Smart People or Smart Contexts?

In response to Erica and Dave's question from "Smart People or Smart Contexts?"

What effect does technology and other tools have on the learning environment? 

I believe technology can have either a positive OR a negative impact on a person's learning environment. It really depends upon a learner's style and what role technology does or does not play in their ability to succeed in the classroom. I know from recent personal experience that too much of a good thing can be detrimental to learning. What I mean by this is with all of the channels available to receive information, it can be at times, overwhelming to process it all to the point of retention. As much as I love the many ways by which we can gather and assimilate data, I sometimes long for a simpler, less saturated sponge of information to choose from. No doubt, many of you in this course are very comfortable navigating your way through the high seas of informational technology while I, at times, feel like the fish out of water, just wanting to have a good reference book to gather my material from. The article referenced one situation where a student took a course that  "required a great deal of group work, self-regulation, and creativity…." The students' performance was not good mainly because this was a "technology rich curriculum" which she was not suited for. As this was not a good match to her learning style, performance suffered and she could be considered by some to have "low ability."  After the teacher made adjustments to the program to address the students' issues, performance improved. I see this very scenario nearly every day in the workplace. Employees struggling to perform well at their jobs even though they are skilled when something as simple as a new project or even a better means of training could make all the difference between success and failure. Employers as well as educators, need to be on the lookout for signs that point to a mismatch in learning styles and the environment they are placed in. I think when we see this kind of forward thinking going on, we will then see a marked difference in achievement in business as well as education.