Information technology for good or evil in science education

Abstract

Computers have created new possibilities for experimental and theoretical methods of scientific research. It has been also expected that development in computer technology enables changes in teaching and learning methods stimulating a constructivist approach to learning. However it is a dramatic contrast between the rapid change in technology and relatively slow change in its application to education. Paradoxically enough, the contemporary trend in computers development creates dangers which can spoil benefits of ICT: capability to present different types of information in visual or audio form has shifted attention from handling and processing data to their presentation. As a result computers are considered mostly as multimedia tools, suitable for visual presentations. Animations and simulations are more spectacular and much easier to perform than making real experiments, and therefore, unfortunately, the use of computers is too often limited in presenting facts and information in a pseudo attractive way. Virtual reality created by multimedia replaces the insight to the natural phenomena.