Digital Natives or Digital Morons? An “Internal” Debate on Technology and Critical Thinking Skills

Abstract

Are video games, media rich environments, and social networking technologies producing collaborative and experienced problem-solvers and decision-makers, or are we creating (as one author titles it) the âDumbest Generationâ? Is our educational system focusing on old skills for an industrial society, or preparing nimble and flexible students for jobs that donât even exist yet? Prensky, Jukes, Rosen, McCain and others have lionized the impact of new digital technologies and the need for digital âimmigrantsâ to refashion their teaching and step out of the âtest and tellâ model of talking heads. Bauerlein, Jackson, Zittrain, Oppenheimer and others foresee the rise of a new dark age, and decry the insidious influence of the internet and new communication technologies on attention spans, research habits, and test scores. This presentation features a solitary debater torn between two worldviews, presenting arguments and gibes from both sides, with a distributed annotated bibliography and Q&A periods for audience interaction. Constructive speeches will be followed by extended cross-examination time, concluding with summary rebuttals and general discussion.