have

a choice in their assignments, see the relevance or can self-assess with teacher-feedback

intertwined, student motivation increases (C. O’Hara and Pritchard, 2010). The study also

is in agreement with these findings. The rapid evolution of modern technology has indeed

broadened society’s vision of the technologies as tools for developing children’s skills and

motivating in academic areas such as Mathematics, Science, Language arts and writing.

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 Even parents generally believe that modern technologies are an important

educational resource. Among teens, schoolwork has surpassed games as the most

frequent online activity. It was noted that in the classrooms, computer software

applications, along with word processing software, are the most widely available

applications of educational technology.

A smartphone, for example, can expose a kid to a wide range of non-school-related

applications and activities. For example, the popular game “Mobile Legends” is played by

so many students that it has become well-known distraction. These kind of games and

programs may interfere with a students’ ability to focus on his or her modules. These

devices are regularly used to communicate with students in ways unrelated to schooling.

While being sociable might be advantageous, it can also impair a students’ ability to

concentrate efficiently.

Certain devices may contain materials that are hazardous to a student’s physical

well-being. Gazing at a small screen on a smartphone all day can impair a student vision.

It is also possible that using gadgets has a detrimental impact on a student behavior in

ways that the student is not aware of. In fact, too much usage of gadgets can interfere

with the deeper cognitive processing that is critical to learning (Mayer, Griffith, Jurkowitz,

and Rothman. 2008). A study conducted in the year 2013 by Swansea and Milan

University shows that when the addict come offline, they get negative mood swings,

increased levels

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of depression and impulsivity. Countries like US, China, Australia, Singapore, Japan,

Philippines, and South Korea have sounded the warnings that internet addiction

represents a significant health threat (Boothroyd, 2014).

It can also cause a number of health issues. Prof. Phil Reed (2013), Professor of

Psychology in Swansea University’s College of Human and Health Sciences claims the

gadget addiction as the cause of the depression, social isolation, and disrupted sleep of

the present generation. He also argues that the same has many other negative impacts

on their health. Psychologist Dr. Kimberly Young began to study the topic of technology

addiction as long ago as 1995 and wrote about it in a book called “Caught in the Net” in

1998. She compares online addiction to drugs or alcohol because gadgets provide the

addicted students with the same kind of high leading the dependency on it to feel normal.

As a result of their growing usage of devices, students are suffering from a number of

health conditions, including back pain and poor eyesight. Furthermore, because they

exercise less, they are more prone to become overweight or obese.

The Impact of Technology on Academic Performance with the advancement of

new technology such as cellphones, the internet, and computers, a new question has

arisen. Is it true that the employment of modern technologies has an impact on students’

academic success? This is a difficult subject to answer because this new technology

connects with students in a variety of ways. This burgeoning discipline of educational

economics is expanding on a daily basis. In particular, the researchers who follow mobile

learning theory believe that mobile learning contributes to students learning in two ways

(Valk et al. 2010). First, technological devices influence the access to educational

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outcomes (Visser & West 2005, Motlik 2008). Second, they improve the quality and types

of instructional methods (Kukulska-Hulme & Traxler 2007, Traxler, 2007).

Furthermore, we must exercise caution in limiting our use of gadgets while also

knowing when to utilize them. In this approach, we can anticipate to meet our goals while

also expanding our country’s output.

SYNTHESIS

Many studies have discussed smartphone addiction in terms of students’

multitasking on students’ academic performance (Ellis, Daniels, Jauregui, 2011;

Jacobsen & Forste, 2011; Junco & Cotton, 2011). Findings on the consequences of

multitasking with the smartphones on academic performance showed a negative

relationship between students’ problematic mobile phone use and academic

performance.

CONCLUSION

Majority of the students who spent a lot of time on electronic gadget use has high

tendency to dependence towards gadgets, poor academic achievement and unhealthy

lifestyle profile. As a result, healthcare providers should conduct appropriate approaches,

such as introducing an application on an electronic device for academic purposes and

health tracking, to address these issues, allowing students to find the right balance

between academic achievement and health status, while also improving physical and

psychological wellness among school students.

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