Describe the daily frustrations of a fictional neo-luddite at university now in the UK. Luddite – opponent of new technology
A neo-luddite is somebody who doesn’t like new technology. I think that a neo-luddite at university now would have many daily frustrations. Many university’s, like Lincoln, have a ‘Portal’ or ‘Blackboard’ (or similar) where students can access exam timetables, general information, lecture slides, seminar programmes, download unit hand books; pretty much everything to do with the academic side of their student life. Similarly, students are contacted by the university via email, meaning all students must access their email accounts regularly to be kept up to date by their tutors. Some university’s and courses have ‘online submission’ of assignments meaning this neo-luddite would have to use technology to simply hand in their assignment, let alone researching using online journals and e-books and also typing it up. All of these digital aspects of university academic life would mean a neo-luddite would have many daily frustrations.
This student would also suffer socially, as the majority of students have Facebook pages and mobile phones which they use to arrange socials, generally chat and also to organise group work. This student therefore would find it difficult to be surrounded by ‘digital natives’ who use technology for every aspect of their university life.
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Do you know any neo-luddites?
ReplyDeleteI agree they simply wouldn't be able to go through everyday of university life without being involved with technology. I personally understand why the university is keeping up to date with new technologies, and for people on a course like ours it is beneficial, however do you think that there still should be 'traditional' ways to do things, rather than being forced to use technology to get along? Should there be that option still available?
I'm undecided on this one; I think perhaps people should have the option to do things in a more traditional way, but when I think about it logically, it makes no sense for people to be stuck in the past, as it were. The main positive for these new forms of media is that they make life easier for us, which is why they are used.
ReplyDeleteI think that if somebody wants to be a student at a university then they have to comply with their way of doing things, which these days are very technology based. I agree with Emma that new media forms are used to make life easier, which is why universitys choose this option. People who feel like this should at least try to become accustomed to using technology as it's always going to be around, changing and will used even more in the future.
ReplyDeleteMy post was based on a more personal look at neo luddites. In this respect, do you think a neo luddite student would be treated differently at University and would they be allowed special treatment when considering our use of digital essay completion/hand-ins?
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