Joanne K. Olson and Michael P. Clough

About the author: Joanne K. Olson and Michael P. Clough are assistant professors at the Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education at Iowa State University.

Computer-assisted education is merely the latest in a series of attempts to use technology to improve education. However, while computers may make classrooms more "fun," in many ways technology hinders students' ability to truly learn. For example, calculators and word processing spell-checkers do not help students learn arithmetic or spelling. Student-oriented technologies are often "black boxes"—they do not require students to understand the concepts or processes that underlie these technologies. Computers and other technologies make complex tasks easier, but when used in the classroom, they ultimately reduce students' motivation to learn complex concepts.

In our increasingly polarized culture, taking a...