The online education magazine eSchool News recently asked its readers what were the most important technology skills for students to know in the modern era (Stansbury, 2012). This series will look more closely at the skills that were identified and their relationship to online education.

After online literacy and critical thinking, the next skill identified was the need to know the science behind the technology (Stansbury, 2012). Those surveyed believed that as a foundation for truly becoming technologically literate schools should be teaching such things as computer programming, computer hardware creation, and number systems that employ alternate bases. The survey respondents indicated that these ideas should be integrated into the existing curriculum. The reality is that a bulging curriculum has pushed these items aside as curriculum content choices had to be made. Nonetheless, the information is readily available from other sources for students who wish or need to know it.

This is where online learning becomes an asset. Those students who need this information can find it readily online. However, others may not need to know the concepts of software and hardware creation, binary code, or hexadecimal numbering to function in society. While knowing the science behind the technology is a noble idea, its practicality for online learning is limited at best. Some learners such as those in pure and applied mathematics, software engineering, or aerospace will need this information. As such, the information on the science behind the technology belongs in these discipline-specific locations. However, the effect of knowing this information and its application will likely be minimal for the average student studying history, leadership, or accounting in an online program. What would be more helpful to these learners is an understanding of the psychology behind the technology; how was the software or hardware constructed to be meaningful and accessible to the end user? This information would directly affect online learners as they interact with the technological interface on a daily basis.                                                                                                         

Reference

Stansbury, M. (2012). Five technology skills every student should learn. eSchool News. Retrieved from http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/09/04/five-technology-skills-every-student-should-learn/.